Builders pursuing ‘green’ features

It's no secret that Southern Nevada's blast-furnace summers make air conditioners work hard.

But the design of many homes forces air conditioners to work harder than they have to, a reality that shows up in energy consumption and those eye-popping power bills.

But there's a fix: a "conditioned" attic, in which the insulation is installed along the roof instead of above the ceiling.

The attic, instead of reaching temperatures around 150 degrees, stays within about five degrees of the temperature inside the house, making it easier to pump cool air through the ducts.

That's one of the features of a group of homes that are the first to be certified under the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership.

It sets standards for energy use, water consumption and the use of recycled and renewable construction materials.

Five builders have joined the program so far:

•Pulte Homes.

•Pinnacle Homes.

•R/S Development.

•Signature Custom Homes.

•Signature Homes.

The program offers a seal of approval so that consumers know a "green" home meets certain standards, said Monica Caruso, director of public affairs for the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association.

"You can't just go out and market it and say you're green," she said. "We will have more."

A new subdivision by Pulte Homes near Rainbow Boulevard and West Ann Road in northwest Las Vegas was recognized last week as the first to be certified as "green-built" homes.

The environmentally friendly features include:

• "Blown-in" insulation made from cellulose (such as recycled newspaper) instead of fiberglass. Such insulation is denser and leaves fewer gaps than fiberglass insulation.

• Energy-efficient air conditioners, furnaces and appliances.

• Treated windows that block the flow of heat into and out of the home.

• Efficient plumbing fixtures and landscaping designed for low water use and minimal runoff.

The home builders association oversees the green building partnership and developed the guidelines while working with the Portland, Ore.-based Green Building Initiative.

Although efforts toward green residential building have been under way for some time, and the Green Building Initiative lists programs in 10 other metro areas besides Las Vegas, residential building has a long way to go when it comes to going green.

A survey last year by the National Association of Home Builders found only 0.3 percent of U.S. homes met "green" environmental standards.

Pulte's subdivision has 78 homes, 20 of which are sold or under construction.

"That's extraordinary in this market," said Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. "It's something that I believe is caused as a result of the community having been educated that there is value to green, there is value to sustainability."

The homes aren't cheap, but they are in line with local real estate prices.

The 2,500-square-foot model starts at $328,000, and the largest model, at 3,800 square feet, starts at just under $400,000.

"It's very competitive. These are big, family homes," said Sasha Jackowich, public relations manager for Pulte Homes. "There are condo communities that sell for that."

Councilman Steve Ross, who represents fast-growing Ward 6 and is secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council, said more homes will be built using the guidelines because consumers are interested.

"I think they see the light. As long as it's affordable to build, I believe home builders will go in that direction," he said.

Signature Custom Homes President Brian Plaster agrees.

His company was the first to sign onto the program in June. He said Las Vegas is late in joining the party.

"In other markets, if you're not building green, you're not selling," he said.

Still, he understands why it might take time for some builders to join: "In a down market, why would you do anything to increase the cost of your homes?"

For one thing, the construction cost increase is small: in the neighborhood of 3 percent to 5 percent, according to his company's Web site.

Also, the end result is a home that's more attractive.

His company plans to start construction on 70 green-certified homes in North Las Vegas later this year.

The homes will range from 1,800 to 2,200 square feet and sell for $250,000 to $300,000, Plaster said.

"I think it will become the standard over time," he said. "In five to 10 years, people aren't going to think about building green. They're just going to think about building homes."

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate @reviewjournal.com or (702) 229-6435.