Asheville Green Home Checklist



A green home checklist will be helpful to you as you consider homes to buy, even if they aren't built green. In the Asheville, NC area you can trust that a home is "green" if it has a third-party certification with Energy Star or as a Western North Carolina HealthyBuilt Home.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) now also has a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) residential building rating for new green homes. This in an internationally recognized system.

If a home was built before any of these certifications, or even since, but claims to be "green" - you'll want to get as much information as you can about the various features they consider green. This green home checklist will help you. You can also hire an Asheville business to do an energy assessment, to see just how energy efficient it is. There are other businesses that can inspect for indoor air quality.

People tend to have different ideas about what makes a home green. There are a lot of factors and a home that wasn't built to be green may meet some of the standards or could easily be made to.

The following green home checklist is a great summary of the U.S. Green Building Building Council's list of features to consider...

  • Location: near places you go regularly, not built on an environmentally sensitive site

  • Size: smaller is better - you use fewer resources

  • Building Design: to access natural light, shade from heat, with windows and roof to reduce summer heat gain

  • Green Building Materials: non-toxic, rapidly renewable; wood certified by Forest Stewardship Council; salvaged or recycled

  • Insulation: non-toxic, high R-factor

  • Windows and Exterior Doors: Energy Star, tightly sealed

  • Energy Efficiency: efficient lighting, heating, cooling, water-heating; Energy Star appliances

  • Renewable Energy: some generation of its own energy

  • Water Efficiency: conserving irrigation, kitchen and bathroon fixtures; rainwater collection and storage

  • Indoor Air Quality: at least 75 percent natural daylight, natural ventilation, HVAC clean air ventilation, protection from garage fumes

  • Landscaping: shade for exterior walls, driveway, patios and other hardscape; drought-tolerant plants

    For more details you can check the USGBC site. Feel free to contact me, too, if you have any questions or comments.

    Organic Gardening Advice from GrowingAnything.com - Organic landscaping and gardening advice, including vegetable garden tips, herb garden plants, fruits, nuts and grains, indoor and greenhouse gardening and how to grow flowers, grass, plants and trees for landscaping.

    Return from Asheville Green Home Checklist to A Green Asheville Home

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    Copyright 2010-17 Asheville-North-Carolina-Real-Estate.com Tree Spaulding ~ Environmental Real Estate Consultant and Broker Green Tree Realty Asheville, NC 28801 ~ (828)545-1990

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