To say Dexter is just getting in on the green building craze wouldn't be fair. One Dexter-area home builder was building environmentally friendly buildings well before they were commonly known as green.

"We've been green building for 12 years," says Bob Burnside, owner of Fireside Home Construction. "It's nothing new for us."

But the company's model home is something new to Washtenaw County. It was the first local residence to receive platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design rating system. There is no higher level of recognition than platinum.

The structure was the first house in the state to achieve platinum status and the 12th in the nation. Now builders left and right are jumping on the green building bandwagon, trying to keep up with the precedent Fireside help set.

Among the house's green credentials are a geothermal heating and cooling system, insulated concrete forms and a 2-kilowatt solar panel system that satisfies 20 percent of the home's electrical needs. See a Youtube video of the house here.

"Virtually everything put into this building was considered from a green standpoint," Burnside says.

The company is using the 4,000-square-foot house as a model for potential customers. It also serves as the firm's offices and provides some storage room.

Want to see a video created by the home builders? Click the YouTube video below.

Source: Bob Burnside, owner of Fireside Home Construction
Writer: Jon Zemke