The future of homebuilding — if this spring’s Parade of Homes lineup is any indication — is about energy efficiency and environmentally responsible materials and practices.
Consumers can view more than a dozen homes with Energy Star and green designations in the spring Parade, and that doesn’t include the number of homes without certification that have incorporated similar techniques and products.
Five homes in the Parade have National Association of Home Builders green certification and 11 homes have Energy Star certification. The green designation includes Energy Star requirements, and both programs require third-party verification to ensure guidelines are met.
Greensboro Builders Association executive officer Cheryl Collins said the local interest mirrors the national trend.
“The increased number of Energy Star homes, as well as the five NAHB-green certified homes in the spring Parade, reflects a growing interest by builders and consumers in sustainable quality construction,” Collins stated by e-mail. “Many builders have been incorporating green features for years in their homes, but until the recent launch of the NAHB green program, they were not having homes inspected and verified through a national third-party certification program.”
Buyers are catching the green wave, too.
Scott Cantliffe of Scott Home Builders said customers have started to ask about the techniques and materials “because they’re concerned about saving money on their energy bill.”
Scott Home Builders has two homes in the Parade: 7787 Sutter Road has green and Energy Star designations, and 8409 Lillys Court has Energy Star certification.
Benefits for buyers, Cantliffe said, include the financial aspects of lower operational costs for utilities, as well as the environmental benefits of improved air quality.
To earn the Energy Star certification, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code, and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20 percent to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes.
The National Association of Home Builders green building guidelines encompass seven principles: lot design; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; homeowner education; and global impact. The guidelines offer three levels of green building: bronze, silver and gold.
The buyer of Friddle and Co.’s home at 8142 Sangiovese Drive requested the Energy Star certification. Energy-saving features the builder used include a closed crawlspace, cellulose insulation, caulking of joints and studs, and foaming and sealing of windows, Paige Friddle said.
They plan to use the program more. “I just think it’s a better build. It’s more efficient,” Friddle said.
Other energy-friendly features area builders are including in homes on this year’s Parade include maintenance-free exterior materials like vinyl or aluminum soffits and fascia; brick and stone; and cementous shingles.
Gary Silverstein of Silverstein Construction Corp. has two green-certified homes in the Parade this year: 8183 Sanfords Creek Drive and 8185 Sanfords Creek Drive.
Silverstein has been following Energy Star guidelines for more than a decade and started building green when the NAHB program started last year.
His homes embody energy efficiency and sustainability. The house at 8183 Sanfords Creek Drive has a solar water heater; low-flow faucets; dual-flush toilets; carpet and insulation made from recycled materials; a rain barrel to collect rainwater for yard needs; and day lighting to save energy on lights. “On a nice day you really wouldn’t have to turn on a light in the house.”
Both homes have closed crawlspaces, something Silverstein said is a nonnegotiable item for him. Keeping the home’s as airtight as possible prevents moisture problems like mold and mildew and improves the indoor air quality of the living space.
Green building is about a systemwide approach to homebuilding, Silverstein said. “You need to have a broader view of a house and how everything works together.”
— Compiled by Heather L. Modlin
