Green Homes for Sale in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the Surrounding Areas

In the Triangle area, more and more energy-efficient homes are being built to satisfy the growing demand for green homes. Green homes are sought out for their many environmental, economic, and social benefits, such as reducing emissions, conserving water, reducing operating costs, and improving health. In order to ensure that a house is truly environmentally friendly, it is important to have independent certification.

Benefits of Owning a Green Home

• Green homes are environmentally friendly. Building a green homes uses less energy than building a conventional home, and the use of recycled and reused materials to reduce waste is encouraged. Green homes are also built to be more durable than conventional homes, resulting in less waste over time. Green homes use less energy and water than conventional homes.
• Living in a green home comes with health benefits. Air quality in a green home is superior to other homes. Green homes use safer products in their construction that do not emit as many chemicals as those used in conventional homes.  
• Owning a green home comes with many economic benefits. Green homes are durable, meaning that they need less work to maintain. Green homes are also energy efficient, so utility bills are lower. Energy Star-rated appliances help to decrease a home’s water and energy usage. In addition to these savings, there are various incentives that come with owning a green home. For example, energy companies give rate discounts to Energy Star-rated homes. 

Types of Certifications for Green Homes

• National Green Building Standard (NGBS): The NGBS certification is one of the best known green building standards in the United States. In order for a home to be NGBS certified, it must be certified by an independent third party. There are four certification levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald. Homes with NGBS certification feature high performance in six areas: site design, resource efficiency, water efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and building operation and maintenance.
• Energy Star: Energy Star certified homes are designed to save up to 30% in energy efficiency savings compared to typical new homes. Energy Star certified homes must meet requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Features of Energy Star certified homes include: energy-efficient lighting and appliances; high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and cooling systems; and complete thermal enclosure systems.
• ecoHOME: Southern Energy Management, a North Carolina-based sustainable energy company, developed the ecoHOME program in 2012 as an alternative to more stringent green certifications. The ecoHOME certification allows more flexibility than other green certifications, appealing to builders intimidated by stringent green certifications. Certified ecoHOMEs have features like energy-efficient lighting, programmable thermostats, high-efficiency HVAC, reduced water usage, and advanced air sealing.
• High Efficiency Residential Option (HERO) code: Homes that comply with the HERO building code are 30% more energy efficient than homes  built to North Carolina’s current code.

Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index

• Created by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to serve as a standard measure of home energy efficiency, the HERS Index rates homes relative to a "Standard New Home" meeting current industry standards. The HERS rating is assessed by a certified Home Energy Rater.
• The HERS Index ranges from 0 to 150, with 0 being the most energy efficient (Net Zero Energy Home), 100 being a Standard New Home, and 150 being the least energy efficient.
• A home scoring 80 on the HERS Index would be 20% more efficient than than a standard new home, while a home scoring 120 would be 20% less efficient than a standard new home.
• A typical home built before 2006 has a HERS rating of 130.

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