Charlottesville Green Homes

Charlottesville Virginia is beginning to see an increase in the demand for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly "green" type construction. This site has been created for the Charlottesville home buyer who wants to be sure that their next home purchase includes sustainability.

“Green” begins with environmentally safe and sustainable materials used in the construction of the home. Though adaptations as simple as energy efficient light bulbs or low-flow faucets can make a difference, this site features only homes that offer some sort of "EarthCraft" certification or EnergyStar appliances, or alternative heating and cooling systems. Other types of more traditional construction can be found in the specialty links in the left-hand column.

Many of the Charlottesville area "green" homes have the "Earthcraft" designation. An EarthCraft designation is achieved based on earning points in the categories of:

Site Planning
Energy Efficient Building Envelope and Systems
Resource Efficient Design
Resource Efficient Building Materials
Waste Management
Indoor Air Quality
Water Conservation (Indoor and Outdoor)
Homeowner Education
Builder Operations
Bonus/Innovation Points

To learn more about "green" homes, we recommend the following websites:

U.S. Green Building Council’s site with all the info about building green with the LEED certification system

National Association of Home Builders site with information for both builders and buyers on their National Green Building Standard

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy’s joint website. Provides Energy Star ratings for appliances and homes