North Carolina Is Getting 'Greener'

Eco friendly communities in North Carolina are not well known, as they are a state with relatively few LEED certifications, however they are on the rise, especially in the western part of North Carolina. If you're looking to be one of the few in the state to receive the LEED certification, you have to be prepared for the additional costs and extra time it will take to reach that goal. The LEED certification process is expensive in itself as it costs money to apply for the certificate, as well as the costs that go into building the environmentally friendly community. If you don't want to be one of the builders that is forced to back down from such a project, these are some things to keep in mind.

It's important to know the ways that you can reduce your energy usage before you start designing the building and how much these energy efficient options cost. You must also make plans for which certification you'd like to get, whether it is just a basic certification, silver, gold, or platinum. Depending on your budget for the project, silver is usually an acceptable relatively low cost way to go. A higher goal can be set in order to increase creativity and motivation as long as the primary goal is kept in mind. There are few environmentally friendly communities in North Carolina that have reached silver certification, so it shouldn’t be considered setting the standards low to aim for that.

Don't stray from your budget or your environmental goal once you've determined them. It may be tempting to add on different energy savers that were not in your initial plan but you must keep in mind that you have to meet the requirements for any certification first. Requirements for LEED certification are erosion and sedimentation control, fundamental commissioning, minimum energy performance, storage and collection of recyclables, minimum indoor air quality, and environmental tobacco smoke control. Any sustainable communities in North Carolina must be able to provide proof of meeting those requirements. For minimum energy performance be sure all appliances used are energy efficient and have good insulation and windows to reduce changes in temperature caused by weather. Fans and living walls are a good way to increase air quality and a no smoking policy relieves the tobacco problem easily.

LEED certified engineers can help with the process of designing the energy efficient options that are outside of the requirements. They'll be able to assess initial costs as well as long-term cost of materials and expenses. In many cases a more expensive building cost will mean more savings over the lifetime of the buildings. Green builders in North Carolina who are certified will know which energy savers will quickly make back the money you spend in savings, as well as what will best match the LEED qualifications. There are many certified engineers and builders across the country available for hire who want to help the environment as much as you do, and with their help you'll have your silver certification with minimal stress.

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