Builder- March 2009 - (Page 42) GREEN HOUSE higher revenues, lower lifecycle costs, lower operating costs, and health benefits. For information, go to http://green source.construction.com/ projects. Panel Pusher and water savings of about $1,000 per year. No one took the green option. “In this market, price trumps everything,” he says. In addition, Toms blames the 10-year return on investment he calculated based on total energy and water savings the green-built home can likely achieve. “People just don’t stay in their homes that long anymore. If it was in the three-year range, it might sway more people.” A faster return on investment will only happen, he says, when manufacturers and building materials P erformance Building Products’ Performance Brick is made of up to 60 percent recycled gypsum and reinforced with high-density polymer materials over an engineered wood substrate. The overlapping and interlocking panels, covering up to 253 square feet each, are connected with a patented fastening system and provide up to a 3 /4-inch of airspace behind the façade to effectively drain moisture and allow air flow. The panels go up without a mason, while a no-repeat pattern and the addition of decorative dealers reach a tipping point and put their green products on the primary production line. “When those items cost less, I can sell the house for less,” he says. The premium to build the model home to the gold rating was about 4.8 percent of its $408,000 price tag—too high for his price-sensitive buyers. Despite a lukewarm reception in terms of sales, Toms is confident the market will eventually come around—and that EGStoltzfus Homes will be well positioned to serve demand for green-built homes. Local electrical rates have been targeted for a 30 percent increase early next year, which Toms anticipates will inspire some action. He also hopes to hone his specs to those that provide a faster payback, such as tankless water heaters and dual-flush toilets and the bulk of his energy-saving package (including the use of precast concrete walls), perhaps off ering a silver option to make the numbers work better for buyers. He’s also now versed in the verification and certification process (which has improved, he says, as more verifiers are trained and available) and sees long-term value in NO CHANGES: “It looks like a normal house, not instituthe NAHBGreen certificate. “It may not tional,” says builder Andy Toms, countering a misperception mean much to a buyer today, but when they that both builders and buyers still have about homes built to go to sell the house, it will mean a lot comgreen guidelines. pared to homes without it.”—R.B. they will begin to see yours,” says Kathe, who holds an MBA but had little experience with construction before Building Alternatives. “My trade contractors helped me understand their work and how it affects the rest of the job.” ▪ Be proactive. Write every idea down, she says, and always look for ways to improve the business and its processes. ▪ Invest in design. Good design never goes out of style, says Kathe, who also feels that a builder with a woman’s perspective brings more value to the planning and design process, including decorating, furniture placement, the functionality of a floor plan, and the energy- and resource-efficient aspects of the fi rm’s work.—R.B. GREEN SUCCESS How to Succeed in Green Building A progressive builder is weathering the current housing climate using eco-friendly systems. mortar applied after installation delivers the look and feel of an authentic job. For more information, visit www. performancebuilding products.net. B ob and Kathe Tortorice of Building Alternatives in Franconia, N.H., focus on providing energy-efficient homes in four states by employing a variety of factory-built and high-performance building components and systems—from panelized and modular to SIPs and ICFs. The firm earned the distinction of building the most energyefficient home in New Hampshire in 2007. Kathe Tortorice offers some sage advice about sustaining a building business, specifically one in the green realm: ▪ Use planning and communication skills. Strategic planning helps to create better projects and buyer expectations, she says, which makes walk-throughs and homeowner education much smoother. ▪ Leverage trade contractors. “If you respect their strengths, TO READ MORE STORIES ON GREEN BUILDING, GO TO W W W.BUILDER ONLINE.COM/GREEN. GOT GREEN PROJECTS, PRODUCTS, OR DESIGNS? E-MAIL DENISE DERSIN AT: ddersin@hanleywood.com 42 ■ B U I LD E R m a rc h 2 0 0 9 W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM http://greensource.construction.com/projects http://greensource.construction.com/projects http://greensource.construction.com/projects http://www.performancebuildingproducts.net http://www.performancebuildingproducts.net http://www.performancebuildingproducts.net http://www.builderonliNE.COM/ http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM
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