Aug. 10, 2012: Green Home Labels Add Significant Value, Says California Study
SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles have released a new study on the economic value of green home labels in the California residential market. The study finds California homes with green labels are worth 9 percent more on the real estate market.
“The Value of Green Labels in the California Housing Market” is said to be the first large-scale independent economic analysis of the value of green home labels in California. Led by researchers Nils Kok, visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Matthew Kahn, professor at the Institute of the Environment, Department of Public Policy and Department of Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, the study examined data on the 1.6 million single-family homes sold between 2007 and 2012 in California. Of these homes, approximately 4,300 were certified with green home labels from Energy Star, GreenPoint Rated, or LEED for Homes.