North Carolina Embraces a "Green" Lifestyle Making it a Best Place to Live

“Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” is a popular phrase showing our growing commitment as a nation to finding ways to be better stewards of the environment and one of the places notable for its embrace of green trends and green building practices is North Carolina.

The general principals of green building as laid out by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) division consist of five crucial areas: energy efficiency, water efficiency, use of recycled or environmentally sustainable building materials, and healthy indoor environmental quality, all of which are at work in building projects across the state of North Carolina.

Notable green building projects in North Carolina include everything from the impressive Eco-dorm at Warren Wilson College outside Asheville, North Carolina to the renovated abandoned building which now holds Brown and Jones Architects in Raleigh, North Carlina to the rammed earth walls and radiant heating system of the Philips residence in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Green building and practices in North Carolina aren’t limited to large businesses, schools and private residences. In 1998, the North Carolina state government committed itself to being a leader in environmental stewardship and has saved taxpayers money not only through green practices but by “greening” all state government buildings.

Let’s not forget that when finding your best place to live, relocate or retire in North Carolina you can clearly save money by going green. Energy efficient homes lower your bills, help your resale value and when combined with green building practices help the environment as a whole.

Check out PlacesofValue.com if you are looking for more information about green building in North Carolina.