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REGREEN is not set up as a rating system similar to LEED because remodeling can be a complex process. "Because the house is really just an entire system onto itself, we chose to think about remodeling in an element point of view," Kredich says.

REGREEN was launched in March 2008 and will continue to be enhanced as the program grows, Kredich says.

For example, he says they have seen interest in learning programs around core green remodeling practices, and they are looking to develop more programs based on these practices.

Defining "Green" Building
When it comes to green building, one question contractors and their customers might ask is, "What is green building?" Recently, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) along with other organizations have taken steps to clear up the confusion. The National Green Building Standard for residential construction and development as well as renovation and remodeling has been created and is waiting for ANSI (American National Standards Institute) approval. There is currently no set deadline for approval.

The standard was created to define "green" building, says Kevin Morrow, program manager for green building standards with NAHB. The nearly 100-page standard is fairly comprehensive, Morrow says. "The standard was created by a consensus committee of various interests groups representing a broad array of industry interests," Morrow explains. This included people from the building side as well as the energy efficiency side of things. "The idea was that if we could get all these parties together - each with their own idea of what green building is - that we could hammer out what would be a generally recognized standard," he says.