Benefits of Green Real Estate
Of Course, the obvious benefit of “going green” is the positive impact on our earth and the environment. It’s no secret our natural resources are being depleted at an unsustainable rate and it seems like anything we do these days is sure to leave a “carbon footprint.” Green buildings are helping to relieve the demand on the ecosystem by utilizing renewable resources, recycled materials, energy-conserving appliances and green roofs.
IMPROVE HEALTH, SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY NOW If you are just wanting to green your existing home for right now to improve your health, and save energy and money, you may want to consider the following recommendations for quick, inexpensive retrofits that you can do yourself.
- REPLACE YOUR INCANDESCENT BULBS WITH CFLs. CFLs use about 75% less energy and can last up to 10 times longer.
- UNPLUG APPLIANCES, CHARGERS, AND ELECTRONICS YOU ARE NOT USING. Vampire power (also called phantom energy) is the energy used by electronics that are turned off. This can account for as much as 10% of your home energy use.
- INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT. Programmable thermostats are a great way to lower your energy bills by offering you predetermined control over your homes heating and cooling schedule.
- SAVE WATER – PUT AERATORS ON FAUCETS AND INSTALL A LOW-FLOW SHOWERHEAD. Since faucets make up around 15% of a typical home’s indoor water use, decreasing the water flow on every faucet in your home can easily help save a significant amount of water.
- RECYCLE. According to the National Recycling Coalition, the average American discards 7.5 lbs. of garbage every day! Recycling not only helps minimize this amount of waste being put into landfills, it helps minimize the use of natural resources and saves energy in manufacturing new products.
- USE ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANERS. In 2009, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reported that 15% of all asthma cases were caused by exposure to unsafe cleaning products. Look for cleaners with EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) label or the Green Seal.
- FILL AIR LEAKS WITH CAULKING OR WEATHER STRIPPING. Cracks around your windows and doors can be a major energy drain on your home as they decrease the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by allowing air to escape.
- PLANT A TREE TO SHADE YOUR HOME. Planting a six to eight foot deciduous tree with high spreading crowns on the south side of your home can help increase the efficiency of your air conditioner by up to 10%.
- INSULATE YOUR HOT WATER HEATER AND FURNACE. By putting a “blanket” of insulation around your hot water heater and furnace, you can reduce heat loss by 25-45%, reducing your energy bill by 4-9%.
- REPLACE YOUR HVAC FILTERS. Energy Star recommends that you check your filters every month for excess debris that can restrict air flow and cause dust and dirt to enter your ventilation system and decrease your home’s indoor air quality.
OTHER ENERGY SAVING TIPS:
- Harvest rainwater.
- Move heat-generating appliances and electronics away from your thermostat.
- Turn down your water heater 10-20 degrees.
- Check your insulation.
- Turn off lights and fans when you leave the room.
- Close doors and windows when heating or cooling your home.
- Use you drapes to control heat gain and loss.
- Wash full loads of dishes and laundry.
- Paint your walls light or bright colors. Light colors reflect light instead of absorbing it like dark colors, reducing the amount of energy needed to light your rooms.
Kincaid Realtors has always made resource conservation part of our business.
Respect for our planet and the creatures that share it with us is an integral part of who we are. The following are some of our conservation initiatives.
- Make use of technology to be more green. We use email with pdf files rather than multiple faxes. We prefer to link to disclosures and other documents rather than printing them on paper.
- We try to cut down on driving by working with clients over the Internet to screen out listings that don’t make the final cut.
- As we work through a normal day at the office we are constantly aware of waste reduction and resource conservation. We try to use recycled paper when possible.
- We educate clients about the value of walkable communities and encourage them to consider the distances to school, work, parks, and other amenities to cut down on driving.
- I also like to share information about solar hot water or photovoltaic panels or point to tax credits and incentives for improvements they may want to make after the purchase.
- Most people are not aware of simple retrofit options like tubular skylights, which can virtually eliminate a daytime lighting bill.
- We are always brainstorming for additional ideas on reducing electricity and reducing our water usage.
- We recycle everything recyclable such as bottles, cans, e-waste . . .
- We encourage our clients to create backyard habitats
- We encourage and participate in clean up of roadways, parks . . .
- We encourage people to get closer to nature; plan a trip to a national park or wildlife refuge . . .
Below are some additional resources about the green industry and information on sustainable real estate practices and policies. Enjoy.
National Organizations
State-Specific Information Incentives and Credits