LEED-certified home:
Environmental—reduced greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable building materials, and efficient use of land, water, and alternative energy
Health — safe interiors with cleaner filtered air and less exposure to mold, mildew, and indoor toxins
Economic—zero heating and cooling bills, lower energy and water bills, and may be eligible for lower financing fees and insurance rates.
SpringLeaf’s homes, designed by George Watt Architecture, have been registered for LEED-Platinum, the highest certification level in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. LEED certification is an independent third-party process that provides benchmarks for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. All LEED homes are third-party inspected, performance tested, and certified to be higher-performing than conventional homes.
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED-Platinum buildings represent the highest quality and energy efficiency, and far exceed Boulder's Green Points standard for construction.
SpringLeaf homes are tightly built with “smart framing” and sustainably grown lumber. Double-glazed low-E windows and highly insulated walls and roofs conserve heat in the winter and keep interiors cool in the summer. Inside each home, healthy air is ensured by high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and finishes such as low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and formaldehyde-free custom cabinetry. A mechanical ventilation system brings in fresh air from the outside and circulates the geothermal water-heated or water-cooled air.
Powered by a 10-kilowatt PV system, with rooftop arrays of solar panels on every home, SpringLeaf will be tied to the Xcel Energy grid via a net-metering system. When the sun shines 300-plus days a year, the electric meter spins backwards; at night or on cloudy days, homes can draw power from the grid. They can generate as much electricity as they consume on an annual basis. PV panels on the guest carport and maintenance structure power the landscape irrigation and lighting systems and provide electricity for recharging hybrid cars.
