Farmington Hills might just be the blue print that home designers all over the country have been waiting for. For years, there has been a swing across the country to go “green.” This means not just simply looking for ways to save the environment by using less of the non-renewable energy sources, but rather to save big money on the cost to power homes and businesses.

The community of Farmington Hills has taken the idea of energy efficient home plans to new heights and could be making a lasting impact that will be borrowed and used all over the world. The community doesn’t just feature one house, but the community as a whole has an energy efficient and environmentally-friendly community.

One of the things that they did to increase the efficiency of the energy, and that has not been lost on the rest of the world, is to put a garden on the roof to help power buildings. There are many companies, including the retail pharmacy giant Walgreens, that are doing the same in an effort to stave off their own costs and “go green.”

The community used LEED as their guide. LEED stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. This is nothing new to the rest of the country. Many businesses and residential homes are being guided by Energy Star house plans and other energy efficient guidelines.

The new city hall building in Farmington Hills is replacing the previously used natural gas with newer geothermal technology. It’s an advance that can’t be seen to the common person in city hall, but will certainly be seen on the expense sheet. Other cities are thinking of ways to improve their energy costs but are finding the cost to install to be rather high. Farmington Hills is making really green progress.