With all the talk of remodeling homes to “go green”, many people don’t realize that more and more homes are being built with standard green components! “The green building market has evolved beyond the crunchy-granola, Boulder types,” said David Johnston, a Colorado consultant and co-author of Toward a Zero Energy Home. “We have mainstream builders doing this.”

What does this Zero Energy home mean, you might ask?  With highly energy efficient appliances and features inside the home, and the addition of solar panels outside the home, these homes are either producing as much or in most cases, more energy than they consume. The “green” residential construction market has grown steadily in recent years—even throughout the recession.

Even in  cold climates, where temperatures can get into the single digits and below, these green homes are still able to collect more energy than they consume from the sun, and keep the family comfortable. Along with this, consumers are also making sure that the inside of their home is also as efficient as possible. By the addition of other components like insulation, and a geothermal system that heats and cools using pipes that go below the earth where the air is cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Solar panels aren’t the only way to harness the power of the sun. Special triple pane windows are able to capture 64% of the suns energy keeping the house cozy and warm. In fact, many homes are built with no furnace at all.

The main reason for the growing demand for low-energy houses, home builders say, is a desire to save on utility bills. Another is an effort to reduce uncertainty around future energy costs, and to gain independence from the power grid.  In many cases, the cost of building is only 10-15 % higher than a normal custom built home, so the long term savings certainly make that higher price worth it!

If you are looking to add green elements to your home remodel or new home, Plumbtile offers a wide variety of green materials and supplies from luxury brand designers like Hansgrohe,  Duravit , TOTO, Native Trails, Hastings, Grohe,  California Faucets, and Happy floors.