Five Essentials for a Green Community

Gauging what residents want and need in a green community is tough. Some residents want solar panels while others prefer to focus on water conservation.

A survey conducted by Strata Research earlier this year found that 77 percent of renters felt green apartments were important. The survey took responses from more than 1,000 renters and was conducted in partnership with HD Supply, according to Kelly Vickers.

Vickers, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Alliance Residential, says the survey sheds light on green development and what renters expect a green community to have.

Here are the Top 5 features renters considered were essential:

Water Saving Toilets: There is a wide variety of products to choose from, but Vickers and her team prefer a dual-flush model. Some properties have the toilets installed to use .8 gallons for a small flush and 1.28 gallons per large flush. Meanwhile, most of the units are equipped with 1.28 gallon or less single flush toilets. Dual-flush adapters have also been installed in some units, Vickers says.

Water Saving Bathroom Faucets: The use of specialized faucets varies from market to market, Vickers says. Sometimes an entire faucet is replaced with a low-flow fixture while other times an aerator is placed on the current fixture to conserve water.