Whether it is residential or commercial, the trend to build green in Jackson Hole , WY is growing at a rapid pace. There are many homes and commercial developments aspiring to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in Teton County . The LEED green building rating system is a measurable tool that is evaluated by a third party in regards to sustainability and performance. The four different levels of green that you can achieve include: certified, gold, silver, and platinum levels.
At Teton Village , the newly built Hotel Terra is tracking to receive silver LEED certification which will place it in the elite group of the 5 LEED certified hotels in the United States and the first LEED certified hotel in the state of Wyoming . The hotel's green features include: low or no VOC paint, dual flush toilets, maximizing use of natural light, organic mattresses and bedding, and many more.
Another green project is Pine Glades, located near Snow King in the Town of Jackson . This high-end, townhome community is being built with environmental preservation in mind as all of the units will be utilizing only five out of the property's seventeen acres leaving the remaining twelve as open space. One of the main goals of the project is to remove as few trees from the site as possible. They will be accomplishing this by having the road which takes you through the development located underneath a portion of each structure.
In nearby Victor , Idaho , five homes in the Mountainside Village community were the first to be LEED for Homes Certified in the state of Idaho . In 2006, the Mountainside Village neighborhood received the Idaho Smart Growth Award in addition to being the pilot neighborhood for the US Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development program. This community includes features such as walkable streets, bike paths and a convenient mixed-use center.
All of these projects are examples of how green building is on the rise. In a country where our homes our responsible for 21% of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions, building green can greatly help stop the causes of climate change. Not only does it help protect our environment, but it also lowers energy use in addition to protecting our health. The green train is coming and it seems that Jackson Hole , Wyoming is getting on board.
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