“Build the house well, build it tightly, keep the water out, and keep
air quality healthy,” he says. “When we can reduce, re-use and recycle,
we have less in landfills, lower home operating costs, increased
comfort and resale value, less maintenance and higher durability. It
just makes sense to build a home that way.”
WHAT IS “GREEN BUILDING”?Though green building per se has been around for a very long time,
it’s only been in the last 10 years or so that the term “green” has
become almost ubiquitous in just about every major magazine and
newspaper across the country – and in our own backyard.
Just take a look at today’s headlines, and it’s easy to see where we’re
headed: energy conservation, using less natural resources, re-using
It really is easy being green, especially when it
comes to building a home. After all, the real
meaning of a “green” home is one that simply
makes good building sense.
Sure, there are solar panels and tankless water
heaters and all kinds of technology and gadgets
that have been thrown around in the media and
elsewhere as “hot” new green building products.
But overall, having a green home is as simple as
building a smart home to begin with.
“In the green building community, there’s a consensus that the
term ‘green’ should go away – because this is the way all homes
should be built,” says Jim Rush, owner of Green Builder, Inc.
“That’s what it’s really all about – building things well.”
Indeed, Austin architect and nationally known green building expert Peter
Pfeiffer of Barley & Pfeiffer Architects calls it “good building science.”
BUILDING CENTRAL TEXAS FALL 2007 9WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM8
Written By Amy E. Lemen
EVERYONE DESERVES A GREEN HOMEAny style of home can be green regardless of budget. Whether you build a new home or remodel one, a green home can be more comfortable, have low utility bills, have healthy interiors and need less maintenance.
Call Austin Energy Green Building at 512-482-5302. www.austinenergy.com
Photos: © 2007 Patrick Y.Wong www.atelierwong.com
Building GreenGOOD BUILDING SCIENCE MEANS A HEALTHIER HOME
Photo Courtesy of A
ustin Energy Green B
uilding © 2007 Patrick Y. W
ong ww
w.atelierw
ong.com
Green home maintenance for big impactThis season, start greening your home with everyday, common-sense maintenance tips. They’re easy, efficient and won’t costmuch – and your overall home energy costs will likely be loweredthis fall. Look for home maintenance tips throughout this article,and make it a “green” fall.
Photo Courtesy of Atmos Energy
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:27 PM Page 8
where possible – from plastic bags and water
bottles to reclaimed building materials – and
healthier indoor air quality.
And that doesn’t include the influx of wildly
popular books and films that have made an
impact on our collective consciousness about
simpler, healthy living and taking action – like
Sarah Susanka’s (author of The Not So Big
House), The Not So Big Life.
In the end, it’s much more than simply
building a house that’s healthy – it’s an entire
philosophy that makes a big impact in many
different areas. Ray Tonjes, who has been
building green homes in Austin since 1983
and who is chairman of the National
Association of Home Builder’s (NAHB’s) Green Building
Council, says it’s an attitude.
“Everyone’s looking for the golden answer or the latest product, but
it’s about making decisions based on awareness,” he says. “When a
whole community changes, it’s a big effect. It’s much more than
sticks and bricks and use of electricity.”
MORE THAN A STRUCTURETake Austin Energy Green Building, the first municipal green building
program in the country that’s become the starting point for similar
initiatives nationwide since its beginnings in the 1980s.
In a nutshell, the Austin Energy Green Building guidelines cover six
key areas: energy efficiency (energy-efficient water heaters and air
conditioning units, for example); testing (ensuring that the air
WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM10
Courtesy of Austin Energy Green Building ©2007 Patrick Y. Wong www.atelierwong.com
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:30 PM Page 10
BUILDING CENTRAL TEXAS FALL 2007 13WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM12
conditioning unit is the right size for the home, for example –
many times units are oversized by 120 to 130 percent, result-
ing in huge energy bills); water efficiency (using conserva-
tion principles, for example); materials efficiency (an
emphasis on recycled and alternative building materials);
health and safety (indoor air quality, for example); and com-
munity (proximity to public transportation, recreation and
services, for example).
“Our goal is to build 20 percent better than code – better than
what’s required,” says Dick Peterson, a member of Austin Energy
Green Building’s residential team.
Homes are rated based on a points system, but not all the points
have to do with the structure itself.
“Being able to walk to a nearby grocery store, whether there’s a
hike-and-bike trail nearby, and whether there’s a bus stop nearby
are also included,” says Peterson. “The more we can save
through conservation efforts by using less energy overall, the
better off we are.”
THE COST OF BUILDING GREENThe energy you save is the energy you don’t use. Sounds simplistic,
but it’s true. Build a home that uses energy efficiently, and your
overall home operating costs will be lower.
Maintenance Tip: Buy a tube of caulk and seal windows and doors.
Photo Courtesy of Atmos Energy
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:31 PM Page 12
industry difficulties, this added cost could
make a difference between who qualifies for
a loan and who doesn’t.
Some of Centex’s regular green building
practices include low-E double-paned energy
efficient windows, “rightsizing” the air
conditioning by plan design so it fits the
size of the house and doesn’t waste energy,
stringent testing to ensure the house is as
“tight” as possible, options for radiant
barrier and radiant roof decking, Forestry
Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified
sustainable lumber, and low-volatile organic
compound (VOC) paints.
“We do a lot to create a tight home,” says
Thomason. “It’s one of the best things
you can do from an energy conservation
standpoint.”
With a strong target market of first-time
homebuyers, Thomason says much of the
dilemma between the higher costs associated
with greener building while still building an
affordable home could be resolved with
more support from the mortgage and
appraisal industry.
For example, home appraisals are based
on what’s comparable, but if there’s nothing
comparable within the competitive
market area with, say, a home that has a
high-SEER HVAC system or insulated
attic space, the final appraisal number is
anyone’s guess. It’s the Catch-22 of greener
homebuilding.
“The mortgage and appraisal industry
need to recognize the value of lower
monthly payments due to using less ener-
gy – and thus lower energy bills – and
take that into account when calculating
how much a homebuyer can afford,” says
Thomason.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT – AND WORKING TOGETHERStudies have shown that entry level buyers
BUILDING CENTRAL TEXAS FALL 2007 15WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM14
Many builders are taking that into consid-
eration when it comes to building new
product, but it can cost builders more, in
some cases, to add those greener elements.
For example, the latest version of the 2006
International Energy Conservation Code’s
(IECC’s) City of Austin local amendments
that will go into effect in January 2008
makes many adjustments that call for
greener building practices, but the cost may
be challenging for some builders, especially
larger ones.
“The cost associated with the new code,
according to calculations provided by the
Zero Energy Capable Homes Task Force
members, will be well over $1,000 per
home,” says Tara Thomason, strategic
planning and marketing for Centex
Homes, which has a division office in
Austin and builds more than 1,500 homes
in the area each year in Austin and 35,000
nationwide. “When the market is experi-
encing affordable housing and mortgage
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expect a return on the cost of building green in as little as two years.
With that kind of interest and those expectations, many builders are
supporting the voluntary
compliance with greener
building practices that the
Home Builders Association of
Greater Austin is advocating.
And, the more builders and
homebuyers that support
these green initiatives, the
lower the cost.
“There are many things that we do to be green that add no cost at
all, or that are already accepted building materials,” says Rush. “As
the volume and consumer requests increase, the costs are definitely
going down.
Such requests include attic decking with an attached radiant barrier
that absorbs heat, and awnings over western-facing windows that
reduce solar heat gain so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work
as hard inside the home.
“It’s much cheaper to build a home that consumes less energy than
it is to build a home that tries to be an energy producer through
solar collectors or a wind-powered system on the roof,” says
Pfeiffer.
FINDING THE RIGHT BUILDERIf your dream is to build a green home from scratch, knowing the
right questions to ask is key to finding a builder that’s on the same
page as you are.
That’s certainly a dream for Dara Quackenbush, a public relations
Maintenance Tip:Improve indoor air quality by makingsure fireplace flues aren’t left openin the summer,which lets in humidityand moisture.
Photo Courtesy of Atmos Energy
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:33 PM Page 16
instructor at Texas State University-San Marcos,
and her husband Doug. The couple bought their
first home in Pflugerville in 2001, but their
dream is to build a green home in the Texas Hill
Country. For this couple, it just makes sense.
“I read an article and learned that you could have
a lot of energy efficiency in a home simply by
building and designing it differently, and that’s
what got me started thinking about green building,”
she says. “I think builders, and consumers,
need to be more aware about the
little things that can be done when
building a house to make it more energy
efficient.”
Rush advises doing just as
Quackenbush has – do your research
and get involved. He cites Austin
Energy Green Building’s very popular
quarterly Green By Design Workshop,
which sells out each time it’s offered
(Austin Energy is considering expanding
the class to 300 participants from 160
due to demand; the next class is in
January 2008).
“The whole purpose is to educate homebuyers about the home-
building process and what green building can do for them when it
comes to improving the value of their homes,” he says.
The HBA is also a good resource for area green builders, as is Austin
Energy, which has a list on their website. However, Rush says that
since most builders – green or not – are aware of energy-efficiency
BUILDING CENTRAL TEXAS FALL 2007 19WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM18
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At Wilshire Homes we speak your
language. Tell us about your life
and we’ll translate your needs into
the perfect home for your family.
So whether you’re dealing with
frequent houseguests or teenagers
who need their own space, we’ll
make sure that your new home is
exactly suited to you. Want to learn
more? Lets talk.
Start a conversation by visiting
www.wilshire-homes.com/letstalkCourtesy of Austin Energy Green Building ©2007 Patrick Y. Wong www.atelierwong.com
Courtesy of Austin Energy Green Building ©2007 Patrick Y. Wong www.atelierwong.com
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:36 PM Page 18
WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM20
and smart building science, it’s often a matter of telling
your builder and architect what you want.
“If all you say is that you want your home to be as energy-
efficient and healthy at possible, that should start the
dialogue where you can talk about what you want to
achieve,” he says. “As long as the homeowner initiates
the conversation, builders will be eager to follow
through on that.”
GREENING AN EXISTING HOME:REDUCE, RE-USE AND RECYCLEYou can still have a healthier home even if you’re not
building from scratch. In fact, many builders and
remodelers are getting more requests to do so every day as
consumers recognize the value of a healthy, energy-efficient home.
First, if you’re tearing out walls, Pfeiffer advises working with groups
like Habitat for Humanity, which offers a deconstruction service for
a reasonable fee that helps homeowners recycle and re-use as many
building materials as possible.
“Remodeling is really the ultimate in recycling, especially if you can
use as much of the old materials in the new project,” he says.
Pfeiffer says major areas of focus when it comes to retrofitting
an existing home should be reducing solar heat gain through
windows and the attic, and sealing the house so it doesn’t leak
heat and air conditioning out, or in.
Solar heat gain is the vicious cycle that starts when heat from
the sun streams into windows and steams up attics, heats your
home, makes your air conditioner work harder than it needs to,
and shows up in the form of whopper utility bills – month after
month.
Replace incandescent bulbs withcompact fluorescent light bulbswhen they burn out.“Incandescentsgive off 90 percent heat andonly 10 percent light,” saysPeterson.“That’s 90 percent ofenergy wasted that’s heatingyour house and making your airconditioner work that muchharder.”
Maintenance Tip:
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:38 PM Page 20
“Less than 10 percent of our energy consumption is because of the
home’s shell,” he says. “The big things are solar heat gain and infil-
tration of humidity.”
House facing west? Invest in awnings so you still get the light from
the sun, but not the heat. That alone makes a big difference. Also,
if you’re in the market for a new roof, go lighter when it comes to
color, which will reduce heat gain on your home’s exterior.
MORE REASONS TO GO GREEN: GREENBACKS FOR YOU!There are also more incentives to building a green home – or
improving an existing one – than ever before.
For example, Austin Energy electric customers can take advantage
of money-saving rebates when they add resource-saving
features to their homes, including the Home Performance
with ENERGY STAR rebate (up to $1,575 in rebates for air
conditioning, attic insulation, solar screens, caulking and
weatherstripping, plus other bonus rebates up to $650); air
conditioning incentive programs to replace old, energy-draining
A/C units, window units, heat pumps or water heaters; rebates
on the purchase and installation of solar photovoltaic electric
systems; and rebates on solar water heaters.
Not an Austin Energy customer? Don’t hesitate to ask your
electric provider about incentives they may be developing. For
example, both Entergy Texas and Pedernales Electric
Cooperative are offering rebates on energy-efficient HVAC
equipment. Also, many utilities offer free energy audits so you
can identify just where you might be losing efficiency.
For a list of energy rebates statewide, visit the Database of State
Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) website at
BUILDING CENTRAL TEXAS FALL 2007 23WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM22
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Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:41 PM Page 22
WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM24
www.dsireusa.org, where consumers can search by state to find
incentives in their area.
“The more people ask, the more other utilities will offer similar
programs,” says Peterson. “It costs us much less to reduce electrical
use than it does to build a new power plant.”
BEYOND BAMBOO: NEW TECHNOLOGYNew technology and improved building science have also gone a
long way toward making homes healthier.
For example, Austin Energy Green Building values certain building
materials over others, such as reducing the use of lumber by using
I-joists for building, which are made of solid wood at the top and
bottom, but of engineered smaller pieces of wood that are laminated
Maintenance Tip:Pfeiffer says a detached garage is preferable to avoid letting carfumes and chemicals from the garage inside living spaces, but youcan also affect air quality simply by changing the weather strippingaround the door to the garage so it forms a tight seal.
Photo Courtesy of Atmos Energy
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:43 PM Page 24
by pressure and heat in the middle and are just as effective.
Since it’s not a solid chunk of wood, it can be made from smaller,
faster-growing trees.
Factory-built modular construction has been around for years and is
also a preferred green building material, since it’s all pre-built and
there’s almost zero waste.
Also, changes in the Texas Energy Code and the City’s IECC building
codes have made building green the standard, not the exception,
with more checks and balances and inspections to ensure homes are
built more efficiently.
“There have been significant improvements in building science and
that’s meant significant steps for accountability in our industry,”
says Tonjes. “We’re doing a better job of placing mechanical systems
and ensuring the size of A/C units is appropriate, and there’s a
heightened awareness of energy usage.“
LOOKING AHEAD TO A GREENER FUTUREToday’s new building codes are indicative of the future of home-
building, especially in Austin. Builders and the city worked together
recently on the city’s Zero-Energy Capable Home task force, a
partnership between the city, Austin Energy and the HBA.
The goal is to ensure that, by 2015, all average-sized homes (about
2,300 to 2,500 square feet) built in Austin use no more electricity
than would be produced by a typical solar panel system. It’s a level
of energy efficiency that would be about 60 percent more efficient
than homes built to code today. HBA members like Thomason and
Centex provided technical support for Phase One compliance
and plan to participate in future code development toward the
Zero-Energy Capable Home initiative.
“It was nice to come to some agreement on what we could
reasonably do and how we could really make a difference,”
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Photo Courtesy of Atmos Energy
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:44 PM Page 26
says Thomason. “The average home
built today will be 19 percent more
efficient because of this new code.
It’s adding costs to building a home,
but it’s also pushing everyone in
the building industry to be more
efficient.”
From a national perspective, the
NAHB has just launched its own
Green Building Standards initiative,
and local builder associations across
the country are working to create
their own green building initiatives
and rating programs. Thomason from
Centex says that perhaps the biggest
help will eventually come from more
local, state and federal government
incentives to builders for conservation
programs.
“Voluntary compliance works because
most builders want to build green, and
an increasing number of buyers indicate they prefer to buy green
homes,” says Harry Savio, HBA
executive vice president.
In the end, it’s about building a better
home – and a better community – and
that’s just what Austin-area homeowners
want to see.
“Obviously, there is a cost savings
when it comes to energy efficiency
and that’s a big driver,” says
Quackenbush. “I think it’s also the
right thing to do. If you can get the
same benefits at a similar cost, why
not go for it? If energy consumption
is going to be lower because the living
room is in one place versus another,
then why not design the house that
way?”
WWW.AUSTINHOMEBUILDERS.COM28
FOR MORE INFORMATION,VISIT THE AUSTINENERGY WEBSITE AT WWW.AUSTINENERGY.COM
end
Courtesy of Austin Energy Green Building ©2007 Patrick Y. Wong www.atelierwong.com
Fall 2007 HBA-NEW 11/28/07 2:46 PM Page 28