Mike Dressler on Green Building, Buying and Living

It’s not the first time, but just yesterday I was once again asked the question “Hey Mike, what is a green home?” And the truth is, it’s not only a fair question, but a very important one as well.

The short, sweet answer is a green home is a home that uses less energy and water, creates less waste, consumes less natural resources and is healthier for the folks that live inside. Green homes are structures that have been verified, certified and labeled “green” by an organization such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or the Build It Green organization here in California.

Typically, rating systems look at five areas or principles. To be certified as a green home, the property must satisfy requirements in each of these areas.

Resource Conservation during construction

Energy Efficiency

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Water Efficiency

Community Design

Most people have heard of the LEED certifications that can accompany new construction homes and commercial buildings. A LEED certification indicates that the new building has achieved a higher level of efficiency and sustainability than most new construction projects. But it’s relatively easy to build a home or commercial space at a higher standard of performance when starting from scratch. What about the 1920 Spanish bungalow in any of our local communities. Can that be green as well? Yes it can.

It is important to point out that existing homes can achieve green status here in California. The Build It Green organization has created a green certification known as the Green Point Rating. By retrofitting homes with sustainable features, one can achieve a point-based rating that indicates a home’s relative sustainability. I say relative because while a 1920’s home may be able to be brought up to new construction standards in terms of energy efficiency, it is likely to be cost prohibitive.

That’s why the Green Point Rating is unique. It evaluates an existing home’s efficiency levels and measures them against similar homes of that vintage. So while a Green Point Rated home may not be quite as sustainable as the new construction home down the street, it very much is still considered green based on the fact that the home was retrofitted to make it far more efficient and healthy that the similar bungalow next door.

However, I would argue that whether or not a home truly is green goes beyond designations and awards. A home may perform better than your average house, but just as important is the living habits of the people inside. By living a sustainable lifestyle -using less, reusing and recycling more- we can all make our homes just a little bit greener.  

If you have questions or ideas, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear what you have to say about sustainability in our neighborhood.