Von Löwen Designs

Making your home a greener place is a commitment to yourself, your family, your community and the world. But more than that, it is a learning process. As exciting new technologies, products and scientific breakthroughs constantly emerge, staying educated on the hows, as well as the whys, of maintaining a green home is the best way to ensure your efforts are as effective and beneficial as possible.

A home can be built green, or you can make it green later. A green makeover can happen all at once, or it can be a gradual process. But what it all comes down to is a new way of thinking – and a new way of living. From a more energy-efficient kitchen to a tree-filled backyard paradise, your home can be green top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. And it doesn’t matter whether you rent or own, live in an apartment or single-family home, or live in the city, the suburbs or the country.

There are many very real benefits to living in a green home, and every day, more and more people are discovering those benefits. Green homes are healthier, more durable and more cost-effective.

· Month to month, people who live in green homes save money by consuming less energy and less water than standard homes. Over the years, that adds up to big savings.

· Soon, it will cost less to insure a green home than a standard home. An increasing number of insurance companies are offering discounts on policies covering green homes. Similarly, several mortgage companies offer discounted loan rates for home buyers buying green.

· A green home is often more durable than most standard homes because of its high-quality building materials and construction processes, requiring fewer repairs.

· The value of a green home is often higher than that of a comparable standard home, and the market demand for green homes continues to rise. The Solaire, a green residential high-rise in New York City, brings in rents 10 – 15 percent higher than market rates, and in Rocklin, CA, the LEED-certified homes in the Carsten Crossings development outsold the competition 2 to 1.

· Residential cooling and heating alone make up 20 percent of the United States’ yearly energy use. Throw in household lighting, appliances and other electronic equipment, and homes are clearly a major source of energy consumption. Most of that energy comes from greenhouse gas producers like oil and coal, contributing to global climate change. Green homes use 40 percent less energy than comparable standard homes.

· Some green homes further reduce our dependence on conventional energy sources as they generate some or all of their energy needs through alternative energy sources like the sun, wind, geothermal energy and biomass.

· Efficient plumbing and bathing fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping and water-conserving irrigation systems help green homes use less water than standard homes.

· Far fewer natural resources are used in the construction of a green home. Many green building materials have significant recycled content. Green homes can also be constructed with salvaged materials from demolished buildings. Green homes use materials made from rapidly renewable materials, like bamboo, hemp, agrifibers and soybean-based products. And the use of wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council helps promote socially and environmentally beneficial forestry practices.

· Building a standard 2,500-square-foot home creates approximately 2 tons of construction waste that ends up in landfills. Construction of a green home, however, should generate less waste – often much less.

Beyond the health and environmental benefits of living in a green home, many local and state governments, utility companies and other entities across the country offer rebates, tax breaks and other incentives for adding eco-friendly elements to your life. Below are just a few of the many resources to help you find those incentives in your area.

· Find local incentives for building LEED buildings, including homes, at this searchable database.

· Through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. government offers several tax breaks and incentives for efficiency upgrades to homes.

· DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, connects you to local, state, federal and utility incentives available for switching to renewable or efficient energy use. It is a nonprofit project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

· The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency links to many of the sources of funding for green building that are available nationally and at the state and local levels for homeowners, industry, government organizations and nonprofits in the form of grants, tax credits, loans and other sources.

· The ENERGY STAR website connects consumers, home builders and others to federal tax credits for using energy-efficient products.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.