U.S. Green Building Council -- Illinois Chapter Announces 2013 GreenBuilt Home Tour

CHICAGO, July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. The U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter (USGBC-Illinois) and the Tribune Media Group are excited to announce the inaugural GreenBuilt Home Tour which will be held in Chicagoland the weekend of July 20-21, 2013.

The tour's theme, Living Healthy and Saving Green, will feature 16 exceptional, award-winning, and nationally-recognized Chicago area homes which highlight sustainable building practices that are attractive, practical and affordable.  During this two-day, scattered-site tour, attendees will learn how Chicago area residents are living in energy-efficient homes that encourage health and well-being, while learning ways the built environment can contribute to a healthier community.  Tour sites span the Chicagoland area; the homes will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on both Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21.  A weekend "passport" is just $25 and admits two people into all 16 homes."This tour provides a rare opportunity to view a sampling of area homes that provide healthy, energy-efficient, and marketable residences," said Jason La Fleur, Chair of the USGBC-Illinois Residential Green Building Committee and Regional Director for the Alliance for Environmental Sustainability. "Best of all, they deliver superior air quality and comfort for families, while having lower utility bills, leaving more cash in the homeowners' pocket each month."

The tour committee has assembled Northern Illinois' finest builders, designers and homeowners that have pulled out all the stops to create healthy green homes. Together they send a clear message, to reduce our nation's need to produce energy we must "build it tight and vent it right." The tour will feature numerous homes that need very little energy to keep their occupants comfortable year-round and homes that produce more energy than they use.

Featured homes include third-party certified projects such as the areas first certified Passive House, DOE Challenge Homes, LEED certified homes, and National Green Building Standard certified homes.

Tickets are available as a $25 "passport" which admits two adults (children under the age of 18 are free) to all homes, both days of the tour.  Interested individuals may purchase tickets and find more details about the tour by visiting the GreenBuilt Home Tour website at www.greenbuilthometour.org. Also the Friday, July 12^th Chicago Tribune HOMES edition will include an 8-page GreenBuilt Home Tour guide which will include information about all of the homes, participating companies, sponsors, and a site map.

About the U.S. Green Building Council - Illinois Chapter
The U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter's 1,300 members represent the entire spectrum of Illinois' green building community, from real estate professionals, architects, engineers, designers and trade associations to contractors, product manufacturers, state and local government officials, homebuilders and homeowners. The U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter is the local affiliate of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a national non-profit composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. The Illinois Chapter furthers the work of USGBC through more than100 annual programs, events, education and research initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and resources throughout its network of five local branches: Chicago, Central Illinois, Greater Southwest Suburban, North/Northwest Suburban, and Rockford/Northern Illinois.

SOURCE U.S. Green Building Council - Illinois Chapter