Baltimore is going green. Home-building and appliance-purchasing trends are starting to leantoward energy-efficient and environmentally friendly models, and local property managers have begun listening to their customers.
Patty Rose directs GreenHome, a regional organization dedicated to making environmentally friendly houses attainable for families of all income levels. She sees many opportunities for responsible home improvements.
“There are several different categories of changes that we are attempting to make happen,” Rose said. “The house must be affordable, energy efficient and improve the indoor air quality. We look at durability and maintenance issues and want to look at issues about water efficiency and conservation.”
The Patterson Park Community Development Corp. will work on 19 green “Envirowhomes,” called The Decker Walk.
“A good number of people are excited about a green residential product in Baltimore City,” said Eric Jones, Patterson Park sales and marketing director. “The houses are designed to be 27 percent more energy efficient than normal homes.”
There are plenty of options for people who want to make their homes green on their own. Selecting lighter-colored roofing tiles cuts the cost of cooling a house in the summer, and buying paint free of volatile organic compounds is only marginally more expensive.
Many green homes feature energy-efficient windows to reduce heating and cooling costs. Strategically placed skylights and fans improve air quality, lower toxin levels in the house and increase airflow.
Switching run-of-the-mill appliances and light bulbs with more energy-efficient models not only saves electricity, but also money. Higher prices will be returned on lower utility bills in the long run, Rose said.
Tank-less water heaters use about 30 percent less energy, specialty ceiling fans can use around 50 percent less and dual flush toilets can save up to 6,000 gallons of water a year.
“Very simply, weneed to do our part to keep our city cleaner, greener and healthier,” Mayor Sheila Dixon said at the Downtown Partnership?s State of the Downtown meeting Thursday.
