green buildAustin has one of the top rated green building programs in the United States, and more and more homes and developments are marketed as green.

The certifications and hype can be confusing to the consumer as more and more listings contain some reference to “green”.

This four part series of articles talks about the background of green building, what to look for when buying a green home, how to make your existing home more green, and some examples of green homes in Central and East Austin.

What are the aims of green building?

Ultimately, the aims are for sustainable living. In a nutshell, that means that homes should be built with materials that take into account limited natural resources, with a process which has a lesser impact on the environment, and the resulting home is energy efficient, and sustainable.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system scores homes in six areas:

  • Sustainable sites
  • Water efficiency
  • Energy and atmosphere
  • Materials and resources
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Innovation and design process

To achieve a high rating in some of these areas, common examples of green building techniques are emerging:

  • Using recycled or organic materials for insulating the home like recycled denim or  hemp fiber. Good insulation at the build stage helps to save on evergy bills later, and in Austin homes, the largest energy bills are for air-conditioning.
  • Using renewable flooring materials - rather than using hardwoods which take longer to regrow, builders can use bamboo - a crop which is easily replenished, marmoleum - made from flax and jute, or stained concrete.
  • Landscaping - maintaining a bright green lawn in Austin uses more water than a xeriscaped yard. Using native plants or those adapted to the climate can shade your home, and not consume limited water supplies.
  • Planning a walkable neighborhood or building an in-fill project in an existing urban neighborhood can reduce automobile dependency.
  • Energy efficient appliances - not only low flow washers and Energy Star dryers, but more efficient tankless water heaters and low flush toilets.

There are several programs which rate and measure homes for their “green-ness” and I’ll discuss those in part two of this series.

Garreth Wilcock is a real estate agent with the Pinnacle Group at Keller Williams. He specializes in Central and East Austin Real Estate. Call 512 694 8873 if you want a free valuation of your home or contact him here. You can search the Austin MLS at his website.