Justifying Going Green – 1st of 3 Posts

The following three posts are excerpts from my book, Holistically Green Homes, Eighteen Principles for Designing, Building, and Retrofitting Your Energy Efficient Home.

I am often asked, “How can I justify spending more on my home when others, including relatives, bankers, and appraisers advise me to go with conventional construction techniques? Other builders I talk to say with conviction that the houses they build are just as efficient. So, how can I justify to myself and to others that the energy features in my new home or retrofit home will be worth the extra costs?”

I respond that while energy efficient homes often do cost more to build, that's not always the case.  Depending on your plan, your house might not cost more because a well-designed, energy smart home plan often results in the following:

• Lower subcontractor costs for heating and air because the tonnage required to heat and cool your home may be reduced by up to 50%.
• Less square footage and volume so total construction costs may be the same or lower.
• Selecting less expensive décor items—often an easy and wise choice— to offset the cost of energy features and reduce overall total building costs.

The real question is: How do you justify any addional dollars you spend on a green house so you feel good about spending more instead of less?

Start by getting a pre-construction Home Energy Rating System (HERS) analysis of the floor plan and specifications you've chosen for your home.  This analysis should be performed by an independent, certified HERS rater, who will provide you with an extensive written report that includes scientific calculations of energy savings. The report will give you added confidence that the house, if built according to the plans, will truly be more efficient. You can also use the report to communicate the efficiency to the appraiser and the banker to get a better mortgage. The report verifies how much more efficient your house will be in comparison to others being built. Based on the results, you may objectively decide that you want to add other options to make it even more efficient.

In the end, you can objectively justify building or retrofitting a Holistically Green Home because of the following:

• Lower utility bills—gas, electricity and water—beginning the day you move in.
• You will “lock in through time” energy costs that are expected to continuously escalate. 
• Lower life cycle costs—from construction to resale. An energy efficient home costs less in maintenance, taxes, lawn care—all things considered.
• An efficient home is a good long-term, low-risk investment with tax-free savings—an investment you can live in and enjoy, and the mortgage interest is tax deductible.
• Greater comfort when relaxing at home, and less stress when you receive your utility bills.
• Increased self-esteem for those who live in the home.
• Better health because of better indoor air quality.
• You know you are contributing to a better environment; “You are doing the right thing.”
• Pride and satisfaction of ownership—you will feel and enjoy the quality.
• Higher re-sale price—buyers look for better value and lower operating costs—a trend that will be more prevalent in the future.