Green Homes Raleigh NC

Considering Green - What's In a Green Home in the Raleigh, NC Area

If you're considering building or buying a green-built home in the Raleigh, NC area, you probably have some specific ideas about what's involved in a green home.  Or maybe you just know that a green home is better for the environment.

How "Green" is a Green Home?

Each of the five green home certification programs in North Carolina has its own levels and specifications of "greenness". 

If you're considering a green home in the Raleigh area, you'll most likely see certification that involves the Green Home Builders of the Triangle program.  Each green home must be independently validated and certified by a third party inspection agency.   If you don't see a green home certificate, your home may not be certified green, even if it does contain many green elements. 

There are three basic levels of certification, that can be attained by collecting "points" in a variety of building areas, such as:

Bronze Level Green Home Certification

A green home reaches bronze level certification when a total of 257 points have been earned, with the minimum amounts in each category.

Green homes with Bronze Level Certification may not have the same features and amenities - for instance, the green home can earn 5 points for minimizing slope disturbance, or 6 points for optimizing the homes location for solar resources by placing the long side of the home within 30 degrees of due south. 

A Bronze Level Green Home does not often have a solar water heater or solar photovoltaic power source, but can be the least expensive type of green home built in the Raleigh NC area, depending on the choices made.

Silver Level Green Home Certification

A green home in the Raleigh NC area reaches silver level certification when a total of 415 points have been earned, with again minimum amounts in each category. 

Thus 61% more points must be earned to reach Silver certification - so some could argue that such a home is 61% greener!  

It depends on the green homeowner or home buyers preferences and priorities - again, the points can be earned in a variety of ways.

A sealed attic is worth 8 points in the Energy Efficiency category, as is a sealed crawlspace and a solar hot water heater.  From the chart above, a Silver Level Green Home requires 62 points in this category, so a combination of many different features are needed.

Gold Level Green Home Certification

To earn a Gold Level Green Home Certification in the Raleigh NC area, the green home must score a total of 549 points, or more than double that of a Bronze Green Home. 

Most Gold Level Green Homes that I have seen in the Raleigh area are in the $700K or higher range.

In Water Efficiency, one can gain 7 points for collecting and reusing rainwater, and 7 points for weather-based irrigation controllers (computerized).

Green Home Building and Buying Options Vary

As you can see, the types of green homes available vary quite a bit, and the combinations of green features can be almost endless. 

With hundreds of "green" options available across seven different categories, you can design and build a green home that incorporates everything most important to you - and Southern Energy Management, a much-awarded local green home certifier, can help you find the combination that best fits your budget. 

Interested in building a Green Home in the Raleigh NC Area?

We'll help you get started!  Contact us, or call 919-278-8070. 

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