Real estate is a growing industry, but beyond the monetary value that makes it very notable, real estate is actually contributing to our existence and quality of lives. The world has changed over the years and one of the most important things that has become notable over the years is the climate change that threatens the existence of humans.
Beyond the monetary value of real estate, real estate has improved to be able to fix this problem while still attending to the basic need of man – shelter. Real estate is doing this by the creation of green properties that support existence. Real estate is putting in our hands a means to stay comfortable while responding to the needs of the environment. With global warming affecting our environment, the future of the earth lies in our capacity and green properties are showing us how to allot our power to solve our environment’s problem. Here’s a detailed read on green properties.
What are Green Properties?
Green properties refer to properties that take the environment into consideration. They are energy efficient apartments that seek to use energy more efficiently. With the major highlighted causes and effects of global warming – increased heat from the sun striking the earth, increased concentration of carbon dioxide, green properties go beyond using renewable energy to an effective use of waste.
Major terms associated with green properties are adaptive reuse and waste management. The use of solar panels to generate electricity is a move associated with green properties. Only it doesn’t end there, it goes further to ensure the use of renewable energy. They use about 50-75% less energy than the regular form of housing.
Asides from being good for the environment, these properties are healthier for their inhabitants creating an environment that basically improves their quality of their lives. Major tenets of green properties are – energy, water use, lot development, use of resources, operations and maintenance, and air quality.
How do Green Properties differ from Regular Properties?
Aside from generally being more sustainable and durable, they have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional buildings and constructions. They do a two way job of improving the quality of the environment and the quality of the lives of their inhabitants. They help to conserve energy as their primary aim is to ensure a more efficient use of energy. For example, in the United States, green buildings save about 37 percent of energy use, and 68 per cent of electricity use, 88 percent of potable water consumption, and 40 per cent of the country’s raw material.
They have the following advantages over the regular buildings:
· They are sustainable
· They uphold sustainability policies
· Improved quality of life
· Decreased carbon impact
· Boosts efficiency
· Lowers construction costs
Green Buildings and their existence in Nigeria
There are few green buildings within the country, particularly in Lagos and Abuja. They are not well known because they were put up in the country during the time of recession. This means that there is a limit on how well they were publicized. With the housing deficit in Nigeria, there’s also a tendency to choose affordability over sustainability.
While there are a few green properties in Nigeria, there are no laws encouraging or mandating green properties in Nigeria. This has affected the availability of the capability to build green properties by architects within the country. It also means that no form of regulation is in place to ensure compliance with what green properties are supposed to look like and do.
It is however already in the works as confirmed by the Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria (ACAN). This ensures that as Nigeria ensures to work on the current housing deficit within the country, Nigeria is working to improve the number of green properties available.
In January 2019, the Lagos State government unveiled some green properties comprising 252 two-bedroom bungalows sited at Idale along Topo Badagry road in Badagry area of the State, These buildings use energy more efficiently than regular buildings. They save 29% more than any other type of building within the state while maintaining a 35% saving of water. These numbers are asides the 43% energy save from using other building materials asides from the concrete, aluminum used in the construction of non green properties.
In all, green properties are energy efficient properties and power. They are environmentally friendly and ensure a more efficient way to use energy. They are great choices either for investment – being the future of real estate. They are also a great choice if you’re passionate about the environment and looking for ways to contribute to saving the environment while still increasing the quality of your own life.
