On April 3 the people of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area had the chance to see and tour a one-of-a-kind home in the entire nation. Green Building Institute will hosted a tour of "The Incredibly Green Home" at 5133 Fairglen Lane, Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The tour was co-hosted by Dave Wooley-Wilson, executive director, Green Building Institute, and Christian Gladu, home designer. It did feature eight homes that comprise what is known as Bungalow Row built by Peter Guida, founder, Bethesda Bungalows.

The crown jewel of Guida's efforts, The Incredibly Green Home, is one of only two homes in Maryland to receive a Platinum LEED Certification by the U.S.Green Building Council. And, it is the first residential building in the nation to receive both a LEED Platinum and the Council's "Emerald Rating."

Located less than one mile from downtown Bethesda, MD, the five bedroom Incredibly Green Home, designed by Gladu, focuses on reducing energy use through such innovations as ground loop geothermal heating and air conditioning, low-e argon windows, a 1.75 kilowatt grid-tied photovoltaic solar system, LED recessed lighting, and spray foam insulation.

"As a LEED-certified home, The Incredibly Green Home serves as a model of greener living for the entire community. The home sets the example that we can all live better by reducing our environmental footprint," said Nate Kredich, vice president, Residential Market Development, USGBC.

LEED, the acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system for buildings much like the EPA rating system for motor vehicles in miles per gallon, or MPG. In order to achieve a LEED rating, i.e. silver or platinum, with the latter being the highest possible, a building must accumulate points for items such as energy savings, stormwater run off, and access to mass transit, according to the LEED website.

LEED is an internationally recognized status and rating system created by the USGBC. It has established accepted "benchmarks for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings." As noted on their website, "Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass more than 20,000 projects in 50 States and 30 countries." It's mission is to improve human and environmental health.

"I knew that the green revolution was going to take off. That house by itself has saved our company in this economic climate," Guida said.