Big-city developers are beginning to pick up on developing and building earth-friendly projects. Over the years, alternative energy sources were usually reserved for those folks living in more rural areas, with the personal budgets to build solar panels and one-stand wind mills to create a personal power grid. Now, condo developers are taking it to the next level in urban development.

Kalahari Harlem in New York City is a prime example of green development. The 250-unit condominium includes eco-friendly amenities such as energy from 25 percent renewable sources of wind and sun, bamboo flooring, and car-sharing services on the premises. The high-efficiency electrical components of the units, such as EnergyStar appliances, provide condominium homes that consume 20 percent less energy than its non-green counterparts.

LowImpactLiving.com reports green housing is experiencing unprecedented growth with buy-ins by developers for the highly desirable dwellings. Green buildings are starting to break ground in metropolitan areas such as Chicago and Los Angeles as well as concentrated areas throughout New England and the South.

Green Condos are in compliance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program. "LEED is a third-party certification program and nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings," according to the Green Building Council’s web site.

"LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance," it says. "LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality."

Published: September 15, 2008

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Mr. Carr is an award-winning real estate broker in Northern Virginia and authored "Real Estate Investing Made Simple: a commonsense approach to building wealth." He also contributed to Donald Trump’s book, "The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received," and is an active trainer and coach of top producers in the Washington DC market. As a sought-after expert on real estate, Mr. Carr has been featured on CNN, various broadcast outlets and was the former real estate editor for The Washington Times. He accepts questions at his blog www.RealEstateOlogy.org.