money talks: Building Green Helps Keep Homeowners in the Black
Article By Lynn M. Dean, Journey Contributor

Green is the new black– not with respect to fashion, but in terms of how consumers are responding to the needs of the environment. And there is a growing sentiment, especially in Colorado, to bring the green movement indoors, into our homes. According to Colorado Building Green (CBC), a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the City of Fort Collins is drafting the roadmap that could show other communities how to build green.

“Community stakeholders, City of Fort Collins’ staff and survey results gathered from select cities around the country suggest that Fort Collins has strong green building programs,” CBC said in its March 2008 Regional Roundup e-newsletter. “This existing green building foundation is the basis for enhancements and improvements to make green building a cornerstone of construction and renovation in the community.”

We know that building green can save the environment. But can we afford to build green? And can we really build a “green” home that can save us money, too?

The resounding answer seems to be yes. While it is true that using green materials and following green building guidelines may increase the costs of a home initially, experts say that homeowners will eventually recoup their investments, especially if they amortize those costs over the period of time they live in the home.

“There are green homes available at every price point,” said Josie Plaut, director of projects at Colorado State University’s Institute for the Built Environment (IBE). “Some lenders will recognize reduced utilities expenses and qualify a homeowner for a higher mortgage.”

“Building green can truly affect your bottom line in terms of energy and water efficiency,” agreed Dana Villeneuve, an IBE graduate research associate and one of the organizers of the Northern Colorado branch of USGBC Colorado Chapter.

Indeed, according to the USGBC, “the net cost of owning a green home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home – sometimes even less. On average, green homes can add 2.42 percent (in) up front costs as compared to conventional homes.”

But, the Council goes on to say “those costs will quickly be recouped and homeowners will save money for the rest of the home’s life span.” The Council estimates that green homes save homeowners anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent in energy usage and 20 to 50 percent in water usage over conventionally built homes.

But not all benefits of green construction can be so easily quantified.

“Green homes are healthier to be in, too,” Plaut said. “There are a number of risks associated with toxins in the home. There’s quite a bit of emerging research showing the dangers of common building materials.”

And, according to the USGBC, being healthier can turn into additional financial savings.

“Green homes have reduced exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins, reducing healthcare costs,” its publication said.

Even so, consumers need to be careful when buying or building green.

“Because green is trendy, everyone is going to want to jump on that bandwagon. Everyone is going to say they’re green,” Villeneuve said. “It’s a little bit of ‘buyer beware.’ You need to be an educated buyer so you don’t fall prey to ‘green washing.’ For example, you could have a bamboo floor and call that a “green” home even though it may not be energy efficient.”

“You could also have an energy-efficient home that may not address the other components of a green home,” Plaut added. “It’s worth taking the time to become more educated about these issues so that you can make an informed choice. When you say green, there are so many pieces involved. Ultimately you want to look for a comprehensive approach of sustainability and healthy living.”

According to both Plaut and Villeneuve, issues to consider in such a compreshensive approach not only include energy and water consumption and efficiency, but also what materials are used in the construction of the home, whether or not they are renewable and how much energy is used to make and transport them.

We also need to consider the passive measures that could be, or have been, incorporated into the home, such as situating it on the lot to make the best use of the sun’s rays and planting appropriate deciduous trees and other landscaping to insulate it. And finally, we need to consider the proximity of the home to work, school and shopping and the energy resources it will take to get to and from the home.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes, a relatively new program of the USGBC, has set forth industry best-practices that take into account all of these elements.

“LEED is the most compreshensive (program) because it goes beyond energy efficiency to look at construction methods and materials,” Plaut said. “LEED also goes beyond checklists. It provides more accountability.”

Green, it seems, is good not only for the environment but for our pocketbooks as well. So now, we just have to decide how green we want to be. And maybe, when we buy or build our next home, our neighbors and friends will also be seeing green – the green of envy.

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