Environmentally-sensitive construction – what is fondly called “green building” – is breaking through its past stereotypes and is gradually infiltrating every facet of life, rewarding green homeowners with a high quality, healthy home for both their family and the environment.

Although the most widely recognized benefits of green homes are environmental, it is their quality craftsmanship and healthy living environments that are really winning over previous skeptics. They are truly high-performance homes, making them far superior to the average houses on the market. Attention to detail and durable, sustainable materials mean quality construction, energy efficiency and reduced maintenance, as well as consistent temperatures and humidity levels from room to room.

The addition of environmentally sensitive products leads to drastically improved air quality and reduced exposure to mold, mildew and toxins (of great comfort to allergy sufferers). Plus, rapidly advancing technologies have enabled green homes to become chameleons, with the capability to be designed in any style or form, from a modern oceanside condominium to New Urban townhome to cozy mountain retreat.

Even a green home’s cost, which has long been considered a deterrent, can be viewed as a benefit. The key is to learn to view upfront costs as an investment and to consider the home’s “total cost of ownership,” which makes a green home a fantastic value. In many cases a green home costs only a few percentage points more than a traditional home (a decreasing statistic as green becomes mainstream) and additional expenses will literally pay for themselves in lower energy and water bills, tax and insurance credits and reduced repair needs. Furthermore, going green is a valuable way to protect your investment for the future, when green elements will likely become standard on homes.

Certifiably Green

There are numerous “shades of green” to build a home, which can make knowing what is and is not green difficult at times. Green building certification programs aim to iron out the grey-green areas by outlining criteria against which potential green homes can be checked. Everything from tree preservation to building products to the home’s performance on a variety of tests is taken into consideration, and points are awarded for each component that is met. The following are the most notable programs in the Carolinas:

LEED for Homes: The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System (or LEED for short) is perhaps the most widely recognized standard for building green. A new LEED for Homes program will publicly launch in late 2007. A home can qualify for one of four levels of certification (Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum).

EarthCraft HouseTM: EarthCraft, a well-established residential green home rating system, actually served as the model for the new LEED program. It was developed by the Southface Energy Institute and the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association.

ENERGY STAR®: In addition to rating the efficiency of individual appliances and products, ENERGY STAR also affixes its blue star of approval on homes that meet efficiency guidelines as prescribed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Healthy Built: Across the country there are numerous localized green building certification programs. One example in the Carolinas is the North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes Program.

Green Home Benefits

Economic Benefits

Not everyone who wants a green home realizes it at first. Those searching for a quality, high-performance home often are surprised to discover that their ideal home is actually green, making its environmental and health benefits the “icing on the cake.” For great examples of green homes and green communities in the Carolinas, visit www.carolinaliving.com, click on one of the links at the top and then click on the Going Green! box.

Craig and Beth Weaver of Sundance Mountain Lands