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" Going green has become a yearly tradition for Good Housekeeping. This year, the home we chose to become our third annual Green House \u2014 a rundown brownstone in New York City&amp;#039;s Harlem \u2014 had such great potential, we were inspired to take our green commitment to the next level. Good Housekeeping was proud to participate in LEED for Homes, a new third-party certification program created by the U.S. Green Building Council. When certified, the brownstone will become the &amp;quot;greenest house&amp;quot; in Manhattan \u2014 the first residence to achieve that honor. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, comprises a set of standards that helps homeowners determine if their project is as energy-efficient and environmentally correct as it can be. For LEED certification, a building must earn a number of points, based on everything from location to insulation, to show that it&amp;#039;s eco-friendly. Sustainable-housing specialist Karla Donnelly of the Steven Winter Group guided our team (project manager Pamela Abrahams and the home&amp;#039;s owners, business partners Gad Demry and Michael Kadosh) through the process. A 1910 brownstone in Harlem has been renovated by Good Housekeeping to become the greenest building in NYC.      See more videos of the house&amp;#039;s interior  In earning LEED points, as in real estate, location is almost everything, and it helped that the property was close to parks and public transit, with a tree shading the south-facing front of the house, a rear garden, and no garage \u2014 all of which reduced its carbon footprint.   The first major order of business was to maximize the home&amp;#039;s energy efficiency by creating a tight thermal envelope. Recycled denim insulation was used, and any penetration points were sealed with insulating foam.  The team brought in plenty of daylight to cut electrical light usage. Working with thermally efficient windows, they installed transoms over the street-side windows and nearly floor-to-ceiling expanses of glass at the back. Skylights with solar-powered shades in the top-floor master bath and clerestory windows in the stairwells help direct natural light to the center of the house.  To further boost efficiency throughout the townhouse, Gad and Michael chose an Energy Star-rated HVAC system and tankless water heaters (small units that warm water on demand, saving energy as well as water), and they installed rooftop solar panels.   Although many of the house&amp;#039;s green features are hidden from view, there are plenty of LEED point-earning elements in plain sight, including reclaimed hickory-wood flooring, recycled carpeting, Energy Star-rated appliances, and high-efficiency plumbing fixtures. Even the furnishings are green, thanks to interior designer Robin Wilson of Robin Wilson Home, who created the cool, modern look using a mix of vintage finds and pieces made from renewable materials.  Now that the house is finished, Gad and Michael are looking forward to applying their new green expertise to their next remodel. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s important to us to think not just about our own future, but about our kids&amp;#039; futures, and the planet&amp;#039;s,&amp;quot; says Michael. &amp;quot;So we&amp;#039;re going to keep remodeling green and hope that others will follow.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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