By KRISTY EPPLEY RUPON
krupon@thestate.com
David Watkins doesn’t consider himself a tree hugger. Yet he is building arguably the greenest home in Columbia – triple certified with solar panels that plug into his heating and air unit. As a builder, Watkins wants to be on the cutting edge of the industry. Several years ago, he built one of the Midlands’ first green neighborhoods – Shumaker’s Wellesley in Lexington. Now he’s spending an extra $40,000 so his new 3,200-square-foot Kings Grant home can become the first to win the highest-level certification from the nation’s strictest green-building rating agency.
But green building is a fast-moving target.
“This house in five years probably is not going to be that special,” he said. “Things are changing so fast.”
That is saying a lot for a community that had virtually no green home building just four years ago. Few in the industry in the Midlands knew what green building was, even as customers began asking for it. Since then, the Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia has created a green building council, and 167 homes in the Columbia area have been certified green by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, commonly referred to as LEED.
Most of the green-certified homes are in the Columbia Housing Authority-subsidized Rosewood Hills neighborhood. “People are realizing they are going to save a lot of money on operating the building,” said Trish Jerman, manager of energy efficiency and outreach for the S.C. Energy Office. “That puts upfront costs in a different perspective.”
Building a green home can be more costly, depending on the materials used.
But energy bills will be significantly reduced — and in some cases, the power company could end up paying the homeowner. Watkins will spend about $12.50 per square foot more on the 3,200-square-foot home in Kings Grant than if he had built it without green features, but he expects to cut his monthly power bill by 75 percent.
The home will include 12 solar panels for heating and air and two for water heating; rainwater collectors; a recycled glass kitchen countertop; and toilets with two flushing options to reduce water waste.Watkins will have a thermostat that tells him with the touch of a button how much he is saving. And his electric meter will allow him to sell power he harnesses with his solar panels — but does not use — back to S.C. Electric & Gas.
The home’s market value would be about $580,000, although Watkins’ cost is lower because the construction company where he’s a vice president is building the home.He is moving from a 3,000-square-foot home in Heathwood that was built in the 1940s, where his typical electric bills ranged from $400 to $600. With the new 3,200-square-foot home, Watkins is expecting bills in the $100 to $150 range. And if he adds a few more solar panels a year for the next few years, he could end up with no power bill, he said.
Watkins is trying to earn enough green points for the Midlands’ first “platinum” LEED-certified home. Points are earned by using energy-efficient appliances, creating a tight seal around the home, using nearby building materials and recycling leftover materials; platinum is the highest of four levels.
Costs for green products have come down as environmentally friendly building becomes more popular, industry experts said.
Mark Bostic, a Columbia home plans designer who moved into his new green home a year ago, said the industry is changing rapidly. As he was building his home, he had to ask his paint supplier for special green options, he said. Now, all the suppliers have environmentally friendly products to offer. The biggest part of going green is for builders to change the way they think about building by sealing and insulating the home so it is energy efficient. And builders are starting to get it, Bostic said.
“Now that everybody has done a few, it’s starting to become a little bit more the norm,” he said. “They’re not so afraid of it now.”
Green Guidance
Going green is not as hard as homeowners might think. Here are some tips from Trish Jerman of the S.C. Energy Office:
• Get a home energy audit, which runs around $400-$600. This will show you where the big energy leaks are and give you a detailed list to work from.
• Take care of the big energy gaps first. Then, mark smaller items off the list as you can afford it.
• Solar water heating gives you the most bang for your buck.
• If you are adding a new heating-and-air unit, consider buying one that is solar ready for an extra $100-$200. You can add solar panels — which could range from $3,000 to $30,000 depending on the size of the home — as you can afford them.
• If you want your home certified green, check the guidelines before you start building. Most programs insist on inspections from the beginning of the project.
Tax breaks
• Homeowners can get a federal tax credit for 30 percent of the cost of installing solar and 25 percent from the state. See energystar.gov.
• A federal tax credit of 30 percent for making energy-efficient improvements to your home is set to expire at the end of this year. See energystar.gov.
• The city of Columbia recently began a program offering rebates to residents who build certified green homes by the end of 2012. See columbia.sc.gov or call Robert Harkins at (803) 545-3427.
Kristy Eppley Rupon
© 2010 TheState.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.thestate.com
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