Build It Green Celebrates Earth Day with Over 15,000 GreenPoint Rated Homes

Oakland, CA, April 21, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Build It Green has reached over 15,000 homes through their GreenPoint Rated program, the most trusted standard for certified green homes in California. The energy and water savings from these homes translates to taking over 13,000 passenger cars off the road and conserving over 300 Olympic-size swimming pools of water for one year.

The GreenPoint Rated label is the mark of quality for green home construction and remodels. It verifies that a home was built or remodeled to meet high environmental standards. The number of GreenPoint Rated homes is quickly growing throughout California as homeowners and building owners continue to discover the many benefits of green homes such as savings on their utilities, better health and comfort for their families, and preserving natural resources.

Real estate agents have found that GreenPoint Rated is a great selling point at time of sale. In a study of four homes for sale that were GreenPoint Rated, the first open house for agents and brokers attracted approximately 50 agents and brokers. The home sold in just two days for $35,000 more than comparable sales in the area. Build It Green has trained more than 400 green real estate professionals from at least 100 real estate organizations through their Certified Green Real Estate Professional (CG-REP) training.

In a related study in 2012, an independent appraiser evaluated three Los Angeles County homes before and after they received green and energy upgrades and the GreenPoint Rated label. Following the green upgrade and labeling, the appraised value of the homes was found to have increased by 5.5 to 9 percent.

Build It Green is currently collaborating with public utilities and local governments to incubate new ideas and develop programs that accelerate the adoption of green building practices across California.

Build It Green is a membership supported non-profit organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient homes in California through consumer education, professional training, and local government support. For more information, visit www.builditgreen.org.