Green is the word when it comes to construction, so if you're thinking of buying a second home in 2008, you'd better be well-versed in eco-friendly terminology. After all, this is the year that sustainable building is poised to go mainstream. More resort real estate developers are adding such green features to their properties whether they are single-family dwellings or condo-hotels. Even destination clubs are moving to give their homes a kinder environmental play.
Don't know your carbon offset from your carbon footprint? To those of use who are, well, a bit green when it comes to this lingo, here's a cheat sheet for deciphering ten of the more widely used green building terms.
CARBON FOOTPRINT: A way to determine an individual or organization's impact on the environment through the amount of greenhouse gases emitted, which are measured in units of carbon dioxide. Your second home will add to your carbon footprint, but you can take steps in the construction and maintenance to reduce your impact.
CARBON NEUTRAL DESIGN: Refers to a design process that produces no carbon release through any of its stages, and therefore will not contribute to greenhouse gases or global warming.
CARBON OFFSETTING: The act of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, often through purchasing carbon offsets. Carbon offset programs may fund projects like solar energy initiatives or reforestation projects.
FSC CERTIFICATION: Lumber that is FSC Certified has met a standard of requirements set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council , which promotes environmentally responsible forestry practices.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY: A measurement of the quality of indoor air based on the amount of pollutants, mold, bacteria, chemicals and allergens present, which all may have health effects for the residents or occupants of a home or building.
LEED CERTIFICATION: Developed by the United States Green Building Council, LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, building and operation of green buildings. There is a LEED certification system for homes; visit www.greenhomeguide.org for more information.
NON-TOXIC INSULATION: Refers to insulation made from natural materials such as soybean and cotton.
RECLAIMED MATERIALS: Building materials taken from old structures that are being reused or refinished in new buildings. This can include reclaimed lumber, flooring, tiles, beams and more.
RENEWABLE ENERGY: Sources of energy that are replenished naturally, such as sunlight and wind. Examples include solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity.
ZERO ENERGY DESIGN: Describes buildings and products that have no net energy consumption in a given year.
Source: HeliumReport.com