According to a survey in Professional Builder Magazine, more than 90% want an energy efficient home. 96% are willing to spend more money to add green features to their home.
Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes is a great investment. As utility costs go up, an energy efficient home will save more money every month. Energy efficient homes reduce energy costs in other ways. The utility companies have to design their systems to provide utilities for peak demand, during cold weather. Energy efficient homes reduce these power spikes, allowing them to serve more customers with the same infrastructure. This helps the utilities companies keep their rates lower. Building green is good for the economy and the community.
Energy efficent homes have higher resale value. An appraisal guide estimated that for every dollar saved per year on energy efficiency, the home would appraise for $200 more. Would you spend more for a home that costs less to heat and cool?
Green homes often require less maintenance. Many of the ways to increase energy efficiency also reduce the chance of mold problems, rotten wood, etc. Green building also means using better quality materials that are more durable.
It is easy to see that building green is smart.
But how can you be sure a home is actually green?
There is an excellant sollution:
What do we need to do to get started?
The second step is to organize the program and finance the cost of inspecting, testing, and certifying homes.
The program would need start up funding for equipment and training.
We would design the program to be self financing once it is running.
We would like to design a program that certifies homes at different levels,
and allows the freedom to choose which green methods are best for the project.
We would like to have this program address the following green building concepts:
For an example of another very successful program see this web page:
We would achieve results through educating the trades people, inspecting and testing, and certifying the homes.
By providing the builder a written report and other marketing tools, he can promote the home as green.
The Mountain Home Show can use its marketing connections, television, radio, internet,
and newspaper, to promote this program.
Open houses could be arranged for the consumers to see what a green home looks like.
Would you like to help make this happen?
Please email us and tell us how you can help.
For a written proposal, including the cost of plans, make a free, no obligation appointment.
How to Contact The Mountain Home Show
Appreciation......
This web site contains information obtained from various sources.
The Mountain Home Show is not liable for the accuracy of this information.
Please contact the source of this information with your questions.
How can a builder market a green home successfully?
The truth is many home buyers are skeptical, and with good reason.
Now that green building is becoming so popular,
many companies are making a lot of false claims about how "green" they are.
We need a way to verify their claims.
Builders are reluctant to become green without a way to prove it.
We can start our own green building organization under our local builder's association.
We could design this program to certify how energy efficient a home is.
These homes could be inspected and tested to verify the builder's claims.
We could design this program to meet our needs in the mountains.
The Mountain Home Show would like to get this going.
The first step is to survey local interest.
Please email The Mountain Home Show to tell us about your interest in green building.
Are you a builder, and inspector, a consumer, an expert in the green field, or a volunteer that wants to help?
We believe that we have all we need right here in the mountains to organize an excellent green building program.
We just need to get together to make it happen.
Energy efficiency
Mountain Site Preservation
Development Practices
Site Planning and Orientation
Mold
Indoor Air Quality
Materials Selection
Solar
Water and Wind Power
http://www.southface.org/
New Homes I have Designed
Remodeling Projects I have Designed.
My Procedures for Designing and Planning
Richard C. MacCrea
Home Planner
Email Richard
P.O. Box 446, Murphy, North Carolina 28906-0446
(828) 837-5787
Other Pages on this Web Site
The Mountain Home Show, Home Page and Site Map (How to find what you're looking for)
Detailed information about the home show (For guests and exhibitors)
Articles (About designing, building and remodeling a mountain home)
The Mountain Model Home (An experimental home that is extremely energy efficient)
The Mountain Model Cabin (A very small mountain cabin designed to sleep four comfortably)
Construction Diary (The joys and frustrations of building these two model homes)
Home Designing and Planning (How to get great plans for building or remodeling your home)
Email Us (Questions about The Mountain Home Show or Your Mountain Home Project)
The Mountain Home Show, P.O. Box 446, Murphy, North Carolina 28906-0446
The Mountain Home Show owes its success to the businesses that participate in the show. They arrange such wonderful exhibits. It is obvious that they take great pride in their work and our show.