good building...

“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



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.



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


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.



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


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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




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:


“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


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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.



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,”




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?”


FOR MORE INFORMATION,VISIT THE AUSTINENERGY WEBSITE AT WWW.AUSTINENERGY.COM

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