Austin Area Green Homes
June 16th, 2009 Categories: Tx Real Estate News
Homebuilders and homebuyers across the country are increasingly interested in green building. But what exactly makes a home green?
Green building means improving the way that homes and homebuilding sites use energy, water, and materials to reduce impacts on human health and the environment. Building a green home means making environmentally-preferable and sustainable decisions throughout the building process-decisions that will minimize the environmental impact of the home while it is being built and over the many years it will be lived in.
Typical features to look for in ENERGY STAR qualified homes include:
- An Efficient Home Envelope, with effective levels of wall, floor and attic insulation properly installed, comprehensive air barrier details, and high-performance windows;
- Efficient Air Distribution, where ducts are installed with minimum air leakage and are effectively insulated;
- Efficient Equipment for heating, cooling, and water heating;
- Efficient Lighting, including fixtures that earn the ENERGY STAR; and
- Efficient Appliances, including ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, refrigerators, and clothes washers.
These energy efficiency improvements save homeowners money — about $200 to $400 per year on utility bills. More importantly, monthly energy savings can easily exceed any additional mortgage cost for the energy efficiency improvements, resulting in a positive cash flow from the first day of home ownership. As a result, the cost-effectiveness of ENERGY STAR improvements can help offset additional costs associated with other green home features.
What should home buyers look for first in a green home?
Energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global climate change. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.
ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes save money on utility bills, provide a more comfortable living environment with better indoor air quality, and help protect the environment.
Are you looking for an Austin area Green Home or trying to make your current home more efficient?
Jeremy K. Frost is one of about 350 Central Texas Realtors (out of almost 20,000) that has received extensive GREEN training in new construction and resale homes by the EPA / Energy Star.
Contact Jeremy today for all your GREEN real estate needs!!! ~ Your Energy Star Rated REALTOR!!!
512-636-2746 or Jeremy@AustinHomeAndLand.com
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