By Marty Hope, Calgary Herald October 30, 2010
The Calgary Real Estate Board is going green. Called the first of its kind in Alberta -- and among the first in Canada -- the board has announced the launch of its Go Green Challenge, a program encouraging Calgarians to be aware of their home's environmental footprint.
With environmental impact being a priority for many homebuyers -- and houses being a major consumer of energy -- the 12-month pilot project involves adding the EnerGuide rating system to information sheets for homes listed for sale in the Calgary area.
EnerGuide identifies a home's energy efficiency.
"We are seeing increasing interest from consumers for green options when it comes to the purchase of a home," says Peter Grobauer, director of member services for the board.
"The idea to go green is all around us. The program demonstrates Calgarians' desire to make more ecoconscious choices and how real estate is evolving based on the interests of home buyers.
"Our hope is that this program will set a new benchmark for the resale housing market in Calgary."
The EnerGuide rating is another way for homeowners to increase the marketability of their homes, he says.
A recent Canadian survey found that three out of four buyers are willing to pay a premium for homes that include environmentally-friendly features -- and 80 per cent cite cost savings on their energy bills as the main motivation.
As more Calgarians have their homes evaluated, consumers will be able to compare EnerGuide ratings along with other common comparable categories such as price, size, location and features.
"Over the last few years, our family has been pursuing a greener lifestyle," says Calgary homeowner Gary Lafortune. "Our realtor first told us about the Go Green Challenge, which is when we began the process of having our home evaluated. We look forward to finishing the process and seeing how well we rate."
Other organizations involved in Go Green Challenge include Climate Change Central, The City of Calgary and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
EnerGuide identifies a home's energy efficiency.
"We are seeing increasing interest from consumers for green options when it comes to the purchase of a home," says Peter Grobauer, director of member services for the board.
"The idea to go green is all around us. The program demonstrates Calgarians' desire to make more ecoconscious choices and how real estate is evolving based on the interests of home buyers.
"Our hope is that this program will set a new benchmark for the resale housing market in Calgary."
The EnerGuide rating is another way for homeowners to increase the marketability of their homes, he says.
A recent Canadian survey found that three out of four buyers are willing to pay a premium for homes that include environmentally-friendly features -- and 80 per cent cite cost savings on their energy bills as the main motivation.
As more Calgarians have their homes evaluated, consumers will be able to compare EnerGuide ratings along with other common comparable categories such as price, size, location and features.
"Over the last few years, our family has been pursuing a greener lifestyle," says Calgary homeowner Gary Lafortune. "Our realtor first told us about the Go Green Challenge, which is when we began the process of having our home evaluated. We look forward to finishing the process and seeing how well we rate."
Other organizations involved in Go Green Challenge include Climate Change Central, The City of Calgary and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
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