I really lke the way they put the panels on top of the trellis instead of the roof. Less obtrusive and easier to clean and repair.
Green construction starting to take hold
By John F. Wasik
Bloomberg News
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2005
Solar panels top a trellis at one of Pardee Homes' developments in San Diego. Even though it's still a tiny part of the overall market, green homebuilding has risen 50 percent since 2004.
Will green homes perk up the U.S. housing market?
When there are more than 4 million unsold houses, builders and sellers cut prices or add value. Green homes that offer energy efficiency and power production follow the value path.
Yet properties that produce their own power and save energy will never make economic sense until they pay for themselves and are marketed as ways to lower ownership expenses and to build equity in declining markets.
Not only do green homes save people money over time by reducing power and heating bills, they can reduce water usage, improve indoor-air quality and give owners a competitive edge when they need to sell their houses.
Even though it's still a tiny part of the overall market, green homebuilding has risen 50 percent since 2004, according to the National Association of Home Builders, a Washington-based trade group.
More than 97,000 such homes have been built since the mid-1990s. According to the association, about 35,000 of them will be built this year out of a projected 1.5 million total housing starts.
This niche will be significant if it grows at an annual rate of 5 percent to 10 percent by 2010, as the trade group predicts. New-home construction may not return to the 2006 level of more than 2 million units until 2011, it says.
Power-producing properties are starting to take hold in California, where electricity rates are high relative to the rest of the country.
In Danville, Calif., a new Lennar development features Mediterranean-style homes that will all have solar-power panels. Lennar plans to build 375 solar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Lennar solar installations partially pay for themselves because local power rates range from 8.7 cents per kilowatt hour during off-peak periods to an exorbitant 29 cents at peak times during the hottest part of the day.
"If there is excess electricity during peak times, the residents will be credited at peak rates," says Les Lifter, vice president of marketing for Lennar.
On an annual basis, the home can cut electricity bills in half, Lifter estimates.
Green power in an upscale home will cost you dearly in Danville. For $1.4 million, for example, Lennar can build you a 3,800-square-foot, two-story home with five bedrooms, 4 ½ bathrooms, an office and a "technology" area with a two-car garage.
The house also includes a security system, intercom, high-speed Internet, home theater, energy-efficient windows, high-efficiency air-conditioning and in-wall pest control. The median home price in the area is about $750,000.
Can green building be both energy-conscious and affordable? The area around Sacramento may be the prime place to watch.
Premier Homes Properties of Roseville, Calif., sells zero-energy homes equipped with solar panels, tankless water heaters and additional insulation.
While their homes cost $40,000 to $90,000 more than other houses in the area, the builder says Premier's properties offer utility bills that are 60 percent less than conventional homes.
Premier tells buyers they can be "cash-flow-positive" for the additional money spent on their homes in a month due to lower power bills. Their home prices range from $250,000 to $450,000.
Just like many owners of houses with home-energy-producing technology, Premier customers also benefit from a $2,000 federal-tax credit for solar appliances. There are also several incentives from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the public electrical company.
In an area where monthly summer electrical bills of $500 are possible, the chance for saving on power is attracting buyers in a lackluster market, the builder says.
"The homes are easier to sell if the energy features are included," says John Ralston, vice president of sales and marketing for Premier, noting that the solar panels are integrated into the home and not offered as an option in their ProEnergy communities.
"It's less expensive for us, and the cost per house goes down."
If you are paying a premium for a green home, you will need to know the payback period for environmental features and how much it will enhance your resale value, if at all.
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