East Bay Green Home Tour 2023
The fine folks at the East Bay Green Home Tour hosted another successful virtual event this past Saturday, May 20, 2023. The free event featured six virtual tours, led by East Bay homeowners, showcasing sustainable upgrades. Each pre-recorded video was followed by a live Q & A session with the homeowners and sometimes their architects and/or contractors. The annual Green Home Tour provides opportunities to learn from our Bay Area neighbors about things we can do in our homes to combat climate change, improve air quality, generate clean energy and move towards a safer, healthier, greener future. The focus in 2023 was home electrification and water storage systems. In between homeowner presentations sessions, local activists discussed how to find rebates for getting fossil fuels out of your home, whether or not home solar still makes sense under the new NEM 3.0 rules, and showing how residents of the East Bay cook culturally specific dishes using induction cooktops. Click the button below to see a recording of the full 3 hour event.
Going Green in a Multi-Unit Building
One of my favorite tours was watching Silas show how he electrified his one bedroom condo in a four unit building that was originally constructed in 1952. Despite being part of a homeowners association, he was able to complete a remarkable amount of upgrades to his property including insulation, induction cooking, adding a heat pump and much more. He also worked with his HOA to upgrade to a shared electric heat pump water heater, using rebates from BAY REN, TECH, and federal tax incentives to show them that it was worth the cost. Click on the image to the left to watch Silas’ tour.
Gorgeous Berkeley Remodel
Kiera and her family did a fabulous job with a 2018 remodel to her 100 year old Berkeley house. The most interesting thing to me was an extensive grey water and rainwater catchment system created by Dig Cooperative. Toilets flush with rainwater collected from runoff from the roof, while water from the showers and sinks is collected as grey water to irrigate the landscaping. The house is still connected to the municipal water system so if they run out of stored water it’s easy to switch the system back and forth. Click on the image to watch Kiera’s tour.
All Electric Oakland Bungalow
Amy and Will challenged themselves to remove all fossil fuels from their home and convert to all-electric systems using only their older 100 AMP electrical panel. They did it by putting the electric car charger and their induction range on the same circuit. A hardwired Simple Switch circuit sharing device makes this possible by switching off the car charger when the stove is being used, then switching it back on when the stove is turned off. Upgrading an older electrical panel can be an expensive barrier to electrifying an older home. It was interesting to see how they were able to work around it. Click on the image to watch their video.
Do Green Upgrades Add Value?
I loved seeing homeowners and renters show off their green upgrades. Making changes at home to combat climate change is deeply satisfying and all of them report feeling happier and more comfortable in their homes thanks to improvements in insulation, heating, and indoor air quality. In that respect, the work they did added value without question. But as a realtor, I’m curious how these upgrades add to the financial value of the home. Rooftop solar, particularly systems that owned outright, in good condition, and grandfathered in under the NEM 2.0 or 1.0 rules, clearly adds value as it saves homeowners considerably on energy bills. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, every dollar saved on energy bills increases the value of a home by $20. According to Zillow, homes with solar panels sell for 4% higher than homes without them. In past years water restrictions have led many to stop irrigating in the summer months, causing plants to die and outdoor areas to be less enjoyable. Water catchment systems, either rainwater or grey water, allow homeowners to enjoy lush gardens year round. As the health hazards of gas stoves become more widely known induction stoves will increase in popularity. More people driving electric vehicles will make high speed charging essential. While it’s relatively easy to quantify how upgrading a kitchen or bathroom, or refinishing floors, will add value to a home the green real estate community is still developing ways to value sustainable upgrades. New tools for appraisers such as the Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum are helping with this, but realtors and homeowners need to know how to document and market these features particularly since some of them, such as insulation or low-e glass, might not be visible to the average observer. In the next few months I’ll be reaching out to homeowners from the Marin Green Home Tour or others who have done green upgrades to offer a free analysis of home value, both pre and post upgrade and in comparison with other similar homes. I’d love to show how green upgrades make our homes healthier, more comfortable, more sustainable AND increase value!
Thanks so much to the tour organizers and homeowners who put together such a valuable program.
If you or anyone you know is interested in getting a home analysis, please get in touch.
I love seeing these homes and can’t wait to meet like-minded homeowners!
