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Developers Go Green05-17-13 | News
Developers Go Green





Robert Kleiman, co-CEO of Structure Homes, predicts that in the next few years appraisal levels of houses will go up, as long as those homes perform with no energy bills.
Photo Credit: Larry Shield


The recent growth of energy-efficient and "green" building codes was the topic of a seminar, "Builders Go Green," at the 10th annual Alternative Building Materials & Design Expo, held at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, Calif. on May 10.

"When I first started to work with AltBuild Conference a few years ago, I struggled to find developers who were building sustainable projects," said moderator Wally Geer. "Last year I received more than 100 calls for sustainable projects. This year it's become so wide-spread."

"In the marketplace, people will start to play more for green homes," said Robert Kleiman, co-CEO of Structure Homes. The firm develops upper-end housing and custom homes in Los Angeles County. "There's upward pressure in pricing. People are putting more priority in sustainable materials and better building practices. There's incentive and attraction to green homes."

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In 2008 Steve LeFlor of Modular Lifestyles helped to build one of the first solar homes at Oak Haven, a community in Ojai, Calif. For this project, LeFlor said, Santa Barbara County required that the tenants be 62 years or older.

"We've found that the Baby Boomers are downsizing because they have a finite income," said LeFlor. "They want their homes to be green and energy-efficient. These homes that are Net Zero will sell for less than $175,000."

Another seminar at the conference, "The Net Zero Home: A Look at the Future that Exists Today," delved further into the future of green residential construction.

John Morton, project manager for Southern California Edison, said his company's goal for the "Net Zero Home" was to write and run an energy efficient program from a housing and community point of view. In 2008, Morton developed a long-range efficiency plan with aggressive goals. "We like to come in from a programming perspective with conceptual, schematic and design development," he said.

According to standards set by the Energy Commission, all new homes have to be built as Net Zero homes. This static energy use means that the homes need to provide energy (through solar panels). By 2030, commercial buildings need to meet these criteria.

Another seminar, "Green Building Codes: Where We Have Been and Where They Are Going," discussed Net Zero homes and Title 24, California's energy efficient standards.

"Cal Green never went after existing homes, but now it's going after any increased areas or additions," said Charles Russell, vice president of VCA Code. "The civil code says that if you want to do additions to homes that were made in 1994 or before, the plumbing fixtures need to be replaced and up to green building standards."

"The government has recognized a need to go green and sustainable by creating green building standards," said Ron Takiguchi, a certified green builder and building official for the city of Santa Monica. "We're looking at where we're going with sustainability and taking a look at alternative materials."







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