In the not-too-distant future, today's green features will be standard elements in homes across the country.

Many homebuilders are now specialists in green design and construction and are building today's green certified single family homes and residential developments.

About 50 homebuilders recently participated in the LEED® Canada for Homes case study, and were integral to helping the Canada Green Building Council introduce this new high performance certification system to this market.

LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary system that rates the environmental and energy efficiency performance of homes and buildings. Offering four levels of certification through a point-based system, LEED® has rapidly become a respected and sought after tool for builders and developers who want to achieve third-party recognition for more sustainable homes and buildings.

LEED® homes use between 30 and 60 percent less energy, up to 70 percent less water, have better air quality and more even indoor temperatures, and create a healthier, more comfortable environment for the people who live in them.

According to Natural Resources Canada, buildings represent 30 percent of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. So if buildings become more energy efficient and emit fewer GHGs, there could be a significant drop in Canada's overall emissions and a strong step made toward combating climate change.

The LEED® certification system focuses largely on the design and construction of the more permanent, key systems in the home: the building envelope including windows and doors, heating and ventilation systems, plumbing and water management, and materials such as insulation, flooring, and framing. It also rewards points for adopting innovative technologies such as solar panels and greywater reuse systems.

Health improvements for the occupants is a qualitative benefit of a LEED® home. LEED® looks at indoor air quality - for example, how air circulates throughout the home and provides fresh air and even temperatures, prevents mould growth and reduces dust circulation - as one of its eight evaluation categories. At the same time, builders of LEED® homes are required to use building materials that don't emit toxins such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful gases.

From a money savings perspective, LEED® homeowners tend to have much lower monthly energy bills. Homeowners in B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Yukon gain even more financial benefits; the utility companies in each of these provinces and territories follow a two-tiered pricing structure for electricity, giving residential customers a reduced rate for the first block of electricity they consume during a given period.

Furthermore, green homeowners can also take advantage of lower insurance premiums and preferred mortgage rates that are offered by some financial institutions as incentives to their customers to embrace more sustainable homes.

Inside the LEED® home, common fixtures include dual-flush toilets, high efficiency lighting, Energy Star appliances, and low flow showerheads and faucets. Rainwater harvesting systems, high efficiency irrigation systems, and landscaping that relies on native plants, prevents soil erosion and preserves existing plants and trees, may be found outside the home. Homes seeking LEED® certification are often situated close to transit and community amenities like shopping, schools and other services.

To achieve certification, a builder must ensure the home is inspected by a third party LEED® rater.

For homebuilders and potential owners alike, this third party certification is a key factor, especially when "green" claims are being made on such a diverse range of products today.

Third party certification is mitigation against homebuyers' "greenwashing" fears, providing them with assurance that the home being purchased has met criteria that have been independently verified.

LEED-certified homes are not just about giving homeowners a healthy environment and an opportunity to reduce costs alongside their carbon footprints, however; they are also about high performance, quality and durability.

LEED® homes provide long term value, which in a constrained economy, is even more desirable to today's homebuyer. People interested in LEED-certified homes view their value as a hedge against future volatility, which is being created by not only rising energy prices but also an uncertain real estate market.

That means purchasing a green home today may also improve short term and preserve long term resale value. That's because homebuilders and other experts across Canada agree that green building is the future, and expect that it will become a new standard.