'Green' a major theme in home construction

Feb 20 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - John Molseed Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

As the construction industry recovers, companies looking beyond the this year's building season are getting attention.

With energy prices on the rise, companies that offer "green" technology got much of the attention at the annual Eastern Iowa Home Improvement and Landscaping Show last week.

One of the largest displays, a story-and-a-half model of a new construction method of concrete surrounded foam designed by Integra Spec, turned heads. Darin Dietz, of Dietz Construction, hopes the display would also turn some minds to the energy-saving construction method.

"Basically, to put it into laymen's terms, we're building a cave above ground," Dietz said.

That "cave" would look like any other house but a 2,000-square-foot home would cut winter heating bills by 90 percent, Dietz said. The construction cost of such a building would be 15 to 20 percent above conventional structure costs, he added.

Rising energy costs are fueling interest in the new technique, Dietz said.

"This is going to catch on," he said. "We're on the leading edge of it."

Local interest in green building matches developments nationally. A nationwide survey conducted by McGraw Hill Construction found green residential projects made up 17 percent of new construction last year. By 2016, the value of the residential green building market is expected to grow fivefold, the survey found. The survey also showed the Upper Midwest is the seeing the second highest rate of green construction in the U.S., behind the leading West Coast.

A green building was defined in the survey as one built to LEED standards in energy and water efficiency and other factors including the site on which the building sits.

According to McGraw Hill, 46 percent of responding conventional builders say incorporating green designs has helped them secure new contracts.

For Dietz, working with the Integra Spec design sets his company apart from others. The McGraw Hill survey echoes that strategy, showing 71 percent of companies that exclusively design and build green spaces say their offerings give them a competitive advantage in the industry.

The green trend isn't confined to new construction. Many homeowners are looking for ways to save on their energy bills in the home they are already in. The show offered dozens of energy saving tactics including ranging from efficient lighting and appliances to foam insulation and even residential energy production.

In the wake of announced plans for a rate increase from MidAmerican Energy, those products attracted some shoppers.

"I'm always looking for ideas to save money," said Ryan Fischer, of New Hartford.

Fischer browsed a booth displaying LED light bulbs and looked over a solar powered attic fan. Fischer said he isn't too concerned about utility prices, which he said have been relatively stable compared to gasoline prices, but was curious about the energy savings some products at the show offered.

The LED bulbs, which have dropped in price by about 50 percent in recent years would need to come down lower in price before he would switch.

Curt Wobeter, of LED Source, said that decline is likely to come but someone buying a bulb now would likely save enough money in energy use to make up for that price difference.

"What you can save in the next couple of years will far outweigh the cost (of the bulbs)," Wobeter said.

For a larger investment, Mike Miller, of Natural Solutions LLC in Cedar Falls, had a display of solar panels for homeowners who are considering generating their own energy.

Solar water heating systems are a popular improvement, Miller said, adding that interest in such systems has gone up while the cost has gone down.

"Every time energy costs go up, it shortens the time on your return on your investment," he said.

Both Miller and Wobeter were quick to mention savings such improvements can bring won't take years to materialize. Qualifying energy-efficient investments carry a 30 percent federal tax credit.