FirstCoast Homes, in Charleston, SC, is one company offering green homes at about the same price as conventional homes. Their Energy Star-rated homes cost only $1000 more per house to build than their previous methods and deliver 20% to 30% more energy efficiency.
FirstCoast builds primarily starter homes ranging from $129,000 to $209,000 in price. And since 2008 they have built only Energy Star-qualified homes. They now build every home with effective insulation, low-E windows, sealed ducts, 14-SEER heat pumps, and Energy Star-rated Whirlpool appliances.
There are five strategies that FirstCoast follows to deliver Energy Star rated homes at reasonable prices:
1. Back to Basics
Rather than rely on new technologies or products FirstCoast uses typical building methods and improves upon them. They focus on proper installation and third-party evaluation of many of the systems in the house.
2. The Great Seal
One of the most important parts of an efficient home is the tightness of the building envelope. FirstCoast relies on Home Energy Solutions of Charleston to perform methodical sealing of the shell with a combination of foam sealing and caulking throughout the building envelope. Foam is used to seal the wire and plumbing penetrations through the OSB sheathing, caulk at the base plate and corners, and low-expansion foam around the doors and the windows. This sealing package reduces the potential air infiltration to the home by about 30%.
3. Proper Insulation Installation
By doing a good job of sealing, they avoid the added cost of spray foam insulation and can use cheaper fiberglass, but they stress proper installation.
4. Strategic Cost Savings
FirstCoast realizes savings from strategic moves. The company upgraded its windows to low-E high-performance units, but it reduced the number of windows it uses, which reduces costs. The improved sealing, insulation and windows allow the company to reduce the air conditioning needs by one ton. This saves between $400 and $800 per house.
5. Look for Back-End Deals
Regional programs may also help defray the added costs of shifting to Energy Star building practices and FirstCoast recommends builders connect with local power companies for rebate programs and other benefits. Quite a few of their homes are in electric co-ops which often help off-set the costs if a builder follows their prescriptive requirements.
Source: Builder Online
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