Living green or building green can mean a variety of things when it comes to buying a home or living in a home. Some interpret it as reducing your carbon footprint or some just think it as reducing costs. Whatever the reason, I think everybody can bring it to living a better and more sustainable lifestyle. Whe it comes to new construction in the Twin Cities home buyers are demanding more sustainable ways of building and living products to cut down on environmental concerns.
Minnesota has been leading the way states leading the way because it has a strict energy code. The Builders Association of the Twin Cities also has good references to “Green” building as well as Minnesota Greenstar.
Making sure the building or development is LEED Certified is a good place to start. This certifies that builders and developers adhere to certain building codes that promote energy efficient and environmental design. Building “green” can also lead to certain tax benefits as well.
What Makes A Home “Green”
There are a lot of qualites that make a home green. Most buildings that are built green, place higher emphasis on healthy living, eco-friendly living and creative design. Although living green might cost more upfront, the money saved over the long-term far out weighs the short-term.
Areas of focus for living sustainable can focus around a few areas from water management, energy efficiency, green house gas emissions, using environmentally friendly materials and more. Commitment to conserve non-renewable energy by using certain products. Look for the Energy Star symbol to see if the product you are buying passes the test.
Using “green” building designs, it doesn’t always mean living out of a shipping container. Although one would think that modern design would provide the most eco-friendly way to live, this is not always the case. You don’t have to take it to the extreme like having vegetation on the roof, use a architect that understands having a green building in which both share the same goals.
Websites that offer green living tips
Here are some websites that offer different ways to live green. There are so many websites out there, but here is just a start.
- Green Living Tips
- Green Living Ideas
- Green Building
- Building Green
- Build it Green
- Tree Hugger
- Green Options
This is just a start, I will update some other ways to “Go Green” and if you have any ideas, just add them in the comments below.
