Residential investors & developers
Builders constructing green residential projects provide better quality homes to families and reduce their monthly cost of ownership. These projects also lower the risk and associated costs of providing loans for these homes for banks. Communicating the achievement of green performance requires a credible certification process to differentiate these projects from standard ones.
The SMARTER project supports residential investors and developers by…
Helping to differentiate their projects
Applying a credible, independent green homes certification sends a positive signal to the market that this builder is doing something better and citizens can be confident they will receive the quality, health, environmental and health benefits promised. In multiple countries serviced by SMARTER partners, the residential green certification tool is utilized by a large share of the country’s premium quality residential investors and developers; reinforcing the desirability of pursuing this ambitious standard.
Selling 'total cost of monthly ownership'
Investors and developers will be supported and advised how to create advertising that demonstrates the true cost people pay each month and compare this to standard home monthly costs. Some green home qualifying projects produce energy savings equivalent to one or two monthly mortgage payments per year. One creative project developer in the SMARTER program showed calculations demonstrating that the invested additional energy savings from his homes over the life of the mortgage would equal enough to pay for private university for a family’s child. Replicating these attractive messages and bringing more to the market is a high priority of the SMARTER project.
Demonstrating market readiness of industry
Often an investor or developer will be concerned their project will be on the ‘bleeding edge’ as they are forced to train internal staff and external consultants on new green approaches, search unsuccessfully for needed solutions not yet available, etc. Using the SMARTER consortium international network and the SMARTER4EU help desk to support these pioneering developers will reduce concerns and allow for ambitious goals. The SMARTER consortiums prior experience has shown that while some products and skills are often not easily obtainable, with some creativity and knowledge sharing project teams can achieve the greenest buildings in all markets.
What is your role?
SMARTER4EU and SMARTER FINANCE FOR FAMILIES takes a systemic, multidisciplinary approach to solving a systemic problem. The needs and motivations of all of the essential stakeholder groups that are critical to moving the green finance topic forward to promote greener homes for Europe’s are considered.