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22 Mar 2008 / 10:52 am
Would You Pay More For Green?
This Toronto Star Article appeared in today’s paper. The irony is, Neil is a friend and colleague who is renovating my childhood familly home - a house that will soon be a green condo. READ ON:
Neil Spiegel is in the midst of a project converting a High Park mansion into condos. He’s weighing the environmental costs as he decides how green to make the project.
Mar 22, 2008 04:30 AM
Robin Harvey
Special to the Star
Chopik, who’s also a consultant and founder of evolutiongreen.com (a website forum committed to helping homeowners, developers and realtors understand that green is good for property values, local communities and economies), tries to work with willing clients in a holistic manner from the very start of their purchasing process.
That means helping them find a location that will meet their needs to get to work, school and play but with minimal use of motor vehicles and maximum use of public transit or walking and biking.
Though, as an agent, he is careful not to push his views on clients, he tries to point out the shortcomings of “prettied-up renos” – homes with lots of pot halogen lights, and surface renovation draws like expensive kitchen finishings, but with little attention to energy efficiency. He tries to steer them to homes that have good insulation, and energy-efficient heating and windows. He is also working to create a type of eco-energy rating for home inspectors.
Chopik says there are five categories of energy consumption and loss in a home: the building envelope, (sealing, insulation), lighting, heating systems, hot water and electric appliances. Depending on a consumer’s choice, all can contribute to buying or renovating a “greener” home.
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