Sun Rising in Central Florida New Homes

Today there are state and national green-building certifications and a burgeoning new g-commerce of green products. There are green builders, green homes and entire green communities.

Even the controversial $700 billion financial rescue package from Congress included renewable energy tax credits for homeowners.

Moreover, the Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando (HBA) has provided leadership on the issue, forming a Green Building Committee and sponsoring an array of industry-specific educational programs.

As well it should. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, Florida’s per-household consumption of electricity is among the highest in the nation due to the heavy use of air-conditioning.

The Center also notes that since 160,000 new homes are built in Florida each year, the potential for making an impact by adopting green-building practices is tremendous.

That’s why what Rey Homes and AllSolar are doing at VillaSol in Kissimmee is so important. According to Patrick de la Roza, sales and marketing manager for Rey Homes, the next phase of VillaSol is the first new single-family neighborhood in Central Florida to go entirely solar. The solar water heaters being showcased at the community are standards, not options, he notes.?

“VillaSol is one of only four communities in Florida that has solar water heaters,” de la Roza says of the five-year-old community. Plans are already in the works to add about 45 solar townhomes after the single-family homes are complete, he adds.

The community is also touting its solar electric technology in the community’s common areas and has begun to introduce solar electric as an option for pre-construction homes.?

“We try to differentiate our company with things that give back to the homeowner and to the environment with features that build sustaining value,” says de la Roza.

AllSolar and Rey Homes, both HBA members, saw an opportunity to be proactive and to make use of a government grant to launch a $750,000 promotional effort touting solar energy, especially solar water heaters.

Thanks to the grant, David E. Bessette, president of AllSolar and current president of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association, and Aldo Martin, president of Rey Homes, are sponsoring educational events and reaching out to builders and schools to preach the virtues of green building with an emphasis on harnessing the sun’s energy.

Bessette says the new federal incentives, coupled with the existing tax credits and rebates, makes incorporating solar energy even more affordable. That means a two-kilowatt photovoltaic system (solar electricity) that would cost about $18,000 installed can now be bought for about $10,000.

“Basically, you can get solar right now for about 50 percent of the price,” Bessette says.

Bessette adds that the solar water heaters at VillaSol only cost the homeowner about $2,000 after incentives and rebates. In addition, he says, OUC credits the homeowner three cents per kilowatt hour for every kilowatt hour the system is operating.

“Not only are these systems affordable, but they start paying off the first month of owning your home,” Bessette says. “If you install a solar water heater with new construction, it’ll add about $22 to your mortgage each month but it’ll reduce your utility bill by $40 each month.”

Tracy DeCarlo, who has been in the building industry for 15 years, is owner of One Stop Green Home Certification, a company dedicated to helping builders balance green certification efforts with maintaining a profit.?

She’s also a Florida Green Building Coalition Certifying Agent, a Green Home Verifying Agent for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a Certified Green Professional (CGP) and co-chair of the HBA’s Green Building Committee.

She says that with the growing popularity of green building, she’s seen more awareness than ever from clients and builders regarding improving indoor air quality. “The main point is creating a tight building envelope,” she notes.

DeCarlo believes that some compelling statistics are prompting people to be more conscious of the health risks in their homes.

For example, the EPA has found that the levels of air pollution inside the home can be three to five times higher than outside the home. And the American Lung Association reports that 42.3 million Americans are affected by asthma or hay fever, which is made worse by poor indoor air quality.

Calling it an “opportunity to improve,” DeCarlo says more and more products are becoming available that don’t “outgas”—that is, don’t release VOC and compound chemicals in the form of gasses.

For example, an array of low-VOC paint and low-VOC carpet is available. Even the adhesive for carpet padding and flooring, which has been found to be toxic by EPA investigators, is now available in low-VOC caulks and sealants.

There are also low-VOC furniture and fabrics, DeCarlo notes.

“People can make a bigger difference in their indoor air quality than they could before,” she says. “Builders can be the heroes here by asking the right questions before construction. If they do, they can keep the home free from the allergens.”?

Greg Hardwick, owner of Hardwick General Contracting and chairman of the HBA’s Green Building Council, agrees. “Energy efficiency is the easiest aspect to sell. It’s the easiest for the client to understand and visualize.”

Nevertheless, Hardwick works at educating clients on all sustainable building practices. He even has them review his checklist for green building options, from toilets to countertops to indoor air quality.

Hardwick sees the importance of indoor air quality taking even a larger role as the movements toward green building and certified aging-in-place construction become more intertwined.

He says he’s currently working on a project in Winter Park in which the clients are concerned about three things: low maintenance, energy efficiency and aging-in-place accommodations.?
Hardwick says these related concerns will become more prevalent, especially for retirees who want to keep their energy bills low, have fewer repairs and be able to live out their lives in comfort and in their existing homes.

The rising status of green building is also demonstrated by the fact that the HBA’s Green Building Committee now boasts a membership of 107.

Even more encouraging, he adds, is that the 2009 Parade of Homes will feature a dedicated green and sustainable projects category as well as categories for energy efficiency and water conservation.

In the quintessential green community of Harmony, located in south Osceola County, progress continues to be made on the green and sustainable front, according to Shad Tome, president of Harmony Development Company.

In the past few months, the 11,000-acre community earned green certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition. In addition it opened up a new K-8 school built using state-of-the-art green technology and received an Audubon Certification for its Harmony Golf Preserve.

Tome says the community is also exploring use of alternative energy systems at the community. Among the efforts: connecting 50-gallon rain barrels to downspouts for irrigation as well as use of wind turbines and solar water heaters.

Tome believes the legacy of green building and living a green lifestyle is paramount to our future.
“We need to keep it sustainable and keep it going in perpetuity long after we’re gone,” he says.

More Info

The Florida Green Building Coalition
The Florida Green Building
Coalition (FGBC), a nonprofit organization, offers certification for homes,
developments and commercial buildings as well as governmental entities.
www.floridagreenbuilding.org

The National Green Building Program
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has launched a national certification program and offers guidance to builders who want to construct green homes.
www.nahbgreen.org

The Certified Green Professional
NAHB announced another
green initiative during the International
Builders Show—the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation.
www.nahbgreen.org

Energy Star
Energy Star, which was established by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in 1992, is a voluntary labeling program that promotes energy-efficient homes, commercial buildings and products ranging from appliances to computers.
www.energystar.gov.

LEED for Homes
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes.
www.usgbc.org