More Green Resources
Looking for additional resources on sustainable building practices?
We’ve cultivated a comprehensive collection of third-party resources to help you dig deeper into specific aspects of green building. Click on a category below for useful links and resources.
Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum
A Guide to the Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum
Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum
Recognition of Energy Costs and Energy Performance in Real Property Valuation: Considerations and Resources for Appraisers, 2nd edition (a guide for the green narrative report)
https://www.imt.org/resources/recognition-of-energy-costs-and-energy-performance/
PV Value Photovoltaic Energy Voltaic Energy Valuation Model helps determine the value of a new or existing photovoltaic system installed on residential and commercial properties. Developed by Sandia National Laboratories, a multiprogram laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, and Solar Power Electric™
https://www.pvvalue.com/
Valuation Advisory 9: Valuation of Green and High-Performance Property: Commercial, Multi-Family, and Institutional Properties. The Appraisal Foundation https://appraisalfoundation.sharefile.com/share/view/s8716d51864a41a8b
Nationwide: State and Local Energy Efficiency Programs. U.S. Small Business Administration
https://www.epa.gov/statelocalenergy/local-utilities-and-other-energy-efficiency-program-sponsors
California: One-stop site for information about energy resources in California. California Energy Commission
http://www.energy.ca.gov/
California: Information on solar programs, rebates, tax credits, installation, and interconnecting. California Solar Initiative
https://www.northernpacificpower.com/residential/
Green Building Resource Center information for economical, sustainable building solutions. Houston Department of Public Works and Engineering
https://www.codegreenhouston.org/
Advanced Buildings program transfers advances in building science and energy conversion systems into commercial practice by New York’s residential construction industry. New York State Energy Research & Development Authority
http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/Advanced-Buildings
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program. PACE Financing
https://pacenation.us
Information about ENERGY STAR homes and the HERS Index
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.hm_index
Better Buildings is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy designed to improve the lives of the American people by driving leadership in energy innovation. Through Better Buildings, DOE partners with leaders in the public and private sectors to make the nation's homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants more energy efficient by accelerating investment and sharing successful best practices. U.S. Department of Energy
https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/
Homeowner's Guide to Going Solar. Solar Energy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowner-s-guide-going-solar
Energy Efficient Mortgages. An overview of different mortgages available to homebuyers looking to purchase an energy-efficient home. ENERGY STAR. https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes/mortgage_lending_programs/energy_efficient_mortgages
Information on selected green zoning codes. New York City: NYC Greener, Greater Building
https://www.nyc.gov/html/gbee/downloads/pdf/greener_greater_buildings_plan.pdf
San Francisco
http://www.sfdbi.org/CODES
Portland, OR
http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=31612
Resources on water conservation, efficiency, and demand management for conservation professionals and the larger water supply community. American Waterworks Association: Waterwiser®
http://www.awwa.org/resources-tools/water-knowledge/water-conservation.aspx
In-depth technical and policy analyses and recommendations regarding green building and other sustainable practices. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
http://www.aceee.org/
Energy-efficient and green resources, including a number of Chicagoland resources. Elevate Energy
http://www.elevatenp.org/
Education and resources for green construction.
AI Green/Sustainable Education
Examples and goals of green leases. BetterBricks, the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
http://www.betterbricks.com/
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
http://www.neea.org/
Education for home energy auditors. Building Performance Institute (BPI)
https://www.bpi.org/
Independent organization to promote responsible management of the world’s forests—administers the FSC certification program. Forest Stewardship Council
http://www.fsc.org/
Sustainable Building Assessment & Certification: Information on the Green Building Initiative (GBI), which provides sustainability assessment and certification services through the Green Globes® program. The Green Building Initiative
https://www.thegbi.org/green-globes-certification
Covers a variety of issues that affect energy-efficient/green construction of residential and commercial buildings. National Association of Home Builders
https://www.nahb.org/advocacy/industry-issues/sustainability-and-green-building
Independent nonprofit research and educational foundation to foster efficient and sustainable use of resources. Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
http://www.rmi.org/
National standards and information about becoming a HERS rater or energy auditor. Residential Energy Services Network
https://www.resnet.us/raters/
Information on the LEED® certification program, research on sustainable building practices, publications, and more. U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/
A central online resource for rebate information. Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Energy Efficiency (DSIREUSA)
http://www.dsireusa.org/
RESNET National Registry of all certified RESNET HERS Raters and homes that have been rated and issued a HERS Index Score since 2012. AI members can register for a members-only portal with even more information. Get registered by emailing info@resnet.us. Login at https://portal.resnet.us/
http://www1.resnet.us/registry/
High Performance Federal Buildings Database. U.S. Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/sustainable-federal-buildings
Database: List of Solar Energy Companies. Best Company
https://bestcompany.com/solar
News website for sustainability professionals:BuildingGreen
http://buildinggreen.com/
List of TED talks on sustainable design. Ted.com
https://www.ted.com/playlists/28/sustainability_by_design
Information including PowerPoints, videos, and articles on energy-efficient wall systems. All Wall Co.
http://www.allwallsystem.com/AllWallInformation
Technical information on home building and panels. NAHB Research Center
http://www.homeinnovation.com/
Paper: “Selling Into the Sun: Price Premium Analysis of a Multi-State Dataset of Solar Homes” https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/selling-sun-price-premium-analysis
Paper: “Tracking the Sun" report series: Electricity Markets & Policy Group, Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Department, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
https://emp.lbl.gov/tracking-the-sun
Paper: “An Analysis of the Effects of Residential Photovoltaic Energy Systems on Home Sales Prices in California” Energy Technologies Area, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/analysis-effects-residential
Paper: “Exploring California PV Home Premiums” Energy Technologies Area, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
http://eetd.lbl.gov/publications/exploring-california-pv-home-premiums
Paper: “Market-Based Investigation of Residential Solar Installation Values in Oregon” Energy Trust of Oregon
https://energytrust.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/12/2011_solar_market_evaluation_study.pdf
Site classifies (premium, standard, economy) many major manufacturers of solar modules EnergySage Inc.
http://www.energysage.com/solar/buyers-guide/selecting-solar-panels
Section B2-3-04 of the Fannie Mae Selling Guide,“Special Property Eligibility Considerations,” now has guidance on eligibility for properties with solar PV that are either owned or leased by the homeowner. Fannie Mae
https://selling-guide.fanniemae.com/Selling-Guide/Origination-thru-Closing/Subpart-B2-Eligibility/Chapter-B2-3-Property-Eligibility/1032991541/B2-3-04-Special-Property-Eligibility-Considerations-12-16-2020.htm
Paper: “The PV Durability Initiative” scores five solar manufacturers from accelerated life testing and long-term field exposure data. Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6744445?reload=true%27
U.S. Solar Market Trend Report. Grand View Research
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/
Report: “Solar Ready Buildings Planning Guide” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated for the Department of Energy by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/46078.pdf
Examples of permanent documentation to make a utility worker or emergency response personnel aware there is a photovoltaic system on the property. PNM
https://www.pnm.com/one-line-diagram-storage-examples
Provides U.S. solar data, including slides and fact sheets. Solar Energy Industries Association
http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data
Report Shows U.S. Solar Industry Tops 1 GW of Installed Capacity for Third Straight Quarter. The summary is free, more specific information by state and market is available forpurchase. Solar Energy Industries Association
http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight
Report: “How PV System Ownership Can Impact the Market Value of Residential Homes” Sandia National Laboratories
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1322287
Report: “Standardizing Appraisals for PV Installations” Sandia National Laboratories
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6745191
Presentation: “Photovoltaic System Valuation Model—PV Value” Sandia National Laboratories
https://www.osti.gov/scitech/servlets/purl/1143896
Paper: “Solar Photovoltaic Specification, Checklist and Guide” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/residential/pdfs/rerh_pv_guide.pdf
Global Solar Installed Capacity Per Capita. Infographic from expertsure.com shows solar capacity around the world.
https://www.expertsure.com/uk/home/global-solar-installed-capacity-per-capita/
Fact Sheet: Reducing Up-Front Costs for Rural Energy Efficiency Projects. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
https://aceee.org/fact-sheet/rural-upfront-costs
Article: New Solar Permit Software to Reduce Costs and Expand Residential Markets. Solar Energy Industries Association
https://www.seia.org/news/new-solar-permit-software-reduce-costs-and-expand-residential-markets
A Guide to Green Loans and Energy Efficient Tax Credits. Rider University
https://online.rider.edu/online-masters-degrees/masters-accountancy/guide-green-loans-energy-efficient-tax-credits/
Solar Resource Guide: A List of Solar Resources for Homeowners. Going Solar
https://goingsolar.com/resources-guide/
The below links contain maps of installed solar PV systems across the United States.The level of detail provided in each differs, although an appraiser can use it to get an idea of solar adoption rates and potential comparable properties with PV systems. Various sources
Arizona Solar Map
https://azsolarcenter.org/resources/resource-maps
Berkeley, CA
https://www.psehealthyenergy.org/our-work/interactive-tools/california-solar-map/
Cambridge, MA
https://www.mapdwell.com/en/cambridge
Los Angeles, CA
http://solarmap.lacounty.gov/
Madison, WI
https://daneclimateaction.org/OECC-Blog/Solar-Map-in-Dane-County
New Jersey
https://sunroof.withgoogle.com/data-explorer/place/ChIJn0AAnpX7wIkRjW0_-Ad70iw/
New Orleans, LA
https://www.solarenergymaps.com/New-Orleans.html
New York, NY
http://nycsolarmap.com/
Portland, OR
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/446449
Riverside, CA
http://cityofriverside.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f99aa787d3b84842b34113846b09ed5e
San Francisco, CA
http://app.dumpark.com/sunlight/sf/
Seattle Puget Sound Area
https://sunroof.withgoogle.com/data-explorer/place/ChIJVTPokywQkFQRmtVEaUZlJRA/
Tallahassee, FL
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&mid=10P61EslbUnPRVZVcrT8o9aif2V0&ll=30.505807515851338%2C-84.21735050000001&z=11
Vermont
http://adomatisappraisalservice.com/VermontEnergyCode.pdf
Vermont Energy Atlas
http://www.vtenergydashboard.org/energy-atlas
Washington County, OR
https://www.mapdwell.com/en/energytrust
Washington DC
https://www.mapdwell.com/en/dc
Wellfleet, MA
https://www.mapdwell.com/en/wellfleet
Database of solar PV installations utilizing Enphase microinverter technology. Some sites in this interface show production over the lifetime of the PV system, multiple tilt and azimuth configurations, array layout, module manufacturer, and the company that installed the PV system and /or provides the monitoring service. Enphase Energy Inc.
https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public_systems
Spreadsheet on installed PV systems through the Commonwealth Solar incentive program. Information includes building type, city, ownership, system size, installation costs, and rebate approved. Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
https://www.masscec.com/production-tracking-system-pts
NYSERDA displays PV incentive program data, including location (by city), PV system size, costs (gross and incentive), module and inverter manufacturer, incentive amounts, and whether the PV systems are customer or third-party owned.Chart, table and map views can be generated in the web browser with this data. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
https://data.ny.gov/Energy-Environment/Solar-Photovoltaic-PV-Incentive-Program-Beginning-/3x8r-34rs
Free service for sharing and comparing PV output data. Solar PV system owners give PVOutput permission to gather data from their own PV monitoring system to allow for comparing production data in a regional setting or across different components. PVOutput.org
http://pvoutput.org/
Details PV system name and address, PV system’s size, site photo, date commissioned (operational), inverter specifications, energy production and specific yield, and performance ratio. SMA Solar Technology AG
https://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPagesPlantList.aspx
The Major Solar Projects List is a database of all ground-mounted solar projects, 1 MW and above, that are either operating, under construction, or under development. Solar Energy Industries Association
http://www.seia.org/map/majorprojectsmap.php
Solar PV installations are detailed if the system uses a Solectria inverter and the site name or installer name is known. Solectria Renewables
http://www.solrenview.com/
California Solar Initiative (CSI) and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) data on installed PV systems. State of California, California Energy Commission & California Public Utilities Commission
http://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/
Report: “NCEEA’s ENERGY STAR Market Impact Study” Appalachian State University, North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance
http://ncenergystar.org/resources/publications
Report: “CPUC Energy Efficiency Primer” California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
http://cpuc.ca.gov/energyefficiency/
Report: “Valuing the Financial Benefits of Energy Efficiency in the Multifamily Sector” Elevate Energy
http://www.elevateenergy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Valuing-Financial-Benefits-of-Energy-Efficiency-in-Multifamily-Sector.pdf
Report: “Exploring California PV Home Premiums” Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/exploring-california-pv-home-premiums
Academically reviewed papers on sustainable real estate, as well as links, case studies, and sustainability resources The Journal of Sustainable Real Estate, University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate
https://www.jstor.org/journal/jsustrealesta
Guides and Case Studies for Marine Climates U.S. Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/guides-and-case-studies-marine-climates
Article: How to Finance Your Business’s Energy-Saving Output Efficiency Vermont
https://www.efficiencyvermont.com/tips-tools/guides/how-to-finance-your-business-s-energy-saving-project?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=April%202017%20Business%20Solutions&utm_content=April%202017%20Business%20Solutions+CID_496a9105d84ad963ae7564276e511230&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Read%20our%20Financing%20Guide
Article: Green Mortgages: Financing to Make Your Home Energy-Efficient. Overview of loans specifically meant for energy-efficient home buying. MoneyGeek
https://www.moneygeek.com/mortgage/resources/green-mortgages
A guide to green mortgage eligibility requirements, loan types, and more. FHA Loans
https://www.fhaloans.com/articles/green-mortgage/
Article: The Homeowner's Guide to Solar Financing. Let's Go Solar
https://www.letsgosolar.com/solar-panels/financing
Book: Residential Green Valuation Tools has many case studies and examples on how to use solar PV valuation tools, including PV Value®
A map of LEED commissioned buildings in the United States (commercial) as well as LEED buildings per state, and functionality to virtually explore LEED projects. Esri.com
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=a835df78ffe64a92be638610132b9b95
Sample worksheet to calculate heating/cooling costs. Online Remodeling Calculator
https://www.remodelingcalculator.org/hvac-load-calculator/
Green Energy Compass online tool for benchmarking, analysis, and reporting of energy for homes and small buildings. Performance Systems Development
https://psdraters.buildingperformance.com/Account/LogOn?returnUrl=%2F
How to Calculate and Present Deep Retrofit Value for Owner Occupants. Rocky Mountain Institute
https://rmi.org/insights/calculate-present-deep-retrofit-value-owners-managers/
Free roof azimuth tool assists in pinpointing a property’s azimuth. Solmetric Inc. http://tools.solmetric.com/Tools/roofazimuthtool
Free web-based residential energy calculator and web service that provides customized estimates of residential energy use, energy bills, and CO2 emissions.; Identifies potential energy-saving strategies and ranks in order of cost-effectiveness. U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.hespro.lbl.gov/
Find a “Walk Score” for a property to determine ease of living a lifestyle that is less reliant on cars. Walk Score
http://www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.shtml
Life Cycle Costing Calculator performing economic analysis for all costs related to building, operating, and maintaining an energy conservation measure (ECM) project over a defined period of time. Harvard University
http://energyandfacilities.harvard.edu/green-building-resource/green-building-tools-resources/life-cycle-costing
Statistic: Projection of national spending on green construction in the United States from 2005 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista
https://www.statista.com/statistics/521743/us-national-green-construction-spending-outlook/
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