Recently, I had occasion to strike up a conversation with a young builder who was interested in letting the Brokers at out Firm know about his work . Looking at his brochure, I mentioned that his work looks like quality. "Anyone using superior walls is a person of good taste, " I told him.
But there is more to it than that.
For us at our Firm here in Asheville, the green features are what our buyers want and/or demand. Some won't mind as much as others about whether it's certified or not. However, many do insist upon certification. For quite a few, the issue is not only efficiency but indoor air quality. Some (clients) may have chemical sensitivities, therefore necessitating building materials and coatings that don't off gas formaldehyde and the like. Since the envelope is so tight with these specs, less toxic materials are preferable anyway (and becoming more and more readily available at less expense).
Asheville green real estate seems to be heading the way/ In fact, most of our people want their dwellings to be WNC HealthyBuilt ®construction. If it costs more, so be it . They realize, in the long run, it will be worth it both in energy savings and in comfort.
In my opinion, it won't be too long before this set of criteria becomes standard practice. Habitat for Humanity, for instance, has made certifiably efficient construction mandatory. All this will be mainstream very soon, mark my words.
Here's a link if you would like more info on the specs. buildingscience.com http://mail.charter.net/do/mail/message/www.advancedenergy.org I'd be inte
rested in what you think about all this.
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