Green Homes Can Be Affordable - Heather's Home Is Proof
John Wyeth
I'm sure you've heard the argument that building an energy efficient, green home costs substantially more than a home constructed using traditional methods. Until fairly recently this was a true statement but builders specializing in green construction are now able to build efficient green homes that are approximately the same cost as standard constructed homes.
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 $15 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
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
High Efficiency Heating and Cooling System
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS)
Non VOC Interior Finishes
Metal Roof
Rainwater Harvesting
Green Sustainable Products - Trim, Counter tops, Floor Coverings, Finishes, etc.
Fiber Cement Siding
Green Sustainable Products - Counter tops, Trim, Floor Coverings, Finishes, etc.
Proper Shading of Windows and Doors
Energy Star Windows, Doors, Lighting, Appliances
Solar Hot Water System
Organic Landscaping
Rainwater Harvesting
Passive solar design principles are an integral piece of the overall efficiency of Heather's Home. For Texas, this means minimizing sunlight exposure in the summer months and maximizing it in winter months. A reversed scenario would be typical of a high performance design for homes built in more northern climates.
Water is heated by solar panels on the roof. Heating hot water typically accounts for approximately thirty percent of a home's utility bills. Solar systems that power an entire house can be expensive, however, solar hot water systems can be installed for as little as $3,000.
Ferrier Custom Homes uses a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) test to ensure quality control. Raters inspect and test the home during and after construction to verify that the home meets EPA's strict guidelines for energy efficiency. The process includes a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house), a duct blaster test (to test the leakiness of the duct system), and review of a thermal bypass checklist (inspection of common construction areas where air can flow through or around joints and insulation).
If you're looking for proof that green, high performance homes can be built at a comparable cost compared to traditionally constructed homes, look no further than Heather's Home. The innovations and availability of green construction materials and components today are making affordable green home building a reality. Let's hope more home builders begin to ride the affordable green building wave.
http://homegreenhome.info/how-would-you-like-an-affordable-green-built-near-zero-energy-usage-home) Green home building can be affordable if you find the right general contractor using the right products and methods. John Wyeth writes informative articles for homegreenhome.info - a blog about building, financing, powering and living in your http://homegreenhome.info/ green home.
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