Latest in Kelowna Real Estate


You are here: News » Archive » How Green is your home?

How Green is your home?

Posted On: 2009-09-23

How Green is your home?Green Housing Symposium-Paige

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by: Gary Nylander/The Okanagan Saturday
Coldwell Banker Realtor Paige Guernsey is holding a free Green Housing Symposium at the open house for this home at 715 Kuipers Cresc.  In Kelowna Sunday, 1-5pm

Kelowna Realtor®  hosting a green housing symposium at a newly built energy efficient home
By STEVE MacNAULL

The Okanagan Saturday September 19, 2009

Okanagan residents have gotten to the point where they are willing to pay a little more for green.

"The price of green building has come down, but it still costs more," said Coldwell Banker Kelowna Realtor®  Paige Guernsey.

"With people willing to pay that bit more to protect the environment and save money in the long run, now is the perfect time to hold this Green Housing Symposium. Plus, there's also a lot of tax credits and rebates out there for people who build or renovate green.”

The free-to-attend symposium is being held tomorrow from 1 to 5 p.m. at the gold-certified BuiltGreen®  home Guernsey has listed for sale for $754,000 at 715 Kuipers Crescent in the Upper Mission.

"Besides allowing people to have a look at this energy efficient home, the symposium will have a variety of experts and suppliers all in the same place at the same time so people can get all kinds of green home ideas," said Guernsey.

The home is a 4,000 square-foot stone and stucco beauty that has been built with the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly materials, methods and appliances, giving it a gold certification by the Built Green program.

It all fits into the philosophy of the young entrepreneur who built the house - Andrew Gaucher of Green Solutions Inc.

Guernsey also has a green sensibility.  Her new home at the builder at the Wilden planned community in the Glenmore Highlands features geothermal heating and cooling and cork flooring, which is less expensive than hardwood, but is more renewable.

Guernsey admitted that it was easy for her to go with geothermal because it was only an extra $5,000 t o hook up to Wilden’s existing system.  For a standalone home to install the ground loops and systems needed for geothermal would run $20,000.plus - an up-front cost that can be prohibitive, even if it will save the homeowner money in the long run.

Grey water recycling is more affordable to put in at $2,500. That sees bath, shower and sink water collected for use to flush toilets, which is the highest water user in any household.

© Kelowna Daily Courier

Current Archived