David Gottfried, the founder of theU.S. Green Building Council, has completed the highest-scoring green home renovation since the LEED® for Homes Green Building Rating System™ launched in January 2008. His LEED Platinum home in Oakland, Calif., received 106.5 points out of a total 136 possible under the LEED for Homes certification program.
The 1,500-square-foot home is half as large as the Gottfrieds’ previous home in the Berkeley Hills. Gottfried specifically wanted the home to be small to reduce the home’s footprint and show that a family of four can live happily in a smaller space, as humans historically have.
The home is designed to be a net-zero energy home, meaning that with its solar photovoltaic power generation and its solar- and hydronic-powered water-heating systems, the home strives to produce all the energy it needs to operate without drawing from the power grid.
Rainwater is captured and diverted for use in one of the home’s toilets, reducing reliance on potable water supplies. Greywater ― used water from the home’s two showers, bathtub and two sinks ― is used to water the landscaping. The family plans to grow its own vegetables.
To see more of the home’s details, click here >>
