What is a Green Home?

A home that is certified by a third party rating agency to be more energy efficient, provide healthier indoor air, use less water, preserve more natural resources and be more durable than a home designed and built only to meet residential building codes.

Why is a Green Home Better?

Green certified homes are built to a higher standard than those designed and built only to meet residential building codes. In addition to being more energy efficient and consume less resources, green certified homes are safer, healthier, more comfortable and more durable than conventional homes. Because green homes are certified by a third party rating agency, green homes are inspected during construction and performance tested upon completion to guarantee their owners that each home meets or exceeds the green building standards. The certification process effectively guarantees that a green home is a better built home.

Is a Green Home More Expensive to Build?

The cost of construction depends heavily on the pricing of the materials used to build a new home. Historically, green materials were more expensive, however as technology has improved and competition has increased, the cost of green materials is approaching the cost of non-green materials. While the initial costs of building or purchasing a green home may be slighter higher, the longer term costs of ownership are reduced through lower utility bills and maintenance costs. If the added up-front costs of green construction are rolled into a home's mortgage, the overall monthly cost of owning a green home is often times less than than of a conventional home.

RESOURCES

Energy Star - www.energystar.gov

U.S. Green Building Council - www.usgbc.org

NAHB Green (National Association of Homebuilders) - www.nahbgreen.org