The trend towards Green Homes has certainly hit the Charlottesville Real Estate market over the last couple of years. I now receive inquiries regarding Green Homes in Charlottesville about once or twice a month.
Green Charlottesville is Cool
It is not just cool to go Green, it makes perfect sense. Many Charlottesville Homes are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly which is what Green Homes are all about. Many people rely on a Certified Green Home and the truth is that many Builders are building within 95% of the guidelines already.
Let’s look at some of the guidelines of a LEED Certification
What is LEED?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It provides building owners a way of defining, identifying and implementing green building design and construction parameters.
Getting LEED Certification is a 3rd party verification that a home was built using energy efficiency, sustainable site development, water saving, material selection and indoor environmental quality.
Green Charlottesville Builders
In Charlottesville, many builders are building Earthcraft Homes, using High Quality Heating and Cooling systems, Energy-star Appliances, Low Flow Faucets and even energy efficient light bulbs, just to name a few.
What is really interesting is that many builders in Charlottesville have been ahead of the curve in both designing and building to these specifications for years.
Green without Certification?
One thing to understand is that a home can be Green without being certified, and, in fact, we are seeing a lot of Charlottesville homes being remodeled with Green in mind. It is a wonderful trend in Charlottesville.
Buyers and Builders can check the National Association of Home Builders for information on their National Green Building Standard. With the discussion on Green building on a National level, it is a good start. But the end result rests in the hands of the local builder and consumer.
