Green 101

What does 'Green' mean?

What is a green home? This is the most frequently asked question. Here are Om Realty Group's 5 main principles of a green home:

1) Comprehensive Energy Efficiency ~

Energy effciency is a vast category that includes easy things like using compact fluorescent light bulbs and cleaning air filters as well as more complex solutions like solar paneling.

Everything in the home is interconnected. So it's fair to say that an energy efficient home is only as green as its weakest part. For example, there is no sense in putting solar panels on a home that will leak all the energy through a poor structure. Therefore it's important to make sure that all of the parts of a home, plus the sum total of all parts work well. If all checks out, money and energy are saved.

2) Material Selection~

Green materials are the most rapidly growing segment of what makes a green home. That's why proper selection of conscious materials from environmentally responsible suppliers is so important. Material selection requires lots of research and testing. Often things seem green at first, but are later revealed to be far from what was thought. Bamboo flooring is a great example: at first, bamboo was thought to be a super green product because it was durable, light weight and regenerated quickly. However, much of the 'green' value is lost because it is shipped from China. Plus, many harvested plants are not regulated - resulting in the clear cutting of natural habitats of animals that rely on bamboo. Unless the bamboo is locally sourced and sustainably harvested, it loses its green value.

3) Water Conservation~

Water is precious resource and there are growing conflicts over water. Because we live close to Lake Michigan, we sometimes take water for granted. Many are unaware that even a giant water source like Lake Michigan is losing water. Also the quality of the water is diminishing. Many easy things can be done to curb this growing problem. For example, the use of rain barrels for storm water management, dual flush toilets, low flow fixtures, regional landscaping, and green roofing all help tremendously in our goal of water conservation.

4) Comfort and Air Quality~

An often ignored but highly important part of our home is the air we breathe. Good air quality can be begins with thoughtful practice during construction. 3 important considerations are

The use of fresh air exchangers in the HVAC systems
Using materials that contain less volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
Thoughtful design for natural airflow

5) Forward Thinking and Control~

We know that more alternative energies are right around the corner. Being green means keeping one eye on the present and one eye on the future. For example, having solar panels on most small residential buildings is beyond most budgets right now, but preplanning for solar panel installation can be done now. Today we can build the accommodations for green energy in conventional buildings. So, in the future, as green technology improves and costs decrease, we will change conventional to green with the flip of a switch. Even now, technology is available to control things like lighting and heat so that you use less when you are away.

Our request is that you take some time to educate yourself and explore various options. Please take the time to explore our site, learn, ask questions, give feedback, and help us make Chicago a greener place to live. For a list of all of the current green certification systems, plus the pros and cons of each, please checkout the green home certification programs section.

Thank you for spending your valuable time with us.