While there is no common definition of a “green home,” experts agree that they’re becoming increasingly popular with buyers. So what makes a building green?

Building green often involves planning to preserve as much of the natural setting as possible, developing sites to reduce erosion and minimize paved surfaces, conserving water, using recycled materials and reducing waste. Some of the benefits of a green home are:

It helps us to reduce our dependence on imported oil
It helps reduce the environmental damage caused by the burning of fossil fuels
It helps to create markets for recycled products
It encourages environmentally friendly forest practices
It is healthier for occupants
It reduces the pressure on our landfills
It reduces the operation cost of owning a home

So whether you simply want to save some money on utilities or seek something grander, there are many ways to improve the green quotient of your home.

Energy Efficiency Benefits - Save Money

Green homes can save you money in the long run. An energy efficient home reduces your electric and natural gas bills by 30% or more.

Careful analysis of house size and configuration, insulation levels, heating and cooling equipment selection, and ductwork location all enhance energy efficiency. Designing your home to take advantage of natural wind currents, sun angles, and on-site shade reduces the need for air conditioning.

But you needn’t purchase a new home to benefit from green practices. Smaller scale, and lower cost, improvements can help too. Installing water efficient appliances, faucets, toilets, and landscape watering equipment is a fast and easy way that do-it-yourselfers can lower water bills. Make sure your windows and doors are properly sealed. Check to see that your home is sufficiently insulated. Replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent wherever feasible. These simple projects can reap impressive rewards when it’s time to pay the bills.

Protect The Environment - Environmental Benefits.

Green homes not only can save you money, they also help save the environment.

Green-building practices differ from conventional building by reducing construction waste and debris going into landfills, increasing use of recycled and reused building materials.

Reducing the average home’s energy use by 30% will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 34,000 pounds over its 30-year lifetime while helping to prevent global warming.

Designing your home to reduce storm water runoff helps protect streams, rivers and other waterways from pesticides, fertilizers, and other lawn and garden chemicals. Minimizing the building footprint and reducing driveway pavement helps prevent rain water from finding its way to the sewers. Use water from downspouts to water the garden. Saving existing trees on your site, and using native plant species that are suitable for your climate reduces the need for excessive watering.

Live A Healthier Lifestyle - Health Benefits

Green homes can be healthier for you family too. The EPA reports that air in new homes can be 10 times more polluted than outdoor air. Many people suffer illness from airborne chemicals and allergens. Indoor environments often concentrate chemical and biological contaminants.

If specific attention is paid to the materials used in construction, a green home can reduce exposure to potential toxins. Many products are manufactured with formaldehyde, a suspected human carcinogen. Cabinets, counter tops, shelving and furniture are made from particleboard that is glued together with formaldehyde that is released into the home for years. And smart building practices can reduce the likelihood of future problems. For example, protecting the ventilation ducts from dust and moisture during construction reduces the introduction of airborne particulates and mildew into the home. New construction materials such as OSB and Medite that contain no formaldehyde are entering the market.

The Cost Myth of Building - Are Green Homes More Expensive To Build?

It’s a common myth that green homes are more expensive than conventional ones. But the truth is that green homes range from affordable urban infill homes to middle-class suburban homes to million-dollar-plus custom homes. There are a couple of issues related to cost. Clearly, if one takes a standard home and adds “green stuff” to it, there will be added cost. In most cases, even this doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker. But if one is thinking “green” prior to design and construction there are numerous opportunities to shift costs, ending up with a higher quality home for the same cost.

And in the long run a little extra money up front can mean higher resale value down the road. Several popular green building features, particularly energy and water efficiency features, actually pay back the investment over time. A study by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and the EPA reported that for every one-dollar decrease in a home’s annual utility bill due to energy efficiency, the market value of that home increases twenty dollars.

Purchasing Vs. Buildling - Green Homes Available For Purchase

So what do you look for when you want to buy green?

Energy efficiency – look for EPA Energy Star certified appliances, a lot that takes advantage of the sun’s path, prevailing breezes and tree shading to provide warmth in winter, avoid overheating in summer and enable good cross-ventilation, and a properly designed, air-tight duct system.

Water efficiency – your new home should have low flow plumbing fixtures, a modern dish washer and washing machine, and landscaping that consists of indigenous species that require minimal care.

Building materials – keep an eye out for low maintenance finishes like brick, fiber-cement, and tile, avoid carpets and cabinets assembled with glue that might emit toxic fumes. Sometimes that “new house smell” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.