Green Building 

 

 

Benefits of Green Building - Custom Homes: Savings, Value, Well-Being / Ehrhard Construction Group 

 

Custom homes don’t merely have an outsized impact on our personal lives, they are also a critical piece of the broader building industry. The National Association of Home Builders reports that as of the first quarter of 2014, housing contributed $2.47 trillion to

gross domestic product.

 

“Since 2005, the green share of new single family residential construction has grown dramatically— increasing from 2% in 2005 to 23% in 2013. This 23% market share equates to a $36 billion market opportunity.” 

 

Savings: Reducing Energy & Water Consumption

 

The typical household spends about $2,150 a year on residential energy bills.

 

LEED-certified / Green homes are: 

 

• Built to be energy-efficient, ensuring that the custom home can be comfortably heated and cooled with minimal energy usage;

• Individually tested to minimize envelope and ductwork leakage;

• Designed to minimize indoor and outdoor water usage;

• Predicted to use an estimated 30 to 60% less energy than a comparable customhome built to International Energy Conservation Code. 

 

Based on the average HERS ratings for each level of LEED certification, these custom

homes could potentially see energy reductions of: 

 

• Up to 30% (for LEED Certified homes)

• Approximately 30% (for LEED Silver homes)

• Approximately 48% (for LEED Gold homes)

• 50-60% (for LEED Platinum homes)

 

LEED for Homes projects must meet ENERGY STAR for custom homes, which can cut energy bills by 20%, saving between $200 to $400 annually, adding up to potentially thousands of dollars saved over the seven or eight years that the typical homeowner lives in a home. Some homes see savings of up to 60%, and energy efficiency in apartments could save $3.4 billion..

 

Value: Green Homes are Dream Homes

 

Researchers found that between 2007 – early 2012, the value of custom homes in California with a green certification label was an average of 9% higher than comparable, non-certified homes. 

 

Consumers ranked green/energy efficiency as their top requirement for their dream 

custom homes 

 

• 60% said that green and energy efficient are amenities they want in their next home

• A 2008 study conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction and USGBC found that the mean price of green custom homes purchased by survey respondents was $296,000; the median was $239,000

 

Green homes can be built for the same cost as — and even less than — conventional 

 

• Sometimes there are upfront costs which on average are 2.4% and can be quickly recouped with the homeowners saving money for the rest of the home's lifespan

• Green custom homes have a higher resale value and are on the market for less time than comparable conventional custom homes. The Earth Advantage Study in 2011 found that, on average, green-certified new custom homes sold for 8% more than non-certified green custom homes. Resales of existing green custom homes sold for an average of 30% more than conventional custom homes

 

Well Being

 

LEED-certified custom homes require proper ventilation, high efficiency air filters and measures to reduce mold and mildew.

 

Trusted

 

Each LEED custom home undergoes onsite inspections, detailed documentation review, and as-built performance testing.

 

Green Custom Home Market

 

• It is estimated that by 2016 the green single-family housing market will represent 26%-33% of the market.

 

Environmental Impact of the Residential Market 

 

• Households use about one-fifth of the total energy consumed in the U.S. each year; the residential sector is responsible for 21% of the nation's carbon dioxide emissions

• Since 1985, residential energy consumption, measured as total energy (i.e., including electricity losses), increased overall by about 34%

• It's expected that by 2016, 90% of all residential custom home construction will have energy efficient features

• To date, more than 1 million ENERGY STAR-qualified homes constructed save consumers an estimated $200 million annually in utility bills

 

Water

 

• Total U.S. residential energy consumption is projected to increase 17 % from 1995 - 2015

• Total residential water use: 29.40 billion gallons per day or 7.1% of U.S. total water use

• Total estimated construction and demolition (C&D) generation amount for residential construction in 2003: 10 million tons. Average residential C&D debris generation rate in 2003: 4.39 pounds per square foot

 

Ehrhard Construction Group is a builder who believes in the importance of reducing your carbon footprint while also delivering you a far more efficient custom home.