Deciding Green

Once you are aware of the need to conserve our habitats and resources, what can you do to move forward?

Many people who would like to build green assume it is too expensive, but extra costs associated with green building become worthwhile when you consider your return on investment (ROI). You can justify the cost when you’re able to repay the improvements with energy cost savings over a reasonable amount of time.

Incentives are available to help you get started. Government tax credits and utility company rebates are designed to encourage you to invest in products from windows and insulation to sustainable power options that benefit not only you but our economy, society and environment as a whole. These credits and rebates help you make the hard decision to spend money upfront and ease the financial strain.

To make a real difference to our global environment, consider green improvements that pay back over 10 to 15 years or more. More immediately, you can make any number of choices that have a quicker payback, including easy implementations like adding extra insulation in your attic and plugging holes that leak air to the outside. A basic goal should be to make your home at least 20 to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes, although it is possible to build new homes that are 50 percent or more efficient than standard homes.

It is up to homebuyers to demand better built homes. You make the decisions.