The trend toward building energy efficient homes is on the rise. It’s estimated that around one third of new construction homes are being designed with one or more energy-saving measures.
Private owners who are thinking about building have a number of compelling reasons to build an energy efficient home. Six of these reasons include:
1) The opportunity to receive a tax credit: The US federal government is taking steps to encourage private owners and developers to build energy efficient homes. It is offering American home owners tax incentives through the Solar Federal Tax Credit program.
Builders/owners of new construction homes can make claims for a number of energy-saving devices installed in the home. Some of these include wind turbine systems, solar energy systems or water heaters and geothermal heat pumps.
Many of these tax incentives are available until at least the year 2016. The hope is that more new home builders will consider including one or more of these “green” systems in their house plans.
2) Reduced monthly expenses: No one wants to spend more money than they have to. Yet many new home builders balk at the idea of installing energy efficient home systems, such as solar. The misconception is that these systems are too expensive.
This may have been true a decade ago. The picture is much different today. Solar energy systems and other “green” measures have advanced in technology. Costs that were once associated with these technologies when they were new have decreased significantly.
Today, when such systems are integrated into a home’s plans right from the design stage, the extra cost is negligible or non-existent. There really is no good excuse not build one or more of these measures into a new house.
Besides not needing to spend extra money on installation costs, measures like photovoltaic (PV) roof integrated solar electric power systems save on monthly expenses. PV draws energy from the sun and converts it into electricity for use throughout the house.
Solar water heaters heat a home’s water with sunlight. Measures like these save literally tens of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a house.
3) More comfortable daily living: Energy-efficiency can be built into a home right from the framing stage. Expandable polystyrene concrete forms and wall sheathing are two examples of modern insulation materials that provide superior energy efficiency.
Such materials hold heat in and keep drafts out of a home better than more traditional materials. This creates a more comfortable interior atmosphere with fewer (or no) temperature variations from room to room. They also help a home maintain a constant temperature throughout the day.
4) Prolonged life of your home: Energy efficient home insulation does more than just keep residents more comfortable. It can also prolong the life of the house, its walls and its structure.
Both sheathing and concrete forms have excellent moisture-resistant properties. This means less water and vapor will penetrate the walls and ceiling. Less water penetration means reduced risk of mold and rot. It’s conceivable that these materials may last the lifetime of the house itself.
5) Increases resale value: Homes with built-in energy-efficiency measures tend to have higher resale value. Even in a sluggish market, such systems and materials give a home far more market appeal than those without. Lower monthly electricity costs and less chance of finding rot in the walls are two persuasive selling points.
6) It’s environmentally conscious: It’s the responsible thing to do in an era where everyone should be thinking about reducing his or her carbon footprint. As it’s already been noted, it costs little or nothing extra to incorporate energy-saving systems and measures into a new construction home.
Builders really have few excuses not to take steps to reduce a house’s carbon footprint. Conserving resources and energy is the right moral decision because it has so many ramifications for future generations.
As more builders continue to build energy efficient homes, the costs associated with many “green” technologies will continue to decrease. This will encourage even more home owners to build energy efficient homes.
It will, like any movement toward change, take some time. However, it’s likely that one day building energy efficient homes will be the new standard.
Shea Real Estate & Investment Group is a full service real estate company servicing beautiful San Diego, California. Let them help you find your dream home today!
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