Greening the MLS

 

Canopy MLS provides the following opportunities for eco-friendly and energy efficient properties to be adequately described and searched, and to provide the green certificate for appraisers to access in support of their appraisals. The fields include Green Sustainability, Green Building Verification Type, Green Verification Metric, Green Verification Rating, Green Verification Year, and there are dozens of ecofriendly/energy-efficient options in other fields, for example:  Active Solar Heat, Solar, Engineered Wood Products, etc.

 

“Green Building Verification Type” field: The Green Building Verification Type field lists entities that evaluate and certify a dwelling as environmentally friendly. Choices include: EarthCraft House, Energy Star Certified Homes, Environments for Living, Green Built Homes, HERS Index Score, LEED for Homes, NGBS National Green Building Standard. "Energy Star" was changed to "Energy Star Qualified" on 4/27/12, and "Energy Star Qualified" was changed to "Energy Star Certified Homes" on Feb. 7, 2023. Energy Star partners may install Energy Star appliances but do not receive certification; only properties that have been certified can be denoted as “Energy Star Certified Homes.”

If a “Green Building Verification Type” is selected, then the certificate must be attached to the listing. For new-construction listings, the certificate must be attached to the listing upon reporting the listing as “Closed” status. For resale listings, the certificate must be attached to the listing at the time the listing is input into the MLS system.

 

"Green Verification Metric": A final score indicating the performance of energy efficiency design and measures in the home as tested by a third-party rater. Points achieved to earn a certification in the GreenVerificationRating field do not apply to this field. HERS Index is most common with new homes and runs with a lower number being more efficient. A net-zero home uses zero energy and has a HERS score of 0. A home that produces more energy than it uses has a negative score. Home Energy Score is a tool more common for existing homes and runs with a higher number being more efficient. It takes square footage into account and caps with 10 as the highest number of points. 

 

"Green Verification Rating": Many verifications or certifications have a rating system that provides an indication of the structure's level of energy efficiency.  When expressed in a numeric value, please use the GreenVerificationMetric field. Verifications and Certifications can also be a name, such as Gold or Silver, which is the purpose of this field.

 

"Green Verification Year": The year the certification or verification was awarded. 

 

Green Building Features: Canopy MLS provides 25 ecofriendly, energy-efficient items in Matrix. There is a feature group called “Green Sustainability” as well as items integrated into other feature groups, for example: Active Solar Heat, Solar, Engineered Wood Products, etc.

1. Advanced Framing (Green Sustainability)
2. Dual Flush Toilets (Appliances)
3. Energy Star® Clothes Washer (Appliances)
4. Energy Star® Dishwasher (Appliances)
5. Energy Star® Freezer (Appliances)
6. Energy Star® Qualified Equipment (Heating and Cooling)
7. Energy Star® Refrigerator (Appliances)
8. Energy Star® Light Fixtures (Appliances)
9. Engineered Wood Products (Green Sustainability)
10. Fresh Air Ventilation (Heating)
11. Geo Ther. Heat Sys. (Heating and Cooling)
12. Infill Lot (Lot Description)
13. Insulated Windows (Window Features)
14. Low Flow Fixtures (Appliances)
15. No-Low VOC/Paints, Sealants, Varn (Green Sustainability)
16. Photovoltaic – Solar Power (Green Sustainability)
17. Radiant Floor (Heating)
18. Rainwater Catchment (Exterior Features)
19. Recycled Const/Household Waste (Green Sustainability)
20. Sealed Combustion Firepl/Woodst (Heating)
21. Solar Hot Water (Appliances)
22. Spray Foam Insulation (Green Sustainability)
23. Sustainable Flooring (Floor Coverings)
24. Tankless Water Heater (Appliances)
25. Xeriscaping-Drought Resist. Pln (Green Sustainability)

Definitions of Green Building Features

 

Advanced Framing/Concrete Construction: A construction method (also known as "Optimum Value Engineering" or "OVE") that uses less material in the framing of a home and can reduce material costs and improve energy efficiency. Concrete construction involves using insulated concrete forms (ICFs) to create durable, efficient homes. The approach decreases the number of breaks in the thermal barrier of the building envelope. It also can save on construction costs because it is fast, especially compared with "stick built" homes.

Dual Flush Toilets: Toilets with two buttons for two flush options. Option one allows the user to flush with less water for liquid waste, while option two allows the user to flush with more water for solid waste. Generally the words “dual flush” will appear in the model name for that toilet.

Energy Efficient Light Fixtures: The fixture or the type of bulbs used in a fixture. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming more common in homes and buildings and they are more efficient and last longer than incandescent bulbs.

Energy Star Appliances: Products that use less energy than conventional models. The ENERGY STAR® label is a credible third-party certification of a product's energy efficiency. Energy Star is a certification granted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy for household appliances and buildings that perform at specified levels of energy efficiency. Clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, window air conditioners, central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, and pool heaters can get the label. Televisions, ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers do not receive such labels.

Engineered Wood Products: A type of composite wood with superior durability and strength. Thinner or fewer pieces of engineered wood are required to meet the same strength requirements than would be needed with traditional wood.

Fresh Air Ventilation: A mechanical ventilation component of the HVAC system that draws in fresh air rather than recirculating and filtering air within a home.

Geo Thermal Heat/HVAC System (Closed Loop): Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) use the constant temperature of the earth to provide cooling and heating for a home. A loop of piping is buried in the ground and fluid circulates through the loop. In the summer, the fluid uses the cooler temperature of the ground to provide indoor cooling. During colder months, the geothermal heat pump uses the below-ground temperature, which is significantly warmer than the outside air, to warm a home

Low Flow Fixtures: This can refer to a faucet with aerator installed, which lessens the flow of water but improves water pressure, or a low-flow showerhead.

No-Low VOC/Paints, Sealants, Varnish: Products that do not off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Using products with very little if any VOCs provides for better air quality.

Photovoltaic (PV): This system captures light from the sun and converts it into electricity through solar panels usually installed on roofs.

Radiant Heated Floors: A way to heat spaces using radiant energy that is emitted from a heat source. There are three types of radiant floor heat: radiant air floors (air is the heat-carrying medium); electric radiant floors; and hot water (hydronic) radiant floors.

Rain Water Catchment: Systems that harvest water during periods of rain. The water the can be saved and used during droughts.

Recycled Construction/Household Waste: A strategy in which homeowners, remodeling a house in anticipation of selling it, recycle old materials and demolition waste rather than sending them to a landfill.

Sealed Combustion Fireplace/Woodstove: A sealed combustion fireplace or woodstove that gets its combustion air from outside of the home and exhausts 100 percent of the combustion by-products to the outside. This eliminates the likelihood of "backdrafting," a situation in which combustion gases are pulled back into the home and cause health problems.

Solar Assisted Hot Water: A solar hot water array on the roof that supplements (but does not exclusively supply) the hot water to the home. Water warmed by solar energy is pumped into the hot water heater where less energy is required to get it hot or less cold water needs to be warmed to fill the tank.

Spray Foam Insulation: Insulation that is sprayed into place and then expands to fill cavities. It acts as both an insulator and a sealant and is an alternative to the standard insulation bats. The two types of spray foam are open-cell (isocyanurate) and closed cell (polyurethane). Closed cell foams typically have a higher R-value than open-cell foam.

Sustainable Flooring: This has a wide variety of potential meanings, from bamboo to cork to reclaimed flooring.

Tankless Water Heater: A system that delivers hot water at a preset temperature when needed, but without requiring the storage of water. The approach reduces or eliminates energy standby losses. On-demand water heaters can be used for supplementary heat, such as a booster to a solar hot water system, or to meet all hot water needs. On-demand water heaters have an electric, gas, or propane heating device that is activated by the flow of water.

Xeriscaping: A landscaping method used in arid areas that incorporates native plants that can tolerate infrequent watering.