Beazer Homes eyes solar power potential

Only 2 percent of new home construction is considered eco-friendly, but the National Association of Home Builders predicts that number will rise to 10 percent by 2010.

Home buyers, according to recent surveys, continue to struggle with the added cost versus immediate rewards debate when some green products come into play. Energy-saving items like low-flush toilets and insulated windows are relatively low cost and not likely to affect the selling price of new construction. High-end items like solar panels, on the other hand, can help save thousands on energy costs but have a more significant impact to the upfront cost of a home.

Atlanta-based Beazer Homes has built houses with solar panels in California, which produces about 70 percent of all solar energy in the United States.

The national home builder will be looking closely at the results from the Solar Decathlon competition in Washington, D.C. this month when 20 teams from elite colleges around the world will each assemble a zero-energy house and run it completely on solar power.

A sponsor of the Georgia Institute of Technology team, Beazer will help build the 800-square-foot house.

"Our goal is to find practical applications for incorporating solar and other energy-saving technology into our homes in ways that are affordable for our home buyers," said Tony Callahan, senior vice president of planning and design for Beazer Homes.