New Homes Save Buyers Money While Helping the Planet

Everyone knows that Californians have embraced living green. But as we celebrate Earth Day this month, many Californians aren’t aware of how much new homes contribute to our green way of life and how much greener these homes are than ones built even a decade ago — let alone homes built before the mid-1980s when energy efficiency began to be built into new housing.

Some green aspects of new homes are easy to see — like the Energy Star appliances included in most new homes and the toilets, showerheads and faucets that use less water than those fixtures did even a few years ago.

But there are many more green components that go into today’s new homes.

Energy

Perhaps the biggest contribution new homes make to improving our environment is the fact they use so much less electricity and natural gas than homes built in the past. Not only does that save homebuyers money on their utility bills, it also means that each Californian uses a lot less energy than the average American.

How much less? On a per-capita basis, Americans’ energy use has skyrocketed over the years as more and more power-consuming items have been developed — everything from personal computers to big screen TVs, cell phones, videogame equipment, and household appliances. But that’s not the case in California. Because our homes are so well insulated and have such efficient appliances and air conditioning systems, the average Californian today uses only half as much electricity as the national average.

And as more and more homes offer solar energy, they are becoming even more earth-friendly.

Water

Although our most recent drought is officially over, we all know that water is a valuable resource in California and we all have to do our part to not waste it. New homes are designed to do just that. New homes, for example, feature extremely low-flow toilets that only use 1.28 gallons per flush, compared to 1.6 gallons or more used in homes in other states. Besides toilets and showerheads, faucets in kitchens and bathrooms use less water, as do washing machines and dishwashers. The widespread use of drip system irrigation in new homes and a reduction in the size of lawns saves thousands of gallons of water a year and still allows us to enjoy beautiful landscaping.

Recycling

Most of us recycle our cans, bottles and newspapers, knowing that we’re helping the environment by doing so. But most of us don’t know that homebuilders recycle, too. By recycling and reusing materials generated by demolishing older structures and the scrap materials that are a byproduct of building a new home, builders reduce the amount of waste going to landfills by as much as 50 percent, helping cities and counties meet their state recycling mandates.

Carbon emissions

California is leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its efforts to combat climate change. New homes are doing their part — in fact, new homes already far exceed the greenhouse gas emission levels required to be reached in 2020. Existing homes, on the other hand — especially ones built before the mid-1980s — are the biggest part of the problem. These homes are responsible for 70 percent of the carbon emissions caused by the residential sector.

So as we mark another Earth Day, homebuilders — and new-home buyers — can take pride that they’re doing something to make the world a bit greener.