Why Work With Us?

Since I am new to Richmond I have been trying to find a different neighborhood or area throughout the city to walk around in whenever I get the chance. I have already gotten a great feel for the various aesthetics of the city, and it seemed fitting for Earth Day to head over and enjoy all that Maymont Park has to offer. This is a great 100 acre space filled with gardens, wildlife, and seemingly endless paths to guide you throughout the hills and lakes. I am very excited to go back for Earth Day and continue exploring while supporting the local greenspace. Donations for upkeep of the space are accepted at virtual podiums at the entrance gates to the park.

Last year I moved into My EarthCraft Certified Home (rating of 61) which is approximately 35% larger than my previous home in Northern Virginia which was built in 2001. Currently I use roughly 30-40% less energy + have an additional child. My family & I have noticed healthy indoor air quality & no temperature changes as you walk through the house. After speaking with a few of our neighbors which live in new homes & co-workers (mix of old and new homes) (none of them have EarthCraft Certified Homes) our utility usage through the very cold months was 20-50% less than theirs – which shows me that the components of an EarthCraft Certified Home work & save money.

I plan to spend Earth Day biking on the trails by the James River and checking out the many murals the city has tucked away in its alleys.

Working with Viridiant since ’06 has been a wonderful experience, the combination of their knowledge about building science and their goal to make the building industry more efficient and sustainable fits with Green Valley Builders core values and best building practices.

I plan to spend as much time outside as possible by reading on the patio, going on a bike ride, taking my dogs on a long walk, and playing around in my garden.

We worked with EarthCraft builder Mark Waring last year to build a near net-zero 3,200-square-foot home in Chesterfield County, at surcharge of approximately 5 to 10 percent over current code construction. The entire energy bill for the first 10 months of 2011 totaled approximately $900. With the sale of our Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, our annual energy cost is estimated to be under $500. The home is very solid, still, quiet, comfortable and conventional appearing. We are secure in the idea that we have reduced our annual operating expenses while conserving dwindling resources. Enlightened individual decisions will continue to make the Richmond metropolitan area a wonderful place to live in the years to come.

My family will be admiring and watering our freshly planted garden, blowing bubbles, smelling the flowers, sharing some sprouted sunflowers, and street chalking some Earth Day love!

Viridiant is doing more than any other organization as they deal with making residential homes more energy efficient and changing the construction field.

We’re appreciating the comfortable, steady temperatures in the house, day and night. No drafts, no sudden changes. The prompt hot water delivery is quite a treat. We rarely hear outside noises. Barking dogs and neighbors’ power tools are the only exception. Otherwise it’s a joy. Our air exchanger appears to trap any fine dust and we don’t get to breathe it – so we’ve been quite healthy since we moved in at the beginning of last July. Our electric bills have been remarkably low – and that’s been a welcome change. Three cheers for Promethean Homes!

EarthCraft is a very flexible program, which works with all building types and sizes, and the entire Viridiant staff, from the technical advisor to the inspector, truly work as a member of the development team to assist the project to a successful completion!