At long last, there’s a set of comprehensive guidelines for Green Remodeling projects!  REGREEN, developed by the United States Green Building Council and the American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation, is available as a free download from REGREENProgram.org.

REGREEN is an amazingly rich resource for builders, homeowners, designers, architects, remodelers, and anyone else involved in existing structures.

Gone are the days of digging about on the "Internets", desperately hoping to find some sort of clarity of vision, throwing our hands up in disgust thinking, "Can’t someone please just put all this in one place?!"

They have.  Finally.

And, what’s more, it’s not some fantastically convoluted collection of hoops to jump through for points.  It’s a straightforward compendium of best-use practices grouped around the 10 most common household remodeling projects employing a holistic, house-as-system approach.  It also features a library of strategies by environmental topic and case studies of successful green home renovations.

They explain it far better than I ever could in their FAQ’s:

REGREEN is the nation’s first set of resources and tools for green home remodeling
projects. The REGREEN residential remodeling guidelines help make your home
renovation project green, from installing a new dishwasher to remodeling your master
bathroom to refurbishing an entire home interior. REGREEN addresses the major
elements of any green renovation project, including the site of the home, water
efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources, and indoor environmental
quality. The guidelines blend product selection, building systems integration and
proven technologies into a seamless compilation of green strategies and case studies
for the homeowner, builder and design professional.

The REGREEN guidelines can be applied to a variety of home projects, from remodeling
a kitchen to adding a major addition, from redoing a back yard to executing a gut
rehab. Homeowners can either use the guidelines for their own do-it-yourself projects
or visit with a professional who can apply REGREEN as a design guideline.

Hold your chin high, existing home-owner, you no longer have to feel left out just because you’d rather not cover the mortgage on a spanking new, million-dollar, high-performance home, the likes of which grace the cover of Dwell Magazine.

REGREEN can be downloaded here.