HGTV Green Home 2009 – What Makes it so Green?

This year’s HGTV Green Home is as green & beautiful as ever. Fans across the country have been entering to win the HGTV Green Home grand prize package valued at $750,000. The contest ends on Friday, June 5, 2009 at 5 p.m. This year's home, located in Tradition, FL, received a significant Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and earned the Indoor airPLUS label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The 2009 HGTV Green Home, a 2,430-square-foot contemporary Spanish-style cottage which features construction and design elements that contribute to an energy efficient, cleaner and healthier living environment, will be presented to one lucky viewer during a special broadcast on Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Platinum LEED certification signifies that the HGTV Green Home – from countertops to floors, to windows, to lighting, and everything in between - meets stringent standards for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovative design. LEED for Homes, a voluntary rating system, is a project of the U.S. Green Building Council.

To earn the Indoor airPLUS label, a home must meet strict guidelines set by the EPA for reducing poor indoor air quality and have third-party verification. The 2009 HGTV Green Home includes more than 30 additional design and construction features for moisture control, radon control, pest barriers, improved heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, combustion pollutant control and low emission materials. These features help protect the homeowners from a host of health problems associated with poor indoor air quality, including eye irritation, allergies, headaches, and respiratory problems such as asthma. As an Indoor airPLUS qualified home, the HGTV Green Home also meets guidelines for energy efficiency set by the EPA's ENERGY STAR program.

Just looking at the kitchen, it’s a calm and uncluttered space and, for an eco-friendly home, & interior designer Linda Woodrum wouldn’t have it any other way. “I wanted an almost Asian feeling that was very clean and not overdone,” she explains.

The walls, covered in glass mosaic tiles, punctuate the cooking space, which features streamlined espresso-colored cabinetry and sleek stainless-steel hardware and fixtures. CaesarStone quartz countertops, in a shade of bold black and crafted from recycled material, add a hint of sparkle and continue the green story, as they are naturally antimicrobial as well as mold- and heat-resistant. This type of countertop is ideal for eco-friendliness and food safety, because of its nonporous, durable, & recyclable materials - it is easy to clean and never has to be sealed.

Check your local listings for the watching the HGTV Green Home Giveaway, and for more information on CaesarStone quartz countertops visit www.caesarstoneus.com.