With global warming awareness and green movements becoming more of an actual issue that many people are taking action on, residential green building movements are no longer for the hippie-dippy granola heads but a more mainstream demand. From coast to coast, many new developments are going green. While we love what green buildings are going to mean to the polar bears, real estate agents can get lost or confused in a sea of new amenities and features that buyers may be looking for. While the green movement may not be a “thing’ in your area just yet, it is important to keep yourself updated on these innovations so you can remain an expert or at the very least know when the inevitable millennial comes in and makes inquiries about it.
Stay on top of things, regardless of fads and trends that may come around, with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant. Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today to find out how!
Here are some things you may want to keep yourself informed about when it comes to green buildings:
App-based Energy-efficient Technologies
Our smartphones have taken over so many aspects of our lives, and with other gadgets and software like Alexa to augment that experience, it is only a matter of time before every single one of us use them to control our home thermostats or lighting as well, in fact, many homeowners are already beginning to do this already. According to developers, many of them have seen a rise in specifications for these kinds of features in new or re-furbished constructions. Voice activation allows for more intuitive integration and use.
Green or Living Roofs
A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. Container gardens on roofs, where plants are maintained in pots, are not generally considered to be true green roofs, although this is debated. Rooftop ponds are another form of the green roof which are used to treat greywater. Vegetation, soil, drainage layer, root barrier, and irrigation system constitute green roof. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a habitat for wildlife, increasing benevolence and decreasing the stress of the people around the roof by providing a more aesthetically pleasing landscape, and helping to lower urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect.
IAQ Devices
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) devices, installed in home heating and air conditioning systems, not only provides a healthier indoor air environment by eliminating germs, dust particles, mold, odors, mildew, and bacteria that can cause illness, but are also eco-friendly since they reduce home emissions and improve the value of a house by reducing monthly energy electric/gas costs, in some cases, as much as 25 percent.
LEED Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods that aims to help to building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. LEED certification is granted by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which handles the third-party verification of a project’s compliance with the LEED requirements. The certification process for design teams is made up of two consecutive applications: one including design credits, and one including construction credits. All of the LEED credits in each rating system are assigned to either the design application or the construction application. The design credits include those that are the purview of the architect and the engineer and are documented in the official construction drawings. The construction credits include those that are predominantly under the purview of the contractor and are documented during the construction and commissioning of the building.
Energy Modeling
Energy modeling or energy system modeling is the process of building computer models of energy systems in order to analyze them. Such models often employ scenario analysis to investigate different assumptions about the technical and economic conditions at play. Outputs may include the system feasibility, greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative financial costs, natural resource use, and energy efficiency of the system under investigation. In a building, this system can be extremely important to its being and staying “green”. This impacts a building’s energy consumption because, already in the planning stage, smart decisions can be made in terms of lighting, airflow, and more.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling
What could be better than harnessing the power of the earth itself? Especially when it comes to powering an entire residential building? Geothermal energy is a great resource that has been used for heating and cooling for ages but is now slowly and steadily making its way to the US as green-conscious developers and consumers are consciously asking for such options. Boston MA, for example, has seen a rise in usage and planned implementations not just for residential buildings but commercial and other city structures as well. Tenants will save on energy costs and will benefit from an environmentally friendly system that heats and cools using the same mechanisms.
Have you seen other green building systems and technology that we didn’t mention? What are your thoughts on green buildings and their future implications? Stay on top of things, regardless of fads and trends that may come around, with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant. Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today to find out how!
