Built Green® Star Levels: What Do They Mean?

Built Green® Star Levels: What Do They Mean?—2021 Versions

Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

All Built Green homes are designed to reach beyond current Washington state building and energy codes—creating greener, healthier, and more equitable homes. However, not all Built Green homes are equal, and building standards and innovations change over time.

In Washington State, the building and energy codes are updated in a 3-year cycle. When the state codes change, typically requiring a higher level of performance and energy efficiency, Built Green must update its checklists to ensure Built Green certifications are representing beyond-code, innovative, and high-performance building practices. Every credit is assigned a point value based on its level of impact, difficulty or cost to implement. Built Green develops its checklist credits with advisory from leading industry professionals to navigate state code changes, technological advancements, and leading-edge best practices. To help distinguish these changes, Built Green checklists are assigned a version number for the year they were implemented. You can see a summary of the previous 2017/2018 version here. In 2021, we released updates for our new construction checklists to respond to code changes.

Regardless of the checklist version, there are four different Built Green certification levels, referred to as star levels, that builders can choose to achieve. This allows builders the flexibility to choose the star level that best matches their experience level with green construction practices, their or their client’s goals, and the project’s site context. The Built Green checklists are designed to encourage green development wherever possible using a holistic approach. This approach goes beyond energy use and takes water use, indoor air quality, site, materials, and community impact into consideration. This post will walk you through the various Built Green certification levels available and help you understand the differences between them.

Energy

The first thing many are familiar with when it comes to high performance homes is energy efficiency. Built Green requires notable performance differences for each certification level. The table below provides an overview regarding the energy performance requirements.

Built Green Energy Requirements by Star Level
3-Star	Performance to be at least 6% improvement above WA State Energy Code
4-Star	Performance to be at least 12% improvement above WA State Energy Code
5-Star	Performance to be at least 18% improvement above WA State Energy Code; PLUS pre-wired for any future solar PV installations (single-family) or installed solar PV (multi-family)
Emerald Star	Demonstrate net zero energy performance over the course of a year; PLUS Building is 100% electric, no combustion fuels used inside the building.
Net Zero Energy Label	Any Star level is eligible: Demonstrate net zero energy performance over the course of a year; PLUS building is 100% electric, no combustion fuels used inside the building.

The Built Green checklists provide multiple ways for builders to demonstrate improvements in energy use, but each option is designed to achieve the performance listed in the above table. An example of how a builder can increase performance is a building’s thermal envelope—the wall that provide a physical separation between the exterior environment and the interior of a building. If the thermal envelope is more insulated and air-tight (i.e., less drafty), then the building will require less energy to provide thermal comfort to occupants. Using the Built Green checklist, builders can demonstrate how they have improved the energy performance of the home to provide greater thermal comfort while reducing operational costs to the occupant.

In addition to the home’s design, installing Energy Star rated appliances, heat pump water and space heaters reduce the energy required by the largest energy consumers in a home. Using passive solar design and orientation, light-colored interior finishes, and energy efficient lighting can further improve a home’s performance and comfort. Using a combination of features, builders can achieve high levels of performance, while increasing comfort and decreasing utility bills for occupants.

5-Star, NZE Label homes by Martha Rose Construction

For 5-Star and Emerald Star Built Green homes, additional factors come into play. For example, any Built Green home could be oriented on the lot in a way that will optimize passive solar strategies, but 5-Star single-family homes must provide a designated rooftop location for the wiring and controls for any future solar photovoltaics, while multi-family buildings must have a minimum amount of solar PV installed. Emerald Star is required to achieve net zero energy (NZE)—meaning the building produces as much energy as it consumes in a year. To achieve NZE the building must use clean energy production through wind or solar, with the energy production either on site or within a quarter of mile of the lot.

Site and Water

Energy consumption might be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of high-performance homes, but it isn’t the only aspect. Site requirements ensure the footprint of the house has a minimal environmental impact. For example, one of the requirements for a 4-Star home is planting native, pollinator-friendly, or drought resistant plants, while also limiting thirsty turf grass to 25% or less of landscaped areas. This allows for the homeowner to enjoy beautiful landscaping while saving water and money through lower utility bills. 5-Star homes take stormwater management planning a step further by using pervious paving materials for at least 1/3 of the total area for driveways, walkways, and patios.

Total water use reduction in Built Green homes is made possible through EPA Water Sense and Energy Star low-flow fixtures and appliances, as well as landscaping that minimizes irrigation needs. Similar to home energy scores, the Water Efficiency Rating System (WERS) and Water Rating Index (WRI) are water efficiency scores that can be used to show a home’s water use reduction. The following is a table that provides an overview regarding Built Green’s water conservation requirements:

Built Green Site and Water Requirements by Star Level
3-Star	Total water use reduction of at least 30%
4-Star	Total water use reduction of at least 40%
5-Star	Total water use reduction of at least 50%; PLUS manage 60% stormwater on-site (multifamily)
Emerald Star	Occupant water use reduction of at least 70%; PLUS manage 100% stormwater on-site (single-family)

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality has an impact on the health of the environment, construction employees, and occupants of a home. All Built Green star levels are required to use materials, sealants, adhesives and finishes that do not emit harmful levels of added formaldehydes and volatile organic compounds that can be detrimental to occupant health. 4-Star homes take it a step further and recommend actions such as separating or air sealing the garage with an automatic exhaust fan to avoid motor exhaust from entering the home. Built Green recognizes another major contributor to poor indoor air quality that often escapes attention – shoes. There are numerous checklist credits (required for 5-Star Homes) dedicated to decreasing the number of pollutants being tracked into Built Green homes by shoes such as designated shoe-removal areas, enclosed vestibules, permanently installed track-off mats, carpets, and/or shoe grates at the principle entryway of a building.

4-Star home by Isola Homes

Materials

The materials used in the project and how efficiently they are utilized is also incredibly important and considered when assigning a Built Green star level. Every star level requires builders to post and implement a recycling plan and some form of waste reduction and recycling to ensure materials will not be wasted. 5-star and Emerald Star home require ensuring material sustainability and efficiency by requiring at least 10 materials to include salvaged or recycled content.

Emerald Star home by Dwell Development

Embodied carbon in buildings is the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building construction that arise from extracting, transporting, manufacturing, and installing building materials on site, as well as the operational an end-of-life emissions associated with those materials. Built Green 5-Star and Emerald Star homes must calculate the embodied carbon through approved methods.

Built Green uses a House Size Matrix to assign increased value to building smaller more resource efficient homes. Smaller than average homes receive additional points added to their final total to achieve a targeted star level. Larger than average homes, regardless of star level, require additional steps to address their increased material usage and environmental impact. Builders can choose between earning additional materials credits or calculate the new building’s embodied carbon baseline and show at least a 10% reduction.

Equity and Social Justice

The three pillars of sustainability are planet, profit, and people. Most often in green construction certifications, the people aspect of sustainability is overlooked. Built Green recognizes as we commit to working for equity and inclusion in housing and the building trades, we must value the voices, experiences, cultures, knowledge, and multi-dimensionality of all people, including community members impacted by discrimination, bias, and systemic barriers. Understanding their perspectives is essential to removing these barriers. Creating these spaces of belonging and centering equity in turn provides economic and growth opportunities, reduction in turnover costs, and increased applicant labor pool for builders to capitalize on. This section is intended to support architects, builders, and developers in their efforts to promote equity and inclusion, one home at a time. With each Built Green star level, the qualitative positive impact on the community increases. As the builder progresses in each star level they must increase their efforts in universal design, community planning, equitable sourcing, and create an equity and social justice plan for each project.

Dwell Development Emerald Star
ANEW PACE Training Program

Why Certify with Built Green?

While an Emerald Star-certified home is greener with a reduced environmental impact than a 3-Star Built Green home, it is important to remember both homes are designed with the environment, community, and the inhabitants in mind. 3-Star certification is a great way for builders new to green building to learn more about the Built Green program and then begin to ramp up the certification levels they aim for.

Every star level builds upon the next to create greener homes. The needs of the builder, the homeowners, the community, and the environment are all considered when any Built Green home is constructed. Providing builders with the flexibility to choose which features to incorporate into the home increases the probability that more builders will choose to build greener homes. The star level tiers help provide clarity on how green each project is.

Spring is upon us in the Pacific Northwest and for many it also marks the beginning of allergy season, which affects up to 30% of the US population and 40% of US children. The CDC expects that climate change will lead to both higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons. However, climate change is not the only contributing factor to the increase in pollen counts, it is only exasperating a situation caused by generations of selective breeding and prejudicial landscaping decisions.

All plants contain male sex organs called stamens and female sex organs called pistils. Pollen is dispersed from male stamens and captured by the female pistil to create seeds for germination. While most plant species are monoecious and include both male and female reproductive organs, many plant species are dioecious with individuals that make only pollen or only seeds. In fact, most of the tree species used for street trees in urban settings are male dioecious trees.

Tom Ogren, author of The Allergy-Free Garden, blames most of the allergy inducing problems on selectively only landscaping with male plants. He explains that male species of shrubs, trees, and flowers produce pollen and other air particles. “It all has to do with sex and the need to plant female plants.” Female trees were thought to produce unattractive and unwelcome litter in the form of fruit, seeds, flowers, cones, pods, and cotton. Since the 1970’s, city planners and landscaping crews began planting male trees to reduce cleanup costs and efforts. Ogren states, "I was able to trace it to the fact that many street trees that were planted years ago have finally reached maturity. And those trees are all male and now overloading the air with pollen." With this increased demand for male trees, horticulturalists began selectively breeding and cloning more and more dioecious male plant species, moving beyond trees into shrubs and flowers. Increasing more and more pollen-only producing varieties and species to fill the landscapes that surround us.

Ironically, if city planners and landscapers had prioritized female trees and plants, in the same way as male plants, neither pollen nor unwanted seeds or fruit would cause issues. Female plants do not produce fruits or seeds if there are no males of the same species within 20 to 30 feet from its roots. He goes on to explain that allergy-reducing landscaping includes not just understanding the importance of plant sex, but also encouraging pollinators and eliminating mold growth that can occur in hedges and compost piles.

From his observations Ogren now believes that the reason so many butterflies are disappearing is because the [female] nectar-producing trees were a major food source. "And they are disappearing because they are being replaced by the [male] pollen-producing trees," said Ogren. Planting native species of plants supports native pollinators with the foods they are accustomed to. Furthermore, non-native plants may become stressed since they are not used to the climate, and therefore, may produce more pollen. To guide cities to plant less allergenic trees, Ogren developed the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS). The scale rates plants from 1–10 based on their allergy potential.

Grass is a major pollen producer, thus, to reduce allergy triggering pollen, the Asthma Society recommends mowing grasses regularly before it flowers. Better Home and Gardens recommends planting species that are pollinated by bees; the pollen of these species is heavier and sticky and therefore stays on the bees rather than floating around in the air. In addition, mold growth in hedges and compost can also affect allergies. To discourage mold spores Ogren recommends keeping hedges trimmed regularly to increase air flow between the branches, keeping compost bins covered, and turning compost piles about every 2 to 4 weeks.

Local pollen counts can be tracked and monitored through the US Air Quality Index. The University of Illinois Extension recommends reducing exposure to plants that flare up allergens through wearing long sleeved shirts, long pants, gloves, hat, and even a mask while gardening.

Seattle Area Pollen Seasons

Increases in carbon emissions and climatic changes in weather patterns are causing more people around the world to experience negative health effects from pollen and other outdoor allergens. According to the CDC, individuals with preexisting respiratory illnesses such as asthma, are more sensitive to pollen, which has been linked to increases in asthma attacks and associated medical costs that exceed $3 billion every year. Decreasing the plants that contribute more pollen into the air can increase quality of life, especially for those already living in urban low-quality air zones.

The following is Allergic Living’s list of low-allergy options for your garden:

Flowering Plants	Shrubs/Bushes/Herbs
Lathyrus odoratus – Sweet pea	Coleus blumei – Coleus
Catharanthus roseus – Periwinkle	Hosta – Hosta, plantain lily
Digitalis – Foxglove	Physalis – Chinese lantern
Impatiens – Impatiens	Sempervivum – Hens and chicks
Myosotis – Forget-me-nots	Hydrangea grandiflora – Big leaf hydrangea
Nierembergia – Cup flower	Viburnum – Viburnum shrubs, highbush cranberry, nannyberry
Petunia – Petunia	Heuchera – Coral bells (many varieties)
Viola – Johnny jump up, pansy, violet	Teucrium crispum – Wood sage
Brodiaea – Elephant’s ears	Physocarpus opulifolius – Dart’s gold, ninebark
Crocus – Spring-flowering crocus	Bergenia – Elephant’s ears
Cyclamen – Cyclamen	Kolkwitzia amabilis – Beauty bush
Galanthus – Snowdrops*	Aronia melanocarpa – Black chokeberry
Gladiolus – Gladiolus	Rodgersia pinnata – Featherleaf rodgersia
Hyacinth – Hyacinth (numerous varieties)	Helianthemum – Sunrose, rock rose
Gentiana – Gentian	Gaura – Gaura, beeblossom
Geranium – True geranium, cranesbill	Vaccinium corymbosum – Blueberry bush
Hemerocallis – Day lily	Berberis vulgaris – Barberry bush
Peony – Peony	Daphne – Daphne
Polemonium – Jacob’s ladder	Nandina domestica – Nandina
Rhododendron – Azalea, rhododendron	Salvia greggii – Autumn sage
Fuchsia – Fuchsia	Salvia clevelandii – Cleaveland sage, blue sage
Dianthus – Carnation, pinks	Trees
Papaver – Poppy	Stick to female trees, which may drop berries or seeds but don’t produce pollen
Begonia – Fibrous or tuberous begonia	Persimmon – persimmon tree
Rosa – Rose (avoid high-scent varieties)	Amelanchier lamarkii – juneberry tree*
Phlox – Phlox*	Vines/Climbing Plants
Iris – Iris	Thunbergia alata – Black-eyed Susan vine
Erythrocoma triflora – Prairie smoke
Kniphofia – Red Hot Poker
Clematis – Clematis
Tulipa gesneriana – Tulip (bulbs may irritate sensitive skin)
Penstemon – Beardtongue
Antirrhinum – Snapdragon
Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly weed
Hibiscus – hibiscus
Narcissus – Daffodil
Bulbine frutescens – bulbine

*Pictured below

Amelanchier lamarkii – Juneberry tree

Galanthus – Snowdrops

Purple phlox

planting-the-seeds-for-allergy-free-landscaping

Built Green™

07/30/2018

First Lamp LLC: 5-Star Single-Family

Built with a homeowner in mind, this single-family home in the Bryant neighborhood of Seattle hosts many unique features not typically seen on new construction projects.

This house was designed by First Lamp to look like alternating stacked blocks, which creates extensive overhangs. In addition to the overhangs, First Lamp added a large cantilevered roof allowing for the main entry, porch, carport, and deck to be covered while providing lots of usable space to spend time outdoors year-round. To create additional privacy for the porch area, an outdoor concrete wall was built to provide a separation between the street and living space.

Vital Stats	Section	Points
Location: Bryant neighborhood, Seattle Star Level: 5-Star Checklist: Single-family/townhouse new construction Verifier: Evergreen Certified	Site and Water	154
	Energy Efficiency	159
	Health and Indoor Air Quality	145
	Material Efficiency	106
	Total Score	618.45

The home’s uniquely designed interior highlights Shou Sugi Ban paneling surrounding the fireplace, recycled cardboard light fixtures, and a small indoor atrium. Other interior finishes include polished concrete on the main floor, bamboo flooring on the additional levels, fiberglass-clad wood-framed windows, locally-made cabinets, and recycled-content quartz countertops.

On top of the design features, this house is also built to be energy efficient. Rigid sub-slab insulation and blown-in fiberglass in the walls and roof provide a good thermal envelope, while the hybrid heat pump water heater designed for domestic water use, radiant slab, ducted and ductless mini-splits, Energy Star appliances, and LED lighting all help to keep bills small. And for fresh air, the HRV will do the trick!

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

Native vegetation and trees saved with extensive protection during construction
Topsoil stockpiled and covered on-site for reuse
100 percent pervious hardscaping with bioplanters for maximum water infiltration
Vegetated roof surrounding the deck on the second level
No grass on-site; all drought-tolerant landscaping

Energy Efficiency

1.96ACH @ 50Pa blower door score achieved with an Intello Plus interior and a Solitex Mento exterior air and vapor barrier combination
Passive solar strategies incorporated into the house design
Hydronic slab, ductless, and ducted mini-splits for efficient space heating
Hybrid heat pump water heater and Lifebreath HRV installed
Electric vehicle car charger integrated into the carport

Health and Indoor Air Quality

Eco-charrette and chemical sensitives meetings conducted with homeowners and subcontractors
No carpet installed for better indoor air quality
NAUF millwork and all low- or no-VOC products used
Large roof overhangs for water protection
Lifebreath HRV balanced by Evergreen Certified

Materials Efficiency

Salvaged lumber used from the original house
FloorScore certified bamboo hardwood flooring
Combination of metal, Hardie, and cedar siding used
Truss roof system and no framing members larger than 2-by-8 and 4-by-8 feet used in the house
25 percent fly ash by weight used in concrete foundation

first-lamp-llc-5-star-single-family

Built Green™

09/26/2022

Madison Plaza Grand-Opening Event

GIS International Group, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Other Project Partners Celebrate Grand Opening, Built Green-Certification of Madison Plaza in Downtown Kent

(l-r): Interim Executive Director of Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties Jerry Hall; City of Kent Mayor Dana Ralph; DMG Capital Group Owner Dr. David Myaskovsky; GIS International Group CEO Eugene Gershman; and IHB Architects Principal Imad H. Bahbah AIA.

Kent, Wash. (Sept. 19, 2022): GIS International Group, DMG Capital Group, and Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) today ceremoniously opened Kent’s newest transit-oriented development just steps away from Kent Station. The building, which broke ground in mid-2020, will welcome its first residents later this month.

Madison Plaza, a mixed-use building featuring 157 market-rate apartment units, street-level retail, and a robust resident-amenities program, was also officially certified Built Green — part of a mid-day event that featured remarks from Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, executives from MBAKS, community dignitaries, and members of the project development and construction team.

Madison Plaza is only the second multi-family building in Kent to receive the Built Green designation. The 7-story building is one of several mixed-use projects being developed in the Kent market, a response to growing residential demand for centrally located projects near public transit, restaurants, retail, and other work-life amenities.

“We’re always humbled to share these important milestones with the many industry and community partners who played such a critical role in the project’s success,” said GIS CEO Eugene Gershman, whose company specializes in the development and construction of commercial buildings like Madison Plaza. “It’s the ideal location for workforce residents, and we look forward to future investments in this community.”

Built Green is the green home certification program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. In addition to certifying green homes, remodels, apartments, and communities, the organization hosts a membership network of companies and individuals involved in the green building industry.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the opening of Madison Plaza,” stated Jerry Hall, Interim Executive Director at Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. “This Built Green 4-star certified multifamily building plays a crucial role in fulfilling our region’s need for more housing choices.”

Madison Plaza is located at 102 Madison Ave. N., across the street from Showare Arena, a short walk from Kent Station and its Sound Transit center, and adjacent to a wide range of retail, restaurants, and entertainment options. In addition to mid-market workforce-housing units, Madison Plaza features two floors of retail, a secure entry lobby, a fitness center and game room lounge area, bike storage and washing, a turf and dog run and a rooftop gathering space.

The Madison Plaza project team also includes award-winning architecture firm IHB Architects, financial and development partner DMG Capital Group, and Thrive Communities, which is responsible for leasing and managing the property.

About GIS International Group

GIS is a privately owned and operated group of construction, design, and development companies dedicated to creating dynamic, sustainable projects on commercial and residential sites. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, GIS provides turnkey construction and development solutions, as well as project consulting and owner representation, to partners and clients throughout the Puget Sound region. GIS prides itself on its efficient, high-quality production and its deeply experienced team delivering project value across various industries and geographic boundaries. More information on GIS’s urban and suburban real estate projects and its best-in-class services is available at gisinternational.com.

About Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders’ association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

About Built Green

Built Green is a holistic green home certification program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, established in partnership with King and Snohomish counties in 1999. In addition to certifying green homes, remodels, multifamily buildings, and communities, Built Green hosts a membership network of companies and individuals involved in the green building industry, conducts research, and markets the social and environmental benefits of green building. The program’s mission is to serve as the driving force for environmentally sound design, construction, and development practices in the state of Washington’s cities and communities. Since its inception, Built Green has certified more than 36,000 housing units and 20,000 buildings. The program has partnered with local governments and utilities to create green building incentive programs, which have helped spur uptake in the region.

About IHB Architects

IHB Architects, the designer of Tacoma Trax, strives to enhance communities with vision, innovation, compassion and economic vitality. The company is empowered by the ability to help individuals, developers and businesses to succeed. IHB’s understanding of sustainable design methods, ideas and materials allows it to offer any level of sustainable-design features that is within reach of the client’s budgetary constraints. More information is available at ihbarchitects.com.

Media Contact:

Richard Kendall, Allison+Partners
For GIS International Group
619-346-2084 / richard@allisonpr.com

Madison Plaza deck

Madison Plaza group photo

Mayor of Kent speaking at Madison Plaza

Jerry Hall speaking at Madison Plaza

madison-plaza-grand-opening-event