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Going Green, Builder's Push Efficiency
Appear in: Builder and Developer, June 2002, Vol 12, Number 5
The Building Industry Institute requires that new homes be 15 percent more energy efficient than Title 24 requirements.
The Green Building phenomenon was born in California during the energy crisis of the late 1970s. In that climate, the government imposed requirements like Title 24, and builders began to slowly adopt more stringent energy efficiency standards as public demand for greener communities rose.
However, it was last year’s California energy crisis that catapulted the issue permanently onto the front burner. It has become a major trend among today’s production builders, who are adopting new California green building guidelines established in late 2001 by the Building Industry Institute.
“The public’s discontent with spiking energy prices has made green building a priority with many California builders who are using the new guidelines as a response to consumer complaints and concerns,” says Mike Dwight, vice president of Forecast Homes, one of state’s first green builders. “Because we are placing greater emphasis on our natural resources, we think that building green is the right thing to do.”
Forecast Homes realized that in an era of increasing energy costs, more regulations are going to be mandated. Therefore, it implemented standards early on to benefit both the company and homebuyers. “In many jurisdictions, a green builder who builds to ComfortWise standards is offered incentives in fast tracking, given quicker inspections and may even see reduced fees, since most cities and counties want energy efficient communities and cleaner job sites,“ Dwight says.
ComfortWise is an energy efficient design, on-site diagnostics and inspection program to improve the quality and comfort of new homes.
“Because we are principally an entry-level builder offering FHA and VA financing, our buyers especially value the impact of energy efficiency on their mortgage program, which allows them to count their energy savings as income and helps them qualify for loans or purchase more home,” Dwight says. “For many of our buyers, every penny counts when trying to buy a new home, so $40 to $50 saved each month through the reduced costs of an energy efficient home is a substantial amount of money.”
California Green Builder Standards
The BII’s voluntary California Green Builder Program requires new homes to be 15 percent more energy-efficient than the Title 24 requirements, in accordance with the organization’s Community Energy Efficiency Program, or CEEP. In addition to setting new standards for the homes, the program also establishes guidelines for the entire job site, with an eye on improving air quality, diverting waste from landfills and conserving water. The new standards detailed at the BII web site (www.thebii.org), include:
- Energy: Participate in the Community Energy Efficiency Program or, if building in an area not participating in CEEP, meet the CEEP requirements;
- Air Quality: Reduce air emissions by building to an Energy Star Homes efficiency level;
- Waste Recycling: Fifty percent of job site waste diversion from land fills. Where recycling and diversion are not available, builders agree to adopt the Building Industry Institute Waste Recycling Guidelines and work with local jurisdictions to overcome market barriers; and
- Water Conservation: Twenty-five percent decrease in water use compared to a typical 1980s home.
Greener Pastures at Rancho Vista II
Forecast Homes currently has five new home communities participating in the California Green Builder Program and plans to have all future projects certified under the BII standards.
Rancho Vista II, Forecast’s entry-level new home neighborhood in Palmdale, Calif., is one of the developer’s showcase green builder communities.
“Because Palmdale has a hot, dry climate, homes there typically use a lot of energy because of the high use of air conditioning, “Dwight says. “We decided that Rancho Vista II would be an ideal candidate for green building status. To make the homes more energy efficient, we are installing spectrally selective glass, which dramatically reduces the amount of solar heat entering the home. We are also installing tight ducts to prevent leakage, and have agreed to two additional ComfortWise inspections to ensure that the ducts are installed correctly.”
In complying with the California Green Builder Program, Dwight says, the entire job site is more environmentally clean and efficient including a waste recycling program that ensures recycling of all drywall, cardboard, wood and concrete.
Forecast Homes promotes low water use in both the private and common areas of the neighborhood by landscaping with low water demand vegetation. The company also installs a drip irrigation system that uses 50 percent less water than the traditional pop-up irrigation system.
Speaking of Water
While rolling blackouts made front page news during last year’s energy crisis, and have fueled growth in green builder programs, it is the shortage of water from coast to coast that is now making headlines. With some level of drought affecting the majority of the country and no relief in sight, communities are seeking answers on how to conserve water. For builders, that means opting for low-flow toilets and showerheads, xeriscaping and low water demand vegetation.
Knowing that a lack of water could result in moratoriums and lost growth, many owners within the multifamily building industry have taken water conservation to a new level by installing low-flow plumbing fixtures and water submeters in individual apartment units. Additionally, implementing water-billing programs has proven to lower water consumption.
“By establishing a utility billing system, multifamily owners have been able to substantially cut utility consumption and at the same time shield themselves from the dramatic cost fluctuations associated with shortages,” says David Elowe, founder of Ocius, based in Chicago, Illinois, a real estate billing and transaction service.
“The National Apartment Association has conducted studies that indicate that submetered properties use between 18 and 39 percent less water. When residents pay for their own water, they tend to use much less, plus they are more likely to have repairs on leaky faucets done more quickly” Elow says.
Tied into water conservation is the issue of wastewater. Across the country, wastewater infrastructure is tained and moratoriums are being discussed, says Elowe. “If water usage at a property is lowered by 18 to 39 percent, that property’s wastewater flow is lowered at the same rate, which avoids overtaxing of local wastewater infrastructure and treatment plants, “ Elowe says.
Submetering offers a multitude of benefits to both the community and property owners. With the severe shortfall of housing in states such as California, Elowe feels that it is imperative that building moratoriums be avoided. Submetering benefits tenants because they pay for exactly what they use, and owners benefit because they are able to recover water and sewer costs, and improve their bottom line.
Submetering is an especially cost effective tool in regions such as Southern California, where the high cost of property makes it difficult for multi-family developers to offer affordable housing. For example, the average multifamily property within the United States has 285 units, and a typical water bill runs about $24 to $30 per unit. A 25 percent reduction in water usage, which is typical in submetered properties, can save the owner approximately $25,000 per year.
In a time of diminishing natural resources and rising costs for water and energy, it is critical that single-family and multi-family builders contribute to energy efficient building methods and water conservation efforts in order to improve the environment, conserve precious resources and prevent mandated building moratoriums.
For More information on the California Green Builder Program, please contact energy consultant ConSol at 209.474.8446.
For more information on submetering contact Ocius at (312) 850-3500.
To contact Forecast Homes, please call (909) 987-3766 or visit www.forecasthomes.com.
By Carol Ruiz
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