Green Builders to offer energy efficient remodeling

By Jen Biundo
HaysFreePress.com

With credit hard to come by and homes sales down, many consumers nowadays may be looking to fix up their house rather than buy the latest model. And with the cost of fuel on a roller coaster ride, energy efficiency is looking like more and more of a smart investment.

Green Builders, Inc., the Austin-based home building company that is developing the Elm Grove subdivision in Buda, is expanding its services to include green remodeling that the company says can slash a home's energy consumption and utility costs.

"People come out to our communities all the time and ask us what they can do to make their home more energy efficient," said Clark Wilson, President and CEO of Green Builders, Inc. "We've always given them the low-hanging fruit like changing out incandescent bulbs with CFLs and switching to low flow plumbing fixtures. Now we are able to offer them a long term energy saving solution for their existing home that will pay for itself in the short term."

The process begins with an energy audit to evaluate the home's energy usage and performance. Green Builders then creates a remodeling plan that Wilson said will yield the most bang for the buck in a particular home.

The most common process in homes older than 10 years old involves replacing the old Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system with a new energy efficient model and putting foam insulation in the attic, Wilson said.

Green retrofits add to a home's value while decreasing energy costs, Wilson said, in some cases cutting the utility bill by more than the home improvement loan.

The ballpark cost of the remodel might range from $10,000 - $20,000; Green Builders also helps homeowners locate the increasingly common rebates and tax credits for energy efficient upgrades.

Juan Garza, General Manager of Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), said individuals who make their homes more energy efficient actually help other electric customers.

"The air conditioners notoriously use the most energy at the hottest point of the day," Garza said. "That requires some very expensive peaking units to come on. That's very, very expensive power and drives the cost of electricity up for all of us."

PEC provides rebates of $225 - $1,000 on energy efficient HVAC systems and offers energy conservation information on their website.

"We all need to get as smart as we can about saving energy," Garza said.

Many state officials are also encouraging conservation.

"Homes account for 14 percent of the energy used in Texas each year. Most of that energy is electricity. And Texans are paying the price - 56 percent more each year for electricity than the national residential average," said Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs in a recent report on statewide home energy efficiency. "With a burgeoning population and a 66 percent home ownership rate, even small gains in home energy efficiency will create a sizeable impact in Texas."

Wilson said this summer's shockingly high fuel prices were an eye opener to many Americans. And though the cost of energy then plummeted, Wilson said he believes it'll rise again.

"It's kind of like in the medieval times when marauders would come in and storm the beaches and take over the county," Wilson said. "After they would leave, the people would come in and build up the bulkheads and make sure when the next time they came they would be ready for them. Hopefully Americans aren't so stupid to say, 'Oh, they left and they won't come in again.' Let's shore up right now."

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