How Eco-Friendly Are Condos in Arlington VA?
Arlington Virginia is one of the first counties in the country to develop its own certification of eco-friendly home building, called Arlington Green Home Choice. The program defines a green home as being a "healthy, comfortable, cost efficient home that reduces energy and water usage and protects the environment". Components of a green home (as outlined by the Arlington Green Home Choice website) may include:
Specific construction practices to minimize and recycle construction waste;
Careful insulation practices;
Nontoxic interior finishes (low VOC paint, sealants, and carpeting);
Components made from renewable resources (such as cork or bamboo floors, wheatboard cabinetry);
Recycled content components (such as recycled glass tiles, recycled-content countertops);
Energy efficient appliances (Energy Star rated refrigerator, dishwasher, water heater, etc.);
Photovoltaic (solar) panels;
Water efficient appliances and landscape irrigation (front loading clothes washers and moisture sensing irrigation systems);
Stormwater collection (rainbarrels or larger cisterns);
Careful placement of shade trees;
Careful placement of windows to maximize interior light and ventilation.
The program was originally developed to recognize new homes being built within Arlington County that included these attributes. It has recently evolved to accommodate homes that have been significantly renovated to obtain the Arlington Green Home Choice standards.
Obviously this program pertains to single family homes. What about condos in Arlington VA?
One condominium in Arlington that is especially eco-friendly is the Wooster and Mercer Lofts. Using commercial grade windows and high quality insulation materials, the building is exceptionally tight. Each unit is equipped with a separately housed HVAC system that draws fresh air from the outside rather than recirculating stale air. The result is healthier air quality.
Whether you live in a Wooster loft or another condo in Arlington VA, you can live an eco-friendly lifestyle. One of the wonderful attributes that most condominiums in Arlington share is a walkability. The condominiums existing along the Orange Line metrorail are especially walkable. Whether it be shopping, dining, nightlife or even commuting to work, many Arlingtonians find that they can get by without a car. The less dependent residents are on their automobiles the less taxing they tend to be on the environment.
Arlington has wonderful recycling programs in place for its residents. Single-stream collection means that all recyclable materials can be placed in the same bin without having to be sorted. A recent upgrade to the Arlington recycling program, all of the following materials can now be recycled: plastics 1-7 (yogurt cups, margarine tubs), aluminum foil & trays, milk & juice cartons, paperback and hardcover books, rigid plastics (buckets, flower pots, toys), empty aerosol cans, plastic bags (bag multiple bags in one bag), and wire hangers.
Arlington Virginia based organizations such as Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE) are doing a wonderful job or raising eco-friendly awareness for Arlington VA home owners. They have programs in place to incentivise car-free living and are helping Arlington residents set environmentally friendly goals in 2010.
Because many of the condos in Arlington VA have been built within the last 10 years, they adhere to higher standards of efficiency when it comes to water conservation, insulating materials, heating / cooling, and improvement of air quality.
By working with an EcoBroker certified Realtor when shopping for a condo in Arlington VA you will have someone to guide you through the home buying process as well as helping you understand the eco-friendly differences between the homes you consider.
Eco-Friendly Brokerage Arbour Realty is a specialist in green, eco-friendly real estate.
