# Interest group forums > Energy and Resource Conservation Forum >  SA Property Going Green

## ChrisToulson

More and more people the world over are acting on the awareness that the planet’s resources need to be preserved and protected more so than ever before, a philosophy which has spilled over into the property arena.

The principle behind green building and incorporating green technology into homes is that it increases building value, decreases utility expenses, maximises resources and minimises environmental impact. 

Recently South Africa started to focus on incorporating green technology into residential buildings, and awareness around the benefits of green building has increased - especially in light of the rising electricity costs among others. “However, we are still far behind the trend when it comes to green buildings and homeowners often find it an expensive outlay to incorporate green technology,” says Goslett.

The Green Building Council of South Africa is currently piloting a rating tool for multi-unit residential buildings to give them an official “green” certification both for the design and then again after completion. “The hope is that this kind of tool will soon be available for freestanding residential homes and not only developments and complexes,” says Goslett.

“South African consumers are becoming more environmentally aware and with increases in the cost of living expected to continue their upward trend for the foreseeable future, interest in homes that are energy efficient and contain green technology will continue to gain momentum in 2011 and beyond,” Goslett concludes. 

Do you think that this new trend will have a large impact on the real estate industry? Would you be willing to spend more money in building and environmentally friendly home in the hope that you will save more money with utility expenses?

----------

