Builder - February 2009 - (Page 41) GREEN HOUSE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, PRODUCTS & SALES ■ EDITED BY RICH BINSACCA CLASSICG REEN: Creekstone relies on its location and what builder/developer Don Shepherd describes as distinct traditional architecture to get buyers interested, then wows (and hopefully closes) them with its high-performance features. Inside: 42 Reading Labels Sustainability labels give buyers the facts 44 Just Rewards Solar credits may pave the way for green mortgages PLUS MORE > > Tax Boost H omes with geothermal heating and cooling systems (GHPs), which leverage the Earth’s constant temperature at certain depths as a thermal exchanger to lower operating costs and fossil fuel use, can earn their owners a tax credit under the Energy Improvement and Extension Act passed by Congress last fall as part of the economic recovery package. The one-time allowance permits a writedown of 30 percent of the total investment for residential ground loop or groundwater GHP up to $2,000 for a single residence. The system must GREEN ACHIEVEMENTS photos: left: Mike Hickey; right: courtesy ecr technologies Volunteer Effort Akamai Construction seeks the NAHB’s National Green Building Certification for its 263-home community in Franklin, Tenn. F ranklin, Tenn., near Nashville, is known for its educated and high-income citizenry, a hotbed of achievers. So when the principals at Akamai Construction decided to develop and build a 263-home, mixed-type community on 51 acres there, they cleverly combined the sophistication of their target market with the rising concern over energy prices and general interest in ecofriendliness that such buyers typically possess. “What drives their buying decision is a superior product,” says Akamai principal Don Shepherd. “They are excellent stewards of their investments and look for efficiency and performance.” From that demographic profi le, Shepherd, along with business partner Ken Choate, mapped out the community, called Creekstone, to encompass 113 single-family homes, 42 townhouses, and 108 condominium units—all of which they plan to build to a Gold rating under the NAHB’s National Green Building Certification Program. “The NAHB is gaining ground [on the LEED for Homes rating system] because of how they administer the program,” says Shepherd. He and Choate will evaluate the ANSI-approved National Green Building Standard and rating system for the multifamily section once (see page 42) that program is established. meet Energy Star requirements and be installed after Dec. 31, 2007 to qualify for the tax credit. Visit www.thomas.loc.gov. Book Club U SGBC and Island Press have launched GreenWorks, an online book club that off ers green building ▶ W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM f ebrua ry 2 0 0 9 BUILDER ■ 41 http://thomas.loc.gov http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM
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