Green Buildings Attracting More Interest
CARY, N.C. - While housing prices continue to tank nationwide and new construction numbers stall, one segment is actually starting to turn up.
“Green building” projects are starting to get more attention, and builders are taking notice.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, structures account for two-thirds of the country’s energy consumption, and almost a third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, raw materials and waste.
Because of that, the idea of energy efficient homes that leave less of an environmental footprint is starting to take off.
“I’ll tell you, in the Triangle area you have a very very sophisticated buyer, and if any place in the country it’s going to work, I believe it will work here,” said Dan Tingen, with Tingen Construction.
In fact, right now, the laws of supply and demand are leaving a lot of consumers out in the cold.
The market is definitely demanding more green houses but for a lot of construction companies, that means they still have to figure out exactly what that entails.
In Cary, that’s the very reason for a house that Tingen Construction is building; they’re going to make it as green as they can, to get a feel for what works, and how much it will cost.
“We’re looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 additional extra dollars,” said Tingen.
Aside from using recycled and recycle-able materials, Tingen is going out of the way to install a more efficient water heater, thermostat, windows, and insulation.
“Let me point out one of the ways you can tell it right here,” said Tingen, standing at a patio door. “We’ve got a spray foam insulation that’s put in here between the door and the framing, you’ll also notice the caulking right here.”
And that’s just on the inside.
“We’re using drought-tolerant plants where we can. We’re very focused on how our irrigation system functions,” said Tingen.
Officials of the Home Builders Association for Raleigh-Wake County say projects like this will pay off.
“The customers are now recognizing yes it will cost a little bit more, but I’ll be saving a lot more money as time goes on,” said Executive Vice President Tim Minton.
The house was one of 40 featured in a tour of green homes earlier this month.
The number of construction companies working on plans like this has jumped up a lot in the last year: the Green Home Builders of the Triangle now has more than 180 members.
