Building Green Homes for the Future
McDonald Construction is proud to be one of the first builders involved in the green building advanced certification pilot program Minnesota Green Path!
The Builders Association of the Twin Cities partnered with the environmental non-profit Green Institute introduced a program for Minnesota home builders interested in transforming the residential building industry through creating a "green" certified standard of building practice. Each home registered with the program must meet the MN Green Path requirements through 3rd party verification during design and throughout the construction process.
McDonald Construction is green certified by MN Green Path who offers holistic green options that allow home buyers and remodeling clients the freedom to choose the green features that are most important to them. Two levels (Advanced and Master) for new homes allow the builder to combine elective credits that make most sense for individual customers..
Advanced Certified
This mid-level green certification means a home has met a minimal energy testing standard plus includes additional green features. Specifically, an Advanced Certified Green Path Home must test with a HERS score of no more than 55 and earn at least 5 total points in Energy Efficiency, 5 points in Indoor Environmental Quality, 5 points from the remaining three areas of green construction (Water Conservation, Resource Management or Site/Development) and 5 elective points from any category.
- Tested by a RESNET Certified Rater and receives a HERS Index <55
- Built to MN Energy Code; Builder confirms energy certified requirements, PLUS:
- 5 total points in Energy Efficiency
- 5 total points in Indoor Environmental Quality
- 5 total points from Water Conservation, Resource Management, or Site/Development
- 5 points from any elective checklist
- Project is issued a MN Green Path Home Performance Report (HPR)
Master Certified
This top level green certification is awarded to new homes testing with a HERS score of no more than 50. The home must also earn at least 10 total points in each of the five areas of green construction: Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Water Conservation, Re- source Management and Site/Development.
- Tested by a RESNET Certified Rater and receives a HERS Index <50
- Built to MN Energy Code; Builder confirms energy certified requirements, PLUS:
- 10 total points in Energy Efficiency
- 10 total points in Indoor Environmental Quality
- 10 total points in Water Conservation
- 10 total points in Resource Management
- 10 total points in Site/Development
- Project is issued a MN Green Path Home Performance Report (HPR)
Elective Checklist
Minnesota Green Path Energy Efficiency
- Minnesota Green Path Energy Efficiency 1) Enter the R-value of the under-slab (subslab) foam insulation
- A thermal mass has been installed (see manual for specifics)
- A passive solar heating or cooling design package was used
- A systems approach to home design was used (upload plan)
- A vestibule with two gasketed self-closing doors and walk-off mat was installed
- Bottom plates of exterior walls are sealed to subfloor
- Foundation and mudsill are sealed1
- Cantilevered floors are sealed above supporting walls
- Air conditioning unit is properly installed 1
- A geothermal system is installed with a high-efficiency furnace (95+) with an ECM Motor 2
- No polyethylene is present in walls or ceilings
- No wood burning fireplace are present inside the thermal envelope
- An induction cook top is installed
- solar-electric photovoltaic system is installed
- A drain-water heat recovery unit (DHR / Combi-core) is installed
- Home is ready for solar-electric photovoltaic retrofitting
- All windows are triple-pane glass1
- A Desuper Heater is installed
- No recessed lights are installed recessed into unconditioned space
- High-Efficiency Furnace (95+)
- Air Source Heat Pump Installed
- Install High Efficiency Boiler (85+)2 23)
- Install Electronically Commutated (ECM) MotorSpecial Feature
Minnesota Green Path Indoor Environment Quality
- Patio slabs, walks, and driveway are sloped a minimum of 1/8" per foot away from house
- Garage floors are sloped a minimum of 1/8" per foot toward main vehicle entry doorway, or integrated floor drains are installed
- Active soil gas (radon) mitigation system is installed in basement
- 4" min perforated foundation drain with 3/4" of gravel and filter fabric installed at OUTSIDE perimeter of footings
- 4" min perforated foundation drain with 3/4" of gravel and filter fabric installed at INSIDE perimeter of footings
- Water-based waterproofing system used on below-grade walls
- A drainage plane and air/drainage space exists behind siding
- Recessed light fixtures are sealed to drywall with gasket, caulk, or foam (see manual for unconditioned space requirements)
- Spray-foam insulation (R-14 minimum) is applied for air seal over entire attic floor
- ENERGYSTAR® rated garage exhaust fans are installed in attached garages (25CFM continuous, or 100CFM intermittent)
- Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) or Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is installed
- Air filters are HEPA or better performing, with MERV rating of 12-15
- Ductwork is sealed with water-based, low-VOC (
- HVAC contractor verified that rooms and zones have balanced air flow (upload report)
- Carpet covers 50% or less of floor space, not counting bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, or utility rooms
- No carpet is installed; home has all hard-surface flooring
- Building materials stored on-site are protected from weather exposure
- Exterior envelope is sealed using gasket or acoustical sealant at all foundation, wall-to-wall, or floor-to-wall intersections
- Basement has a foundation drainage system inside and outside with sump pump, or tied to a drainage outlet
- Certified low-VOC or no-VOC interior paints and finishes were used
- Carpet, adhesives, and cushion qualify for CRI Green Label Plus or Green Label Testing program
- Local exhaust ventilation to outdoors is installed for baths, kitchen, clothes dryers, central vacuum system, etc
- Central forced-air HVAC systems have minimum MERV 8 filter, no filter bypass, and no ozone generators
- Supply boots are sealed to floor or wall
- All materials that contain adhesives or paint are low-emitting or Low-formaldehyde
- All wiring is in metal conduit
- Capillary Break installed at footing, below slab, and at cementious products and framing connection
MN Green Path Resource Management
- Decking or patio material is made from recycled content
- Recycled erosion control materials were used for silt fencing
- Recycled concrete, asphalt, or glass was used for base or fill
- Framing utilized two-stud corners with drywall clips
- Single top plate construction was utilized throughout the majority of the house's framing
- Roofing material with minimum 25% recycled content was used
- nsulation with minimum 20% recycled content was used for at least 50% of the insulation (eg, all walls, or only attic)
- Construction waste was sorted on or off site and recycled as appropriate
- A recycling center was installed with homeowner use with a minimum of two sorting bins
- Recycling center includes compost sorting bin
- Reusable footings and foundation forms were used
- A frost-protected shallow foundation design was used
- Beams, headers, and trusses are made from reclaimed material
- No 2x10 or larger dimensional lumber was used
- 90% of lumber in home is SFI/FSC/CSA certified
- Locally produced (within 500 miles of home) lumber was used
- Insulating Concrete Formwork (ICF) panels, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), or wood-framed panels were used
- Walls are framed on 24" center
- Roofing material is either lifetime-warranted (steel), or easily recyclable
- Properly designed ductless HVAC system was installed (upload design plan for verification)
- No AC system was installed (home is designed for passive cooling)
- Whole-house surge protector is installed
- Fire suppression system is installed in house1
- Interior concrete floors are sealed, and no permanent floor coverings are installed over concrete floors
- Flexible ductwork is installed without excess coils or loops
- Three of the following items are recycled or reclaimed: wall coverings, floor coverings, countertop materials, millwork, or cabinets
- Three of the following items are 50% locally sourced (within 500 miles): cabinets, interior doors and trim, millwork, windows, flooring, shingles/roofing, PEX tubing, countertops
- Materials are installed which protect waterproof membrane, and function as a hydrostatic pressure release
- Steel studs were used to fur out new foundation walls for basement finishing
- Finger-jointed lumber was used for 1/3 of the home's dimensional lumber
- Studs are Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL, TimberStrand®)
Minnesota Green Path Water Management
- Landscape plan promotes water absorption (upload design plan for verification)
- Irrigation system design zones turf and bedding areas separately (upload design plan for verification)
- A drip irrigation system is installed
- Installed drip irrigation system has moisture/rain sensor
- A greywater irrigation system is installed
- Roof water drainage system is installed
- Roof water drainage system uses rain barrels/cysterns over 100 gallons
- Hot water recirculating pump is installed (pump must NOT run continuously)
- NSF-certified water filters are installed on drinking water sources Dual Flush Total Composting Low Water
- Enter the total number of toilets installed in the home, the number that are composting, the number that use less water than 12 gal/flush, and the number that have light and heavy flush modes
- All lavatory faucets and showerheads are ultra-low flow (05 gal/min)
- A greywater collection system is installed
- A personal rain garden is installed
- Soil was tested for nutrient level and structure (upload results for verification)
- As a result of test, soil was amended to achieve optimal nutrient level and structure
- A no-water landscaping plan was used (upload plan for verification)
- Planted turf is low-water, no-mow
- At least 3" of mulch was applied to all planting beds
- Showers each have no more than one shower head
- No garbage disposal was installed
- A composting portable toilet was used on job-site
- An erosion control plan was designed by a licensed engineer (upload plan for verification)
- Irrigation system was designed by EPA water-sense certified professional (upload plan for verificatio
Minnesota Green Path Land Use
- Home shares a common driveway with at least one other home
- Home is built on infill site
- Home is built in an area where housing density averages more than 4 single family homes per acre
- There is an accessible community garden area
- Home is within 1/2 mile of local businesses
- Sustainable (re-used) lumber was used for construction
- Wood (lumber or tree) waste was recycled on-site into mulch
- No heritage trees were removed on the home site
- Home is built on greyfield site
- Home is built on brownfield site
- Home is within 1/2 mile of public transportation access
- Home is within 5 miles of a park-and-ride location
- Home is within 1/2 mile of a bike route
- There are no impervious surfaces outside of the building footprint, other than the driveway
- Excavated soil was kept on-site
- Efforts were taken to restore ecosystem damaged in construction (upload restoration plan for documentation)
- A compost bin was installed outside the home
- Home's patio was surfaced with permeable pavers
- Home's driveway was surfaced with permeable pavers
- A vegetated or green roof system was installed
- A metal roof was installed
- French drains were installed to keep water on-site
- Trees removed from construction site were replanted
- Each tree removed from construction site was replaced with two (or more) trees
- 25% of building site was undisturbed during construction
- 50% of building site was undisturbed during construction
- No garage (attached or otherwise) was built or previously existed on homesite
- Home faces the south to maximize ambient light
MN Green Path Glossary
- RESNET: Residential Energy Services Network is an independent, non-profit organization that sets national standards for energy ratings, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
- RESNET Raters: Certified professionals conduct on-site inspections and energy tests, including a final blower door test at a new home’s completion.
- House Rater: Data gathered by RESNET raters is entered into House Rater, energy modeling software that calculates the home’s energy rating or HERS score.
- HERS: This RESNET Home Energy Rating System scores homes against an index of the average U.S. new home’s energy efficiency HERS of 100. The lower the score, the more energy efficient the home. (In Minnesota, homes built to code generally test at 80.)
- Blower Door Test: This tool helps determine the air-tightness of new and existing homes using a fan to maintain a pre-set level of depressurization in the structure.
- ACH50: The Air Changes Per Hour at 50 Pascals is the index used in most blower door testing. As with HERS scores, a lower score is more efficient, indicating more air-tightness.
- HPR: The Home Performance Report is an easy-to-understand document that serves as the energy “window sticker” for a home, allowing home buyers to compare home energy scores in the same manner as they compare miles-per-gallon information when they buy a new car.