My name is Paul Gordon. I'm a new home builder based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I want to talk about green building. I'm not the area's foremost expert on the subject---in fact, I'm just getting into it. For the last ten or twelve months I've been reading everything in sight about energy efficient design and green building techniques, and I recently attended a two-day seminar put on by the National Association of Home Builders www.nahb.org called "Green Building for Building Professionals".
I've never been what you'd call a tree hugger. I don't drive a hybrid or compost my poop or even recycle cans (yet). But I do want to build the best home I can build, given my local market and what buyers here will accept and pay for. And I've come to the conclusion that homes built "green" are homes built better.
To me green building is all about producing a great performing home. It's about reducing utilities costs, improving indoor air quality, increasing occupant comfort, and reducing home maintenance and repairs. By producing a home that is cheaper to operate and healthier for it's occupants, you are also producing a home that is better for the environment. Reduced consumption of utilities means less pollution, and I like the idea that I can do something to benefit the environment that will last for decades (or as long as the home I build is standing).
I've watched with fascination the HGTV specials about houses in Arizona with negative electric bills. When I see stuff like that I always wonder 'how much did that system cost?' 'How long would it take to get your money back on something like that?' 'And how well would that sort of thing work in this climate?' There is always a tradeoff. Ultimately there is a limit to what people can and/or will pay. As a homebuilder, I have to weigh my desire to build the best home I can against consumers' desires to purchase a home they can afford. Likewise, homebuyers have to weigh their desire to live in an environmentally friendly, energy conscious, and healthy home against their budget and borrowing capabilities.
In the world of green building, there are many different levels (or shades) of green. How green is too green? How green is green enough? I guess it depends on your level of commitment and the size of your wallet. For one homebuyer, an extra $1,500 for more efficient vinyl windows may be too much to spend. Someone else may have no problem spending $20,000 on a gray water collections system, because they believe it is important for the environment and therefore worth the investment.
At this point, in this market, I think buyers stop short of $20,000 gray water collection systems. But they have heard of green building. They have seen the green peacock on their TVs (this week on NBC) and heard Al Gore talk about our "planet in peril". I believe there is a growing number of people in this area and throughout the country who are starting to think about their personal effect on the planet. If home builders like myself can show them a way they can benefit the earth while benefiting themselves, I'm betting they will do it.
I'd like to talk to anyone interested in building green homes, buying green homes or selling green homes. I'd love to interact with other builders about their green building experiences. And I'd love to talk to owners of recently built new homes about their experiences, especially with regard to the energy saving features in their homes and resulting utility bills. Thank you for reading this post. I hope you'll come back.
