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Snapshot & Benefits:
Home energy ratings are performed on new and existing homes to evaluate each home's energy performance. Home energy ratings are performed on new homes to verify energy performance for programs such as Energy Start Qualified homes. Existing homes may benefit from energy ratings by identifying cost-effective energy-efficiency improvements for the home. Additionally, home energy ratings are utilized by many financial institutions to qualify homes for energy-efficient mortgages.

Estimated Cost Savings:
Home energy ratings can identify cost-effective improvements that potentially save homeowners hundreds of dollars each year.

Issues:
Please be careful not to assume that your home inspector can perform an energy rating. In fact, many do not.

Getting It Done:
Energy ratings are performed by Certified Home Energy Raters. Find a list of qualified raters at the Residential Energy Services Network's (RESNET's) online Certified Rater Directory.

With “going green” now becoming more mainstream, fashionable, and affordable, it is important to do your homework when considering a “green” home upgrade.

One product that is often touted as being “green” is bamboo flooring. But not all bamboo flooring is created equal, and genuine “green” bamboo flooring is more the exception than the rule.

A key element of a “green” natural wood flooring product is the sourcing of that product.

Until just a couple of months ago, FSC certified bamboo flooring did not exist. (In a nutshell, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification indicates that the bamboo has been harvested in an environmentally responsible fashion). Unfortunately, it is common practice to cut down existing trees and replace them with bamboo.” In May, Smith & Fong, a San Francisco based company, secured the first FSC certification for bamboo flooring!

Indoor air quality and product off-gassing also needs to be taken into consideration when determining if a product qualifies as “green”. A recent California Air Resources Board sponsored study found that Californians spend an average of 87 percent of their 24-hour day indoors. They also estimate that indoor pollutant levels are 25-62% greater than outside levels and can pose serious health problems. Many building materials and furniture contain formaldehyde, a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling gas and known human carcinogen. Most bamboo flooring is made with formaldehyde glue. The Smith & Fong bamboo flooring also passes the “green” test in the indoor air quality category by using a formaldehyde free glue.

Another factor to consider is that most bamboo is grown in China. It could be argued FSC certified flooring made from maple trees grown in the United States is “greener” than FSC certified bamboo flooring from China due to the fuel consumed and emissions generated getting it here.

But the “greenest” flooring products are reclaimed products, or floors that have been removed from an existing structure and re-installed in another. Common sources include school gymnasiums, churches, and barns. Not only does the use of a reclaimed floor eliminate the sourcing and production of new material and the environmental detriment resulting from those activities, but it also reduces the amount of waste that goes into our landfills. Not to mention some of the nicest floors I’ve seen were on their second life, having been removed from another building.

“Green” home upgrades are a great way to make your home more valuable, comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient. But before you invest your hard earned greenbacks in “green” home upgrades, make sure you are getting a truly “green” product!

Written by John Wilcox, Realtor/Ecobroker specializing in eco-friendly real estate. For more information on “green” home upgrades and “green” homes for sale, contact John at 310-386-5646, or email him at johnwilcoxreatly@verizon.net. You can also visit his web site, www.johnwilcoxrealty.com