Why It makes Sense to Buy A Green Home

What exactly is a green home? What value does it bring to you? And why would you want to buy a green-built home over a traditional home?

A green home can be defined in a number of ways, but generally, as long as the construction and operation provide a healthier environment for homeowners and have a reduced impact on the earth, a home can be considered "green." When determining green status, I usually consider four key aspects:

1. Energy Savings
   Buying a home that is highly energy efficient can save you hundreds of dollars in heating and cooling costs each month. The savings could go towards a higher mortgage payment, help insulate you from rising energy costs, or make it easier for your family to weather tight financial times. Additionally, by purchasing a green home, you are contributing less to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
   
   Newer homes are built with a tighter and more efficient building envelope than older homes. Thick insulation inside the walls and ceilings, more efficient heating and cooling systems and better insulated windows provide a more comfortable and stable environment, while reducing overall energy usage.
   
   
2. Better Indoor Air Quality
   The air inside your home can be quite heavily polluted by chemicals. Building materials can produce significant off-gassing, that is, they can release harmful chemicals into the air through evaporation.
   
   Glues, paints, varnishes and other adhesives used in construction off-gas solvents; wood products and insulation can contain formaldehyde; and carpets and vinyl off-gas pollutants. Combustion appliances can release carbon monoxide into your home, and the list goes on.
   
   Fortunately, manufacturers are responding to rising health awareness with new low off-gassing materials that work as well as traditional products. As paint is the most heavily used off-gassing product in the interior of your home, simply using low or no VOC paint (volatile organic compound) can greatly improve indoor air quality.
   
   Another factor that impacts indoor air quality is the tightness of the building in new homes. A tightly constructed home reduces drafts which can bring in pollutants, including insulation and dust through the heating and cooling systems, carbon monoxide from the furnace and fumes from the garage.
   
   
3. Reduced Impact on the Environment
   There are two key ways a home can have a reduced impact on the environment-in construction materials and in the ongoing operation of the home.
   
   There are many ways to incorporate environmentally friendly building products into a home. One approach is to use more durable materials. By using siding, roofing and other materials designed to last a long time, builders can reduce the landfill generated off the home. This essentially results in a better built home.
   
   A second approach is to use building materials and products that are inherently more environmentally friendly. Examples include lumber and flooring from sustainably harvested forests, carpets and tiles from manufacturers with strong commitments to sustainability, and recycled products. In the past, it was difficult to find such materials in quantities large enough with prices low enough for ongoing new home construction. Every day more environmentally friendly building materials are becoming available for large scale use.
   
   The energy required to operate a new, green-built home is much less than traditionally built new and older homes. From reduced heating and cooling needs to less energy used in lighting, a green home has a smaller "carbon footprint."
   
   
4. Water Conservation
   It is becoming increasingly easy to reduce the amount of water a home uses. Dual flush toilets have two levels of flushing depending on which is needed. Recirculation pumps reduce water wasted waiting for hot water to arrive at the tap. Dishwasher and clothes washer manufacturers have developed appliances that use far less water compared to their older counterparts. These interior features can significantly reduce the amount of water used on a daily basis in a home.
   
   Outdoor water use is widely considered considered to offer the greatest potential for non-essential water savings. Reducing the amount of lawn and installing efficient irrigation methods makes a tremendous difference in outdoor water use. New products, like today's "smart" irrigation controllers, which automatically adjust water usage depending on the weather, are also becoming popular choices.
   
   Purchasing a new home built with a green philosophy provides many important benefits. You'll save money on energy costs, enjoy a healthier living environment and help reduce the impact of new construction on the earth. When it comes to buying a new home, it makes a lot of sense to "Go Green!"

The | Author
Amy Christopherson Bolten has worked with Christopherson Homes since 2002. Christopherson Homes has the first Tier 2 rated community in California with Wisteria in Rocklin and is about to launch its final phase of Ragle Ranch in Santa Rosa at Chaparrel, with plans to include solar on all 139 homes.
www. ChristophersonHomes.com