10 U.S. Cities with the Greenest Homes

On April 18, Refin announced the top 10 cities in the United States with the greenest homes. The real estate broker based their findings on which cities had the lowest carbon emissions, plus the highest number of homes for sale with "green" features, such as solar panels, or certifications, such as LEED certification.

1. San Francisco, California (lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita)

2. Washington, District of Columbia (most LEED certified space)

3. Sacramento, California (second lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita)

4. Boston, Massachusetts

5. Portland, Oregon

6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (second most homes for sale with green features)

7. Phoeniz, Arizona

8. Los Angeles, California

9. Seattle, Washington

10. Austin, Texas

The press release detailed a number of incentives and programs in these cities that have stimulated the growth of green homes. For example, the San Francisco utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric, offers up to $4000 in rebates for residential energy efficiency improvements. Austin Energy offers homeowners low interest loans of up to $20,000 for energy efficiency improvements, along with rebates for other sustainability upgrades, such as water efficient toilets. Phoenix offers its residents a one-time grant for energy efficiency improvements as part of its "Green Phoenix" programs.

These are just a few examples of the incentives, loan programs and rebates available in these cities; in fact, most cities on the list had some kind of financial incentive for homeowners to go green. This indicates that a strong incentive program from the government or local utility may be very effective in decreasing carbon emissions and increasing the number of homes with sustainable features.