Eco-Capitalists
Solutions Story: Green Canopy Homes
How does a company turn a profit, cut the same carbon on average as one car permanently off the road, and employ approx. 50 people on each home retrofit?
The Carbon Math: Each Green Canopy Home mitigates the same annual amount of green house gas emissions as the average car produces each year (12,600 lbs CO2 per year according to the EPA). In other words, for every Green Canopy Home completed, it is equivalent to taking, on average, one car permanently off the road.
Stimulating the Economy: With each home, Green Canopy Home invests in the Seattle housing economy, the local green building labor force, and the national market for energy efficient housing products and materials. The economic benefits are even clearer when considering that approx. 50 people are employed in the process of each home retrofit.
A Niche Market: Green Canopy Homes is creating a niche market within the Seattle housing market. Of the 5,600 homes sold last year, the vast majority (4,700) of them were existing homes sales. Of these 4,700 existing homes sales, only the two Green Canopy Homes were certified as BuiltGreen remodeled homes. In comparison, 35% of new construction homes sold in the city of Seattle were BuiltGreen certified. This represents a large disconnect as the biggest energy use offenders are existing homes, which are typically way more drafty and less efficient than new building codes require. As a company, Green Canopy Homes forecasts continued growth and a total of 8 renovated home sales this coming year.
Creating Awareness: With each efficient home, Green Canopy Homes helps it’s future owners increase their awareness and efforts to reduce their energy use and environmental impact. Through this increase in awareness the market for efficient homes in Seattle continues to grow.
Key Players:
Aaron Fairchild, CEO, Green Canopy Homes
Sam Lai, Executive Vice President, Green Canopy Homes
More on Green Canopy Homes:
Green Canopy Homes has been finding and retrofitting homes since 2010. In that time, three homes have be completed and sold, and another six are in various stages of the process.
Elements of a Green Canopy Home:
• Pre- and post-construction energy performance scores
• Expertly installed foam and rigid insulation
• Upgraded, efficient windows
• Comprehensive air sealing to keep drafts out
• Efficient plumbing and electrical fixtures, hot water, space heating and ventilation systems
• Solar upgrades – available as solar aspect allows
• Union-built quality
Want to watch Eco-capitalists again, or learn about other Solutions Stories?
Contacts:
Green Canopy Homes
www.greencanopyhomes.com
206.792.7280
Solutions Stories: The Clean Energy Economy, Happening Now
www.solutions-stories.org
Kimberly Larson
206.443.9570 x36
