Take Note - Affordable Green Home Building Is Possible
In the past and even today most people assume that constructing a green, high performance home will cost you a great deal more than building a traditionally constructed home. Whereas, in the past this was a true statement it is becoming less and less true everyday. Many green builders today are constructing highly efficient, environmentally sound homes at prices in line with homes built employing standard construction methods. Built by Ferrier Custom Homes, Heather's Home is an affordable, three bedroom, 2,000+ square foot home located near Ft. Worth, Texas. The home is incredibly energy efficient - Heather's Home rates in the top one percent of high end Energy Star homes built today. For Heather, that will mean an average monthly heating and cooling bill in the range. And when it comes to summers in Texas, that's saying a lot.
Heather's Home was awarded the highest honor, Gold, in the Energy Value Housing Awards by the National Renewable Energy Lab, The U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Association of Home Builders. Other awards include being the first home in Texas to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and the third home in the United States to gain LEED's Platinum certification. The accolades don't stop there - it was the first home in the U.S. to be certified under the recently more stringent American Lung Association's Healthy Home guidelines. Built using the NAHB Green Home Building guidelines, it has been accepted into the Building America Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Some of the more notable green and high performance features of the home are:
Passive Solar Design
Proper Shading of Doors and Windows
Solar Hot Water System
Non VOC Interior Finishes
Fluorescent and CFL Lighting
Non VOC Interior Finishes
Green Sustainable Products - Trim, Counter tops, Floor Coverings, Finishes, etc.
Organic Landscaping
Attic Fan for a "Thermo-Siphoning" Effect
Metal Roof
High Efficiency Heating and Cooling System
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS)
A key factor that lends to the overall efficiency of the home is it's passive solar design. In Texas, and other warm climates the passive solar principles employed by Heather's Home work to reduce sunlight exposure in the summer months while maximizing it in the winter months. A typical passive solar design in more northern climates would see these points reversed.
Studies have concluded that heating a home's hot water for an average family equates to roughly thirty percent of the utility bill. In Heather's Home, water is heated by a solar hot water system which utilizes relatively small solar roof panels. Today, these systems can be installed for as little as 00.
Quality control is ensured using a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) test. The testing occurs during and after construction to make sure that the home meets the stringent guidelines of the EPA for energy efficiency. To ensure that the house is airtight, a duct blaster test is also performed as well as the review of a checklist for thermal bypass.
What's interesting about Heather's Home is that it's economically pragmatic, but it looks good - it's proof that a modern, green, high performance home can be affordable. It now seems clear that going forward, homes can be built green with little or no added cost. There is really no reason that more developers and builders aren't building green - at least no good reason. So start spreading the word building green doesn't have to cost more.
