Green Builders Raleigh NC
What Makes a Green Home Different?
What Exactly Does Green Home Certification Focus On?
In North Carolina, there are five green home certification programs, each with its own point system. There is one planned specifically for the North Carolina climate, moisture levels, and yearly temperature changes.
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.
The Green Home Builders of the Triangle program offers three basic levels of certification, each of which is attained by collecting points in each of seven different sections. Green home certification ratings can be Bronze, Silver, or Gold.
What are the Categories for Green Home Certification?
In this Raleigh NC area green home certification program, there are seven different categories.
Section 1 - Lot Design, Preparation, and Development
Resource-efficient site design and development practices help reduce environmental impacts. Green design principles might include saving trees, constructing onsite storm water retention/infiltration features, and orienting the home for maximum passive solar heating and cooling.
Section 2 - Resource Efficiency
A successful green home starts at the planning stage. Materials are selected with consideration of the environment in mind. Engineered wood products can be more efficient than conventional lumber, because less of the log is wasted. Job-site waste is carefully monitored. Building materials are selected with environmental impact in mind - and those materials can vary based on the area. Bamboo flooring that is shipped from thousands of miles away, and processed with unverified glues may not be as environmentally friendly as a locally harvested oak flooring that is stained on site with low VOC stains.
Section 3 - Energy Efficiency
Energy consumption has far reaching environmental impacts. One big step towards building a green home is Energy Star certification, which helps reduce energy waste. Many other energy saving building practices can also be utilized.
Section 4 - Water Efficiency & Quality
Households can use an immense amount of water, and the importance of water resources is becoming increasingly recognized. Green homes help to conserve water inside and out - the amount of water conserved depends on the features selected.
Section 5 - Indoor Environmental Quality
One of the attractions of a green home in the Raleigh NC area is a healthy indoor air environment. Initial steps can be the use of Green Label carpeting, low VOC paints, and other low-emitting building materials. Another step might be planning for a detached garage, which eliminates or reduces Benzyne and carbon dioxide infiltration into the home.
Section 6 - Operation, Maintenance, and Homeowner Education
A green builder will provide the homeowner with a manual that explains proper maintenance and operation, and offers alternatives to toxic cleaning substances, as well as tips for water saving practices. This helps ensure that the home built so carefully will also be maintained in an environmentally friendly manner.
Section 7 - Global Impact
The use of low VOC paints can actually fall under the Global Impact category, because the release of VOCs from wet paints can contribute to ground-level ozone pollution. Other items in this category help the environment on a global level, but may be hard to categorize under another topic.
Interested in Finding out More About Building a Green Home?
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. Almost any floor plan CAN be built in a certifiably green manner, though there are some floor plans that are more conducive to green building than others.
You may also be interested in these popular green building topics:
NC Green Home Builders – Pittsboro Green Homes
What is a Green Home? Green Home Builders
What Is Geothermal? Geothermal Heating and Cooling Information
How to Determine a Reasonable New Home Budget
WaterSense Toilets - How Much Water Do They Save, and How do They Work?
ENERGY STAR Homes - What is ENERGY STAR?
Ways to Save Water - Rainwater collection systems
Finding Your New Home in the Raleigh Area
Stanton Homes makes it easy! We'll guide you through the entire process - select from thousands of different floor plans, and hundreds of different locations, with a focus on new custom homes in the upper $100s to the $500s. Custom design build options available too!
Call 919-278-8070 or visit www.StantonHomes.com to find out more about new homes in the Raleigh area today.
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Articles copyright Stanton Homes 2006-2011. Unauthorized use is not permitted. Provided for informational purposes only, no claims are made by Stanton Homes regarding the validity of any statements. Please note: all listing information per MLS, and current as of posting date. Information subject to change. Stanton Homes does not make claims to ownership of any lot listings, but can work with homebuyers to purchase available lots and build. Home plans to be approved on an individual basis, subject to neighborhood restrictive covenants and lot restrictions. Ask for further information regarding any community, lot or floor plan. Photos represent typical homes and details of each neighborhood, to help highlight different options available in the Raleigh/Triangle area. No claim of ownership is made to homes or land pictured.
Penny, this is something I have been very interested in this past year. My husband and I plan to move some time in the next 12 months. I have been looking into what we can afford to do and what we can expect the builder to do. Great post.
Connie - Glad to help. This series will be continuing, as there can be a lot of questions around Green Building, especially about how to get the best value for your money.