The word "Green" has become a very overused buzzword that the media uses to describe everything from new energy efficient cars to tree hugging hippies. The word "Green" has been used to market ultra high tech products in our life like photovoltaic solar panels and it has been used to market ultra low tech products in our life like re-usable shopping bags.
Because of the media's need to overuse every new buzzword in existence, "Green" has become very confusing to the general public.
Let's talk about how "Green" fits into real estate. Don't think that is going to make things any less confusing. It might make things worse. In real estate green has several meanings too.
- Green = Eco-friendly - In this sense of the word, the home is built in a sustainable manner. Materials are brought from areas local to the project, products are used that can be easily replenished, remnant materials are recycled, and waste is drastically reduced.
- Green = Energy efficient - This use of the word looks at both sides of the energy story. The first side is energy that is used in things like HVAC units, hot water heaters, and kitchen appliances. The flip side is energy that is saved by using efficient windows, better insulation, and other efficient building techniques. BTW, this is the "Green" that 90% of green buyers are currently looking for!
- Green = More comfortable and healthy - Homes that are either built or remodeled with more "human friendly" products are also considered to be green. This usually revolves around the topic of indoor air quality. Old school carpets and paints release toxins into the air for years after they are installed. These toxins often cause negative reactions in people and have been shown to lead to health problems. There are new options that aren't made with dangerous chemicals and therefore they have nothing harmful to release into the home.
So how do we take our language back? How do we protect the meaning of the words that we use each every day?
photo by Josef F. Stuefer
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