Why Should I Buy a Green Home?
There are many different reasons to purchase a green home.
- Lower energy bills
- Less carbon footprint
- Healthier indoor air
- Reduced warranty claims
- Improved durability and less maintanence
- Better resale
What Exactly Does Green Home Certification Focus On?
There are a multitude of different green home certification programs available, including the LEED Green Building Program offered by the US Building Council, and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Guidelines. Most programs focus on the same guiding principles, but may give more or less weight to certain aspects. It can be helpful to find a reputable program that takes your local environment, topography, weather, and climate into account. Read more about green building certification programs here. For a home to be “certified green”, it must be independently validated and certified by a third party inspection agency. If you don't see a green home certificate, your home may not be certified green, even if it does contain many green elements.
What are the Guiding Principles for Green Home Certification?
The NAHB Green Building Guidelines focus on seven Guiding Principles. Each principle works individually to protect the environment and promote sustainable building practices, but a green home is often thought of as a “system” with all guiding principles working together.
Resource-efficient site design and development practices help reduce environmental impacts. Green design principles might include saving trees, constructing onsite storm water retention/infiltration features, and orienting the home for maximum passive solar heating and cooling.
A successful green home starts at the planning stage. Materials are selected with consideration of the environment in mind. Engineered wood products can be more efficient than conventional lumber, because less of the log is wasted. Job-site waste is carefully monitored. Building materials are selected with environmental impact in mind - and those materials can vary based on the area. Bamboo flooring that is shipped from thousands of miles away, and processed with unverified glues may not be as environmentally friendly as a locally harvested oak flooring that is stained on site with low VOC stains.
Section 3 - Energy Efficiency
Energy consumption has far reaching environmental impacts. One big step towards building a green home is Energy Star certification, which helps reduce energy waste. Many other energy saving building practices can also be utilized.
Section 4 - Water Efficiency & Quality
Households can use an immense amount of water, and the importance of water resources is becoming increasingly recognized. Green homes help to conserve water inside and out - the amount of water conserved depends on the features selected.
Section 5 - Indoor Environmental Quality
One of the attractions of a green home in the Raleigh NC area is a healthy indoor air environment. Initial steps can be the use of Green Label carpeting, low VOC paints, and other low-emitting building materials. Another step might be planning for a detached garage, which eliminates or reduces Benzyne and carbon dioxide infiltration into the home.
Section 6 - Operation, Maintenance, and Homeowner Education
A green builder will provide the homeowner with a manual that explains proper maintenance and operation, and offers alternatives to toxic cleaning substances, as well as tips for water saving practices. This helps ensure that the home built so carefully will also be maintained in an environmentally friendly manner.
Section 7 - Global Impact
The use of low VOC paints can actually fall under the Global Impact category, because the release of VOCs from wet paints can contribute to ground-level ozone pollution. Other items in this category help the environment on a global level, but may be hard to categorize under another topic.
Interested in Finding out More About Building a Green Home?
With hundreds of "green" options available across seven different categories, you can design and build a green home that incorporates everything most important to you. Almost any floor plan CAN be built in a certifiably green manner, though there are some floor plans that are more conducive to green building than others. A recognized green home certifier working in conjunction with a home builder can help you find the combination of elements that will fit your budget and your philosophy best.
Find out more about Stanton Homes here.