Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Greener Equals Higher Rents Charged

The greener the house the higher the rental premium

Spending $20,000 to install solar panels on your home can sound like a painful financial outlay. But it's one that doesn't feel so bad when your energy bills plummet from, say, $200 to $10 a month, and you can see a clear long-term cost benefit.

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Green features can bring financial gain in other ways, too, as a new report from the Henley Business School in the UK found when examining the rental prices of regular, non-green homes in the US versus those with LEED certification. (LEED being the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system which rates buildings according to how sustainable they are.)

The Margarido House in Oakland: its LEED Platinum rating should ensure it can command a higher than average rental price.

McNichols/Paul Ivey/Mike McDonald

The Margarido House in Oakland: its LEED Platinum rating should ensure it can command a higher than average rental price.

The study found that LEED certified buildings can command a rental premium of up to 31% and that the more highly rated the buildings are, the greater the premium. The report did not ascertain exactly why people would pay more to live in a LEED home. Its conclusion? "It is not established whether the premiums observed are due to the benefits of a better image, higher productivity or lower operating costs." One can only hope this question will be addressed in the school's next report.

read more...


If your property has enough room for this and the zoning zealots don't get in the way there is a Frederick Maryland Low Wind Speed Wind Powered Generator manufacturer offering a mid size wind turbine for around $70, 000 installed.

You might also be able to sell the carbon credits you earn (if the State of Maryland enacts what they are considering as legislation)


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