Find Your Beautiful Green Home! Western North Carolina is a mecca for sustainability, energy-efficient green built homes, and community living. The pristine nature of the Blue Ridge Mountains is reflected back in local green building and the sustainable development of beautiful homes designed with the earth in mind. (Feature photo: SolFarm Solar Co.)
Are you looking for a specific kind of green-built home? Developers and certified green home builders can help you with your real estate needs. There are multiple organizations that monitor green homes being built in the Asheville, NC area, including the Green Built Alliance and the Western North Carolina Green Building Council.
Photo by SolFarm Solar Co
Whether you're considering an NC GreenBuilt home with custom features, new construction, an Energy Star Certified home, or a passive solar home, there are a wide variety of green homes for sale in Western North Carolina. With the help of realtors, you can browse beautiful energy-efficient homes with open floor plans and diverse property types to discover your new home.
What is Green Building?
Green building is optimizing energy efficiency, water, and materials to reduce building impacts on human health and the environment throughout the building’s lifecycle. A green home is designed to have a positive impact on energy efficiency, environmental performance and human well-being. Green homes have a low environmental impact and consider healthy landscapes such as erosion control and preservation of trees; water efficiency; the use of high-efficiency windows and insulation; Energy Star appliances to reduce utility bills; and the use of non-toxic materials for healthy indoor air quality.
Photo by Patrick Cavan Brown
There are green building certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) that measure green homes. A LEED-certified home is designed and constructed in accordance with guidelines of the LEED for Homes green building certification program. LEED for Homes is a consensus-developed, third party-verified, voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes.
Eco-Conscious and Intentional Communities in Western North Carolina
Eco-conscious and intentional communities include ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, housing cooperatives, and more. They are developments where people live together with a shared sense of values. Many communities and housing cooperatives in Western North Carolina are multi-generational and multifamily with easy access to the outdoors, friendly neighborhoods, fruit and vegetable gardens, and sustainability initiatives.
Olivette Community by Green Built Alliance
Top Eco-Friendly Communities & Green Builders near Asheville
Earthaven Ecovillage, Black Mountain
Founded in 1994, this aspiring ecovillage sits on 329 acres, dedicating itself to caring for people and the Earth by learning, living, and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture. Their… read more
Founded in 1994, this aspiring ecovillage sits on 329 acres, dedicating itself to caring for people and the Earth by learning, living, and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture. Their permaculture site plan includes residential neighborhoods and compact business sites, as well as areas suitable for farms, orchards, market gardens, and wetlands. (Photo: School of Integrated Living)
Echo Hills Cottages, West Asheville
This West Asheville community offers a refuge from the city. Mature trees provide shade and a sense of place for a cluster of eco-friendly homes built with responsible and authentic living in mind… read more
This West Asheville community offers a refuge from the city. Mature trees provide shade and a sense of place for a cluster of eco-friendly homes built with responsible and authentic living in mind. Their primary vision includes conscious relationships, awareness practice, compassionate communication, and sociocratic decision making. They place a strong emphasis on sustainability and encourage…
High Hickory, Swannanoa
Situated just 10 miles east of Asheville, High Hickory is a low-impact, sustainable neighborhood offering community gardens and shared outdoor gatherings for families who desire to live naturally… read more
Situated just 10 miles east of Asheville, High Hickory is a low-impact, sustainable neighborhood offering community gardens and shared outdoor gatherings for families who desire to live naturally. Surrounded by long-range mountain views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and acres of preserved natural space, life at High Hickory is peaceful and relaxed.
See more Eco-Friendly Communities.
Olivette Community, Asheville
This 346-acre planned agrifood and sustainable community along the French Broad River is home to seven acres of riverfront beach, vegetable, fruit, and flower farms, walking trails, community… read more
This 346-acre planned agrifood and sustainable community along the French Broad River is home to seven acres of riverfront beach, vegetable, fruit, and flower farms, walking trails, community-wide geothermal heating and cooling, community gardens, a bike-sharing program, and more. Just 6.7 miles from downtown Asheville.
See more Eco-Friendly Communities
Mountain Meadows, Mars Hill
Born in the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie, Mountain Meadows is a green and sustainable community with common area gardens, an orchard, and an artfully designed pavilion and patio. Mountain… read more
Born in the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie, Mountain Meadows is a green and sustainable community with common area gardens, an orchard, and an artfully designed pavilion and patio. Mountain Meadows believes in listening to the land while fostering positive, fruitful, and conscious relationships in a pastoral setting. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains about 25 minutes from Asheville…
Westwood Cohousing Community, West Asheville
A multi-generational, eco-conscious cohousing community in the heart of West Asheville. For more than 20 years, Westwood has stood on four acres that includes terraced gardens, a creek, a small… read more
A multi-generational, eco-conscious cohousing community in the heart of West Asheville. For more than 20 years, Westwood has stood on four acres that includes terraced gardens, a creek, a small woods, fire circle, playground, and sustainable structures. The parking lot includes a sizable bike shed and electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels on the common house power their hot water…
Green Builders
Green Built Alliance, Asheville
This nonprofit organization offers affordable and local Green Building education and home certification programs to help transform the building industry throughout Western NC. They provide… read more
This nonprofit organization offers affordable and local Green Building education and home certification programs to help transform the building industry throughout Western NC. They provide opportunities for existing homes to easily and affordably go green, offering direct education to building industry professionals and homeowners by providing building science and weatherization training. They…
