The Criteria that benefits everyone
Building to Enterprise Green Communities Criteria offers significant health, economic and environmental benefits to residents. Meeting the Criteria produces substantial increases in the quality of life of residents living there.
Affordable green homes, for developers and residents
Lessons learned from properties built to the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria are summarized in our first-of-its-kind report: Incremental Cost, Measurable Savings: Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. (PDF, 3MB)
- Meeting the criteria costs an average of $4.52 per square foot and increases development costs by only 2.1 percent.
- Energy and water conservation measures not only pay for themselves but also produce another $2,900 in projected lifetime savings per unit.
- Design elements, such as orientation of the housing, location of the windows and optimization of daylight, can save money on mechanical and electrical system purchases, allowing budget for other measures, such as healthier building materials.
Technical and Information Resources for Developers
- Information resources to get up to speed building green
- Financial Products that support green development
- Holistic Enterprise Green Communities Criteria to assure buildings perform green
- A national registry of trusted green technical assistance providers
- Enterprise Rose Fellowship in Community Architecture puts young architects providing green design on the developer’s team of experts
- Coming soon: an online forum for developers and technical assistance providers to share learning
The Enterprise Green Communities Criteria are the nation’s most widely adopted comprehensive green affordable housing framework. Estimated lifetime utility cost savings are sufficient to repay the average cost of complying with the criteria.