Town Moves Ahead With Green Homes Initiative

Residents and builders renovating or planning new homes now have a new incentive to go green.

The Town of Vienna is moving forward with the "Vienna Green Homes Initiative,"  a program that recognizes homebuilders and owners who make their homes more efficient.

The program, created by the Community Enhancement Commission, will honor builders who build to a recognized standard such as EnergyStar Home, EarthCraft, LEED and Passive House Institute US, all of which "significantly reduce the monthly costs of operating a home," said commission member Susan Stillman. Homeowners who chose to retrofit or renovate their homes will also be recognized, Stillman said.

Members of the commission will unveil more details about the program at January's "At Your Service" meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Vienna Town Hall.

Several builders in town are already following EarthCraft and EnergyStar standards already, and homeowners The commission hopes the program raises awareness of these options, and, how accessible it is to residents whether they're starting from scratch or working with the home they have.

Stillman said Vienna might be among the only jurisdictions doing this type of program in Virginia. Arlington has a "much more rigorous" Green Home Choice Program; Charlottesville has a program that helps homeowners retrofit for efficiency, she said.

"One way to lessen the cost of homeownership and increase the value of your home at resale is to increase the energy efficiency of you home or purchase a home that is built to a recognized energy efficiency standard," Stillman said.

When people purchase a home, Stillman said, often they wonder if they can qualify for a loan, a question requiring the realtor to come up with the principal, interest, taxes and insurance cost for the home.

But "What most people don’t ask is what is the monthly operating cost of the home. What will it cost me to heat this house in the winter and cool this house in the summer? One of the things that we want to do is raise the awareness that more and more these costs are going to be an issue and that when you sell your home having a good answer to these questions is going to make your home more valuable," she said.

"Investments in energy efficiency pay off every month when you receive your gas, electric or heating oil bill.  Homeowners see the results very quickly," she said.

The program is in its early stages, Stillman said, but has much room to grow.

"A program like this is for raising awareness and helping people understand that there is value today and tomorrow in making their homes more efficient," she said. "It will save AND make them money."

Nominations for the program can be submitted to the Vienna Community Enhancement Commission, care of the Director of Parks and Recreation. All nominations must be in writing and include the basis for evaluating the nomination. For more information on the program, attend Tuesday's meeting or email Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Salgado or call 703-255-6356.