LEED Consultant

What is a LEED Accredited Professional and should I become one? Many people in the construction industry as well as many other fields benefit from this designation.

We spoke with Maureen Mahle of Steven Winter Associates, Inc., who is the Quality Designee for their LEED for Homes Provider organization. She gave us some surprisingly simple tips to dramatically increase a home's energy efficiency, certified or not.

Completing your own green home renovations can be a daunting task, so consider hiring a LEED home consultant to help you choose the most effective strategy. Even if you aren't attempting to certify your home, using a LEED consultant opens up many new possibilities for your renovation project and saves money in the long run.

You know that being green is the right thing to do, but do you know what the four letters LEED mean? And what do they mean for your home?

LEED isn't the only green building rating system out there. Although it's considered the "gold" standard by many, consider these other national and local options for your green home renovation.

If you're a planner and prefer to operate based on a set of guidelines, consider following the LEED for Homes ratings system for your green remodel. Once work is complete, you'll have a certificate to prove that your home is truly a green one.

Expanding your current home to suit your family's growing needs might be more economical than selling and purchasing a new home. It's certainly a better move environmentally if you approach the addition process in an energy- and material-conscious way.

It's almost impossible to read about green design without coming across those four letters. Learn what LEED stands for.