Click on a category below to view useful website links and resources pertaining to green buildings.
Please help us keep this list useful and current by submitting informative “green” links to: greenresources@appraisalinstitute.org
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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)
Institute for Market Transformation and Appraisal Institute
http://imt.org/files/Energy_Reporting_in_Appraisal.pdf
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PV Value™ Photovoltaic 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/
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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
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Nationwide: State and Local Energy Efficiency Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration
https://www.sba.gov/content/state-and-local-energy-efficiency-programs
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California: One-stop site for information about energy resources in California
California Energy Commission
http://www.energy.ca.gov/
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California: Information on solar programs, rebates, tax credits, installation, and interconnecting
California Solar Initiative
https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/General.aspx?id=6043
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Green Building Resource Center information for economical, sustainable building solutions
Houston Department of Public Works and Engineering
https://www.codegreenhouston.org/
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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
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Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program
PACE Financing
http://pacenation.us
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Information about ENERGY STAR® homes and the HERS Index
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.hm_index
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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
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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
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Information on selected green zoning codes
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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
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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
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Energy-efficient and green resources, including a number of Chicagoland resources
Elevate Energy
http://www.elevatenp.org
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Education and resources for green construction
Appraisal Institute
Green Educational Offerings
Green Research Guide
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Examples and goals of green leases
BetterBricks, the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
http://www.betterbricks.com
http://www.neea.org
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Education for home energy auditors
Building Performance Institute (BPI)
http://www.bpi.org
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Independent organization to promote responsible management of the world’s forests—administers the FSC certification program
Forest Stewardship Council
http://www.fsc.org
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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
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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
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Independent nonprofit research and educational foundation to foster efficient and sustainable use of resources
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
http://www.rmi.org
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National standards and information about becoming a HERS rater or energy auditor
Residential Energy Services Network
https://www.resnet.us/raters/
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Information on the LEED® certification program, research on sustainable building practices, publications, and more.
U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org
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A central online resource for rebate information
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Energy Efficiency (DSIREUSA)
http://www.dsireusa.org/
http://www1.resnet.us/registry/
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High Performance Federal Buildings Database
U.S. Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/sustainable-federal-buildings
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Database: List of Solar Energy Companies
Best Company
https://bestcompany.com/solar?sort_state=-
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Design-oriented site for sustainable homes, natural material, and green technology
Jetson Green
http://www.jetsongreen.com
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News website for sustainability professionals
BuildingGreen
http://buildinggreen.com
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List of TED talks on sustainable design
Ted.com
https://www.ted.com/playlists/28/sustainability_by_design
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Information including PowerPoints, videos, and articles on energy-efficient wall systems
All Wall Co.
http://www.allwallsystem.com/AllWallInformation
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Technical information on home building and panels
NAHB Research Center
http://www.homeinnovation.com/
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Paper: “Selling Into the Sun: Price Premium Analysis of a Multi-State Dataset of Solar Homes”
Electricity Markets & Policy Group, Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Department, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/selling-sun-price-premium-analysis
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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
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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
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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
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Paper: “Market-Based Investigation of Residential Solar Installation Values in Oregon”
Energy Trust of Oregon
https://energytrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2011_solar_market_evaluation_study.pdf
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Site classifies (premium, standard, economy) many major manufacturers of solar modules
EnergySage Inc.
http://www.energysage.com/solar/buyers-guide/selecting-solar-panels
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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://www.fanniemae.com/content/guide/sel121614.pdf
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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
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Annual U.S. Solar Market Trends Report outlines different market forces shaping the adoption of PV across the U.S. PV pricing is included in these reports, and archived reports back to 2008 can be downloaded.
Interstate Renewable Energy Council
http://www.irecusa.org/annual-u-s-solar-market-trends-report/
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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
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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
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Number of homes rated and average HERS index score in 2014 by state
RESNET Residential Energy Services Network
Link to doc on AI website
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Provides U.S. solar data, including slides and fact sheets
Solar Energy Industries Association
http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data
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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
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Report: “How PV System Ownership Can Impact the Market Value of Residential Homes”
Sandia National Laboratories
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1322287
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Report: “Standardizing Appraisals for PV Installations”
Sandia National Laboratories
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6745191
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Presentation: “Photovoltaic System Valuation Model—PV Value”
Sandia National Laboratories
https://www.osti.gov/scitech/servlets/purl/1143896
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Paper: “Solar Photovoltaic Specification, Checklist and Guide”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/residential/pdfs/rerh_pv_guide.pdf
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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/
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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
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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
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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/
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Solar Resource Guide: A List of Solar Resources for Homeowners
Going Solar
https://goingsolar.com/resources-guide/
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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 - http://www.cityofberkeley.info/solarmap/
Cambridge, MA - https://www.mapdwell.com/en/cambridge
Los Angeles, CA - http://solarmap.lacounty.gov/
Madison, WI - http://solarmap.cityofmadison.com/madisun/
New Jersey - http://www.njcleanenergy.com/files/file/CS%20Marketing/Solar5000.pdf
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 - http://solarizewa.org/our-progress
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
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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
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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
http://www.masscec.com/commonwealth-solar-installers-costs-etc
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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
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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/
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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
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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
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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/
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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/
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Report: “NCEEA’s ENERGY STAR Market Impact Study”
Appalachian State University, North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance
http://ncenergystar.org/resources/publications
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Report: “CPUC Energy Efficiency Primer”
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
http://cpuc.ca.gov/energyefficiency/
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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
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Report: “Exploring California PV Home Premiums”
Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/exploring-california-pv-home-premiums
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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
http://www.josre.org
Video: "Solar Valuation for Home Appraisers"
GW Solar Institute
http://homeenergypros.org/video/solar-valuation-for-home-appraisers?xg_source=activity
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Guides and Case Studies for Marine Climates
U.S. Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/guides-and-case-studies-marine-climates
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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
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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
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A guide to green mortgage eligibility requirements, loan types, and more
FHA Loans
https://www.fhaloans.com/articles/green-mortgage/
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Article: The Homeowner's Guide to Solar Financing
Let's Go Solar
https://www.letsgosolar.com/solar-panels/financing
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Appraisal Institute
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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
Arcgis.com
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=a835df78ffe64a92be638610132b9b9
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Sample worksheet to calculate heating/cooling costs
Online Remodeling Calculator
https://www.remodelingcalculator.org/hvac-load-calculator/
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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
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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/
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Free roof azimuth tool assists in pinpointing a property’s azimuth
Solmetric Inc.
http://tools.solmetric.com/Tools/roofazimuthtool
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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
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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
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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
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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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