Building homes ready for solar energy makes sense

The policies set by local governments can do much to move us toward sustainability. We do not have to wait for national regulations to change the way we build or rebuild the homes in our communities. There is much to be done and, with the political gridlock in Washington, local action is our best hope for meaningful change.

One example occurred recently in Boulder County, Colo. The area has long been on the leading edge of environmental awareness and action. This month, its forward-looking board of commissioners adopted new building codes for energy efficiency, while adding requirements that all new homes be wired for electric vehicles and solar panels. This does not mean the new homes must be equipped with solar panels or charging stations, but they will at least be prewired so that those systems will be easier and less costly to add when the homeowner is ready. I refer to this as a solar-ready home.

I have long promoted the concept of solar-ready communities to local builders, with little success. The cost of installing some extra conduit during construction is minimal. Designing new communities with roofs that are better able to accommodate solar arrays is not difficult. Neither would add significantly to the cost but the potential value of a solar-ready home should be apparent to anyone.

For example, according to Mike Salisbury, transportation program associate at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project and an advocate to Boulder County for the amendment, "Prewiring for electric vehicles as part of new construction can save the average homeowner $1,000 over the cost of a retrofit outlet for a plug-in vehicle." The savings for installing a solar array could be even more.

Electric vehicles will soon become mainstream. My experience shows that the combination of a solar-powered home and car can save thousands of dollars a year. My investment in solar is returning nearly 20 percent a year when factoring the savings from electricity and gasoline. No drilling, no noise, no carbon, no pollution, no time pumping gas and no electric bills.

We must think about the long-term effect of today's decisions and plan for a carbon-restrained, climate-challenged world. We can learn from Boulder County's example and take it even further. For example, it passed a related resolution that lays out the county's intention to move toward a net-zero energy requirement for new residential construction by 2022. Why wait? We should do that now. Not because it sounds like a good idea, but because it is the best way to build a comfortable, affordable home.

Jim Meyers, director of the buildings program at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, put it this way. "The upshot of the commissioners' decision to adopt the latest energy conservation codes is that buyers of new residences will enjoy extraordinary comfort and very low utility bills." Energy savings can pay for the added cost when rolled into the mortgage, providing value to the buyer from Day One.

Whether we're talking about upgrading our existing housing stock or building new homes, there are ample opportunities to accelerate the transformation. There are multiple benefits, including reducing our carbon footprint, easing the load on an aging electrical infrastructure, increasing occupant comfort, strengthening our local economy and breathing cleaner air.

The energy we use always comes at a cost. However, the real cost is often hidden. Just look at some aerial images of natural gas fracking fields or mountaintop coal mines and you'll see the damage that's being done. It is all unnecessary. We have what it takes to do better. I think we owe it to the children and those who will follow to make it happen now.

Steve Rypka is a green living consultant and president of GreenDream Enterprises, a company committed to helping people live lighter on the planet. For more information and links to additional resources relating to this column, or to reach Rypka, visit www.greendream.biz.