Green Homes Certificate

Certificate Overview

By earning your Green Homes Certificate, you gain a working knowledge of green residential building strategies and tools, including the major rating systems: LEED-Homes®, Built Green, and ENERGY STAR. This program is for anyone interested in or working in residential remodeling or new construction to learn about sustainable building tools and strategies. Using case studies of successful green homes and housing developments, you gain a better understanding of effective energy and water use and how to build healthier, smarter homes.

This 12-week program provides the training you need to stay up-to-date with innovations in the building industry and the demand for sustainable construction. Each week the course is taught by different CSU faculty and industry experts who share their cutting-edge knowledge about topics ranging from sustainable sites to building commissioning. This certificate is offered in Loveland each fall semester and in Denver each spring semester.

This certificate has been created by CSU's Institute for the Built Environment (IBE) to help Colorado builders recognize the benefits and understand the concepts of building and reconstructing green homes. The IBE was originally established by Brian Dunbar and other faculty in the College of Applied Human Sciences and strives to bring together professionals and students from design and construction to solve problems through research related to the built environment. During this certificate, leading experts in the field of green residential building will be brought in by IBE to teach.

Benefits & Outcomes

• Become specifically trained in Green Homes to meet the growing demand for environmentally sustainable residential construction.
• Be prepared to respond to emerging trends in residential building.
• Integrate your environmental concerns into your work for greater job satisfaction and community impact.
• Connect with regional experts and industry professionals in green residential building.

Course Topics

Our 12-week Green Homes Certificate Program provides a comprehensive overview of this fast growing, dynamic field. Coursework focuses on the following topics in green residential building, new construction and remodeling:

• Residential green building in Colorado
• Site & home design: first steps toward a green home
• Energy efficient envelope: the backbone of a green home
• High performance HVAC systems for new, remodeled and existing homes
• Active renewable energy systems
• Indoor environmental quality
• Field trip: home performance testing demonstrations; green homes visits
• Sustainable & healthy building and finish materials and products
• Natural home building techniques
• Design charrette
• Construction waste recycling, deconstruction, remodeling
• Economics of green homes
• Green rating systems: LEED®-Homes, Built Green, Energy Star

View the program curriculum (PDF) for more information about program format and material.

Who Should Attend

If you work in the design and construction industries, earning the Green Homes Certificate will greatly increase your skills and knowledge of sustainable residential building. With a valuable certificate credential, you demonstrate a knowledge base that will help you advance in the growing field of sustainable construction and remodeling. This program is also appropriate for homeowners who are looking to remodel or build their own home and are interested in applying sustainable building principles to the project.

Individuals and professionals throughout the residential building industries benefit from earning the Green Building Certificate, including:

• Homebuilders
• Interior and landscape designers
• Architects
• Homeowners
• Energy engineers
• Subcontractors
• Real estate professionals
• Developers
• Lenders
• Appraisers
• Building inspectors