Green Building FAQ
-“What does building ‘green’ mean?”
This is the most common question asked by prospective clients looking to build their new home, and while there are many levels of green you can build to, our definition of green building remains the same:
“To create the most energy efficient home available while striving to decrease the amount of raw materials used, land disturbed, and maintaining the healthiest indoor air quality possible.”
-“Why should I build green?”
The benefits of building green can be felt in your health, your checkbook, and your conscience. First, truly green built homes drastically reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the home by up to 50%. This savings is increased by local power companies who give certified homes a 5% discount on electric bills for the life of your home. With energy costs on a one way track, building green can save you money. Certified green homes also experience a higher value in the home marketplace.
The second reason to build green is you health. Over the years, advances in building science have given us homes that don’t breathe anymore. Sealing those drafts helped our comfort level, but is it also stopped any sort of air exchange from happening. Imagine a submarine that can’t come up for air. Our indoor air can be full of harmful pollutants, chemicals, and allergens many times worse than outside. Certified green buildings must include systems that continually bring fresh, filtered air into the home while exhausting old air outside. This equals better health for you and your family.
The last reason is that building green makes you feel better. Your home will be comprised of sustainable materials specially picked for their natural resource saving attributes, low V.O.C. content, and local production. Supporting the local economy, supporting the Earth.
-“How do I know the home is really ‘green’?”
Every home Longview Builders completes is certified by a third party inspector trained in the Home Energy Rating System (H.E.R.S.) These third party home energy raters make inspections and test the homes efficiency at several points throughout the construction process. After the homes completion and all requirements are met, the home becomes both Energy Star Certified and Healthy Built Certified as recognized by Western North Carolina Green Building Council, the North Carolina Healthy Built Homes Program, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
-“What does building green cost?”
Building and certifying a Healthy Built Home generally adds between 1 to 3% to the overall cost of the home. Like most things, the more features you want, the more it costs, but achieving the basic certifications is relatively inexpensive and quickly recuperated with energy savings and peace of mind.