Can you afford a green home?

Green homes are becoming more mainstream as consumers place energy-efficiency a top priority. Still, homebuyers are often discouraged from finding or building green digs under the perception that these homes will cost more. The reality is that a green home doesn’t mean more expensive.

It’s true that many environmentally friendly building components can cost more than traditional products, like a solar photovoltaic system for instance. However, a green home doesn’t mean tacking eco-friendly features on top of conventional ideas. It is more a mindset, something green building professionals would refer to as “whole house” design.

I had the pleasure to work on what I considered a very green home that was also one of the least costly homes I’d seen built. The owners were careful to consider size, solar orientation and other simple green strategies. Instead of AC, they opted for a whole house attic fan. Instead of “great rooms” with vaulted ceilings, they optimized living space to minimize waste.

In the end, the owners were able to afford green finishes like low-VOC paints, bamboo flooring and high-performance windows. The home was manageable, energy-efficient and provided a comfortable, healthy environment in a beautiful setting. It is an affordable green home with perennial energy savings.

These homeowners used one of the most affordable strategies to green their home: optimizing solar orientation. Aligning your home on an east-west axis with the largest façade to the sun is a simple way to cut down energy use. This one aspect has the potential to cut your heating bill by 20% because you can use passive solar radiation to heat interior spaces during winter months. Shading this façade with awnings or deciduous trees will save you up to 40% on cooling costs.

It starts to become clear that a green home is cost-competitive. Just implementing one whole house design tactic has created annual energy savings and taken some burden off of the environment. Lower heating and cooling energy loads means you can size for smaller HVAC components – upfront savings that minimize waste.

Designing for natural ventilation and daylighting is another whole house design strategy that can save energy and money. Strategically placed windows that allow cross-ventilation can help keep your home cool and filled with fresh air. This decreases the need for air conditioning saving more energy and money. Effective ways to cool without AC include using whole house attic fans and paddle fans to circulate and cool interior spaces. You might even find that AC isn’t necessary and eliminate it from your budget altogether.

Natural daylighting helps lower electricity costs. If applied with high-performance windows, it also helps keep your home cooler by cutting down internal heat sources. Choosing the right high –performance windows allows sunlight in but reflects heat. The result is more pleasant living and work spaces that require less operating energy.

Some environmentally-friendly building elements, like windows, are more expensive than their counterparts but they need to be considered in the big picture. If you’ve cut down your heating, cooling and electrical costs with strategic orientation, shading, attic fans or a smaller HVAC system, then your budget should be healthy enough for some of the higher upfront costs. Although energy-efficient windows and appliances may cost a little more initially it’s important to remember that you’ve cut costs elsewhere and these elements will yield annual savings to make up for the higher price.

The same goes for fixtures such as high-efficiency toilets and low flow showerheads. These items are not higher in price but will save water, electricity and money over their lifetime. There isn’t any compromise in comfort or performance, just a significant difference in resource use.

When it’s time for finishes you’ll be surprised to find that these green building products have become competitive in price with their conventional counterparts. Eco-friendly tile, carpet and even wood flooring can be purchased at comparable prices. Recycled, reclaimed or renewable are all good flooring choices and you can find them without stretching the budget.

*Note: The information in this article is general advice and not meant as a substitute for personal guidance from a financial advisor, real estate professional, general contractor or legal counsel. Although the author is a licensed realtor, the advice given in this article does not constitute any client contract or agreement between the author and the user. The author is not responsible for any losses, damages or claims that may result from your decisions.