Green Home Building

Sustainable Architecture Building and Culture

Although concern for the environment may possibly be why far more men and women are getting green houses right now, Austin buyers are undoubtedly falling for the way they save them money on overall operating expenses and maintenance.

In 2007 there were a lot more green homes built, bought and sold in the US than ever before. And why wouldn’t there be? Green building methods and standards have improved significantly over the past decade, producing environmentally friendly houses an attractive option. Buyers and builders are studying that a green house does not have to be a geodesic dome or pit home, it just has to meet specific standards and be kind to the environment. Similarly priced and developed, today’s green houses also promise significant savings on utility bills, lowered maintenance costs, a healthier indoor environment and increased peace of mind. Naturally, all these rewards are also translating into a greater resale value when it comes time to move on.

Austin’s Green Home Creating program is the oldest in the country and has a lot to do with the predominance of green buildings in this part of Texas. Launched in 1991 and now under the wing of Austin Energy, the program supports builders and homeowners to make Austin homes much more energy efficient by allowing them to tap into information, rebates, loans and free of charge upgrades.

This New Austin House

This past year, Austin’s green houses were in the spotlight once more when “This Old Home” featured a green renovation to one of Austin’s drafty old character houses. Taking an old fangled small bungalow and adding eco-friendliness with functions like photo voltaic cells on the roof, rainwater collection for irrigation, spray-foam insulation, recycled-glass tile and counter tops, and formaldehyde-no cost wood managed to garner Austin Energy’s coveted five-star rating for the finished project. For the house’s owners this added efficiency translates into much less in utility bills every single year and a ,000 rebate from Austin Energy’s Solar Rebate Program. For the city or the world for that matter, it means three tones less carbon dioxide, 14 pounds less nitrogen oxide and 20 pounds less sulfur dioxide.

Buyers interested in purchasing a new green home can anticipate to see far more of them on the market in years to come. Early in 2008, the National Association of Residence Builders will release the National Green Creating Regular, an ANSI regular for green home constructing based on guidelines the NAHB released in 2005. The soon to be released standards cover a range of green factors such as lot prep and style, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water conservation, comfort and indoor environment.