Benefits of Building a Green Home or Remodeling a Home to be Green

Understandably, you want your dream home, and that dream home can be everything your family, the environment, and future generations need it to be by making simple changes in your design choices.

These changes will save you money over the course of living in the home, and you will be living in a healthier home that is not detrimental to the environment.

You probably already recycle and reuse everyday products in your home; now you’re ready to take that bigger step and build a green home or remodel the home you have now. Congratulations! Change truly does start at home.

Does having a green home really matter to the environment? In a word, yes.
Now let’s break down the benefits of owning a green home or remodeling your home to be green.
Shrink Your Carbon Footprint

Have you ever really stopped to think about the impact of your daily routine on the environment?

Many of the things we do—driving a car, hopping a plane, heating our home, turning on the television—require fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal to work. Burning these fossil fuels sends CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the air.

There are two types of carbon footprints—a primary footprint, which measures the emissions from these fossil fuels, and a secondary footprint, which measures the CO2 emissions products give off when they break down.

The average American generates about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year from both primary and secondary uses!

By building or remodeling your home to become more efficient, you will reduce your carbon footprint. A truly green home has been built or remodeled with materials that have been reused, can be replenished, are not harmful to the environment or to our health, and make efficient use of energy and water.
Your morning cup of coffee, the lights, and your blow dryer can be powered using a solar electricity system.
Your dishwasher can be upgraded to an energy efficient appliance to use less water and energy. You can buy products closer to home.

Reduce Your Energy Use

Do you have drafty windows? Are your doors allowing air to escape out of the bottoms or sides? Leaky doors and windows mean higher energy costs and energy use.
Your heating and cooling systems will require more energy if the air is leaking out of the house. As a result, your systems—which run on fossil fuels—are adding even more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

There are other sources of energy loss in your home, including poor insulation in your attic, basement, or crawl space. Old, outdated appliances also use massive amounts of energy, and electricity generated by fossil fuels to run your computers, appliances, televisions, and other devices puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. Even when your appliances are on “sleep mode,” they are still using electricity.

Making energy-saving changes such as upgrading to newer energy-saving appliances; plugging up leaks in doors and windows; and properly insulating your attic, basement, and crawl space will create a home that is energy efficient and environmentally sound.

Save Money

Building a green home—especially one equipped with a solar electricity system—once had a sully reputation of being extremely overpriced. Why? Because certain features of a green home are costly to install. For example, solar panels can cost $25,000 or more to install, and it can take several years before you actually see a financial return on your investment. Energy-efficient washing machines, dishwashers, and dryers can also cost more upfront than traditional machines.

But things are looking up. Several factors are starting to drive down the prices in the green building industry. First, there is more competition—more businesses, products, and sustainable materials coming on the market—and businesses are beginning to drop their prices to compete with each other. Second, as more businesses enter the green market, the costs of developing and manufacturing green technologies is going down.

On the flip side, some green building materials may actually cost significantly less than traditional materials. For example, using materials from a deconstructed barn or building or from salvage yards can cost you next to nothing.

All things equal, today a green-built home will cost anywhere from 2 to 20 percent more than the same house built with non sustainable materials. Of course, the actual cost depends on several factors, including your location, the size of the home, and the products and systems you decide to install.

The good news is that you will continue to reap the benefits of your investment for years to come. Some efforts—such as installing proper insulation and efficient windows, air sealing, and appliances—will begin to save you money almost immediately on your monthly electric and water bills.