1. H
ome builders would have
called it risky to put up eco-
friendly homes 15 years ago.
The costs to build that way
were too high.
Today, some of the area’s
thriftiest home builders con-
sider it risky not to include features that con-
serve resources and protect air quality inside
a home.
“It’s an incomplete judgment just to look at
first costs versus that life cycle,” said Emily
Scofield, executive director of the U.S. Green
Building Council’s Charlotte-based North
Carolina chapter. “How much is it going to
cost to live in it over the long term?”
That thinking has pushed Habitat for Hu-
manity of Charlotte, the local arm of one of
the nation’s most familiar builders of afforda-
ble housing, to become the leading builder in
Charlotte for the U.S. Green Building Coun-
cil’s LEED for Homes sustainable building
program and one of the program’s largest in
the state.
In 2013, Habitat Charlotte built one of the
city’s first two LEED platinum homes, the
most prestigious of the program’s four certifi-
cation levels. Habitat Charlotte has been
building new homes for LEED silver certifica-
tion since 2012, said Sarah Beth Mulet, Habitat
Charlotte’s Renewable Energy and Sustaina-
bility coordinator.
“Not only can we do this, but we can do it in
volume,” Mulet said of its sustainable build-
ing policy. “If we can do this on every single
house we’re building, there really isn’t any ex-
cuse for production builders not to do this,
too.”
More builders are moving in that direction.
The market for new single-family “green”
homes has grown from 2 percent in 2005 to 23
percent in 2013, according to information pro-
videdbytheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil.The
market is expected to grow to 26 to 33 percent
by 2016, with a value ranging from $80 billion
to $101 billion, according to a report by
McGraw Hill Construction.
“It helps assure the homeowners that it was
done right,” Kathy Spence of Banister Homes
said of building certified houses. “It’s also im-
portant to us that we give our homeowners
homes with long-term durability and signifi-
cantly reduced operating costs.”
Other builders are still weighing the bene-
fits of certification but may add features that
are energy-efficient or “green” in other ways.
“Wedonotseekgreencertificationbecause
we find that the cost increases are prohibitive
to the average home buyer,” Torie Oljeski,
marketing manager for LiveWell Homes,
wrote in an email. LiveWell builds in more
than 30 communities in the region.
If you’re considering buying a home, it
could be worthwhile to understand some of
the principles of sustainable building. These
details may be helpful in estimating the long-
term costs of living in a home:
Design
An efficient home should have a smart de-
sign. Before homes had central air condition-
ing,forexample,architectsmightincludepas-
sivesolarelementsthatmakeahomeeasierto
heat and cool.
Biggerwindows–lotsofthem–forahome’s
north-facing side can bring in cooler summer
breezes. Smaller windows and a porch might
be choices for a home’s sun-baked south-fac-
ing side. Deep overhangs along the roof help
blocksummerheatbutletthewarmingraysin
when the sun hangs lower in winter.
“This is something Southern architects
knew,” said Jamie Roche, CEO of houseplan-
s.com, where 70 percent of annual sales come
from the Southeast. “All of that is still valid to-
day.”
Today, many of the company’s popular
plans have roof lines that are well-suited to
having solar panels added.
Materials
Innovation is the fuel for sustainable build-
ing. Energy- and water-saving lights, toilets
and appliances are examples. These types of
new products are changing the equation for
value as consumers weigh performance as
well as design. Innovation has also given us
cabinets, flooring and paint that reduces or
eliminates toxins that can leach into the air.
Recycled materials and products made close
to the construction site also are considered
conscientious choices. While bamboo floors
from China are made from a material that is
more easily replenished, North Carolina pine
might be a better choice here. A building site
that is close to public transportation also
earns points. A drought-tolerant landscape
can be a plus, too.
Credentials
How do you know whether a home was
built with ecology in mind? Look for certifica-
tions and ratings that tell consumers to expect
savings on specific products or throughout
the home.
Work starts in October on Habitat Char-
lotte’s 100th home that ultimately would be-
come eligible for LEED silver certification.
Building for silver certification adds about
$7,500 to the price of an 1,100- to
1,300-square-foot home, said Phil Prince, mar-
keting and communications director. That
Habitat home would cost $95,000 to $110,000.
LEED silver homes are expected to use an
estimated30percentlessenergy,accordingto
data from the U.S. Green Building Council.
(It’s 50-60 percent less for LEED platinum
homes).
“We really don’t do anything extravagant or
cost prohibitive,” said Mulet. “We just do a lot
of small changes that add up.”
There are 79 LEED-certified homes in
Mecklenburg County, with others awaiting fi-
nal approval. Other programs also set build-
ing standards to make sustainability some-
thing we can rate, measure and compare.
Habitat also participates in Energy Star cer-
tification programs on about one-third to
one-half of its homes and SystemVision on
about 95 percent. More than 80 percent of af-
fordable homes in North Carolina are now
certified by SystemVision.
The U.S. military and the Charlotte Hous-
ingAuthority arealsoamongthebuildersthat
have adopted “green” building for at least
some projects.
“It makes it more affordable for our low-in-
come homeowners to live in an energy-effi-
cienthome,”said PhilPrince,aspokesmanfor
the local Habitat office. “That makes it more
important for us.”
+
6C Saturday, July 11, 2015 ■ ■ ■
SmarterLivingWHAT’S NEW, WHAT’S HOT, WHAT WORKS
charlotteobserver.com/smarter-living
Four square feet. That’s all it
takes to create a special place in
your landscape to delight butter-
flies, bees and hummingbirds.
Of course, you could devote
more space to plants that feed
these beneficial creatures. But
the square Monarch and Polli-
nator Garden Design comes
from the Green Teacher Net-
work, which will use it to build
schoolyard gardens.
The schoolyard gardens are
for learning, but they also will
support at-risk wildlife that is
losing habitats to development
and to farming that focuses on
a less diverse range of crops.
We can re-create that same de-
sign in our own yards and get the
same benefits for ourselves and
the wildlife we depend on to pol-
linate our own gardens and
farms. Download the layout at
the Green Teacher Network’s
website, gtncharlotte.org.
The design includes eight
nectar-producing plants that
are native to our region. Those
plants will bring colorful
blooms from early spring to
fall, starting with early-bloom-
ing golden Alexanders and but-
terfly milkweed.
Summer bloomers for this de-
sign are black-eyed Susan, joe-
pyeweedandpurpleconeflower.
The last flush of color through
late fall comes from narrowleaf
mountain mint, bee balm and
wrinkleleaf goldenrod.
Milkweed and wrinkleleaf
goldenrod are included for the
sake of monarch butterflies.
They eat only milkweed while
producing offspring. They pre-
fer wrinkleleaf goldenrod on
their migration south.
It’s good to know that school
children in our area will get les-
sons in the garden. But they’re
not the only ones who would en-
joy having more butterflies and
hummingbirds outside our win-
dows.
Karen’s blog: charlotteobserver.com
/living/home-garden/smarter-living/
homelife-blog/
- GREEN TEACHER NETWORK
Chandler Watkins plants a
black-eyed Susan at
Whitewater Middle School.
School
garden is a
lesson for all
HOMELIFE
KAREN
SULLIVAN
‘Green’ builders get bigger market share
Long-term operating costs
are pushing builders
toward efficient,
sustainable homes
- HOUSEPLANS.COM
This farmhouse by N.C. architect William Poole (plan 137-252) has features that can be used for passive heating and cooling. When built, the house has to
be positioned thoughtfully to make the most of those passive solar features. The design was a 2014 people’s choice winner at houseplans.com.
By Karen Sullivan
ksullivan@charlotteobserver.com
REACH OUT
SmarterLiving explores trends
and innovations for the home.
Karen Sullivan, SmarterLiving
editor
SmarterLiving, P.O. Box
30308, Charlotte NC 28230.;
home@charlotteobserver.com.
Online: http://www.charlotte
observer.com/living/home-
garden/smarter-living/
SmarterLiving is independ-
ently reported and edited by The
Charlotte Observer. Smarter
Living’s underwriter plays no
role in the selection of content.
Frigidaire is part of the Electrolux family of brands designed right here in Charlotte.
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What is a ‘green’ home?
• A “green” home reduces energy use and
uses renewable energy, reduces water use
and protects water resources, sits in an
environmentally friendly location, uses
nontoxic building materials and household
products, reduces waste from home con-
struction and household activities, increas-
es recycling, and protects your health from
environmental hazards that can occur in
homes, according to the EPA.
• Programs that recognize sustainable
residential building include EarthCraft,
Energy Star, LEED, HUD Healthy Homes and
SystemVision.
• See “green” homes recognized by the
U.S. Green Building Council at usgbcnc.org.
Learn more
The U.S. Green Building
Council’s North Carolina
chapter will present a
series of events on LEED
certification. Register for
one of these programs at
http://usgbccrc.site-
ym.com:
• Lunch program, 11:30
a.m.-1 p.m. July 28 at By-
ron’s South End, 101 W.
Worthington Ave., Suite 110.
Guests for the panel dis-
cussion will be Sarah Beth
Mulet of Habitat for Hu-
manity of Charlotte, Stefa-
nie Young of the U.S. Green
Building Council, and Kathy
Spence of Banister Homes.
$20 for members of the
Green Building Council,
$30 for nonmembers.
• LEED-certified home
tour, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Aug.
27. Free. The tour will be led
by Sarah Beth Mulet of
Habitat for Humanity of
Charlotte. Location to be
announced.
• LEED-certified home
tour, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sept.
10, 2128 Vernon Drive. Free.
The tour will be led by
Kathy Spence of Banister
Homes.
DANIELLE FRAIN BENHAM -
Hardwood floors
are considered
more durable
than carpet and
help improve
indoor air
quality. This
Energy Star
home was
designed to have
more natural
light. Florescent
bulbs in
recessed fixtures
reduce the need
for incandescent
lights in this
house by
Banister Homes.
- HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF CHARLOTTE
This house was being built for LEED silver certification by Habitat Charlotte.
+
■ ■ ■ The Charlotte Observer + 7C
Realtors often say that a house with curb appeal sells itself. That’s because
a house that looks like a present ready to be opened is enticing. The starting
point, and the focal point, is the front door. And rather than having the same
old expected hues, today’s front doors look more welcoming and fresh when
painted a vibrant color.
Move over red
For years we’ve been told red doors
are elegant, and they are. But take the
color a step further and give it some
edge. Try red’s relatives: coral, tanger-
ine or even pink.
If your home isin theSouth, West, or
Southwest, bold colors are often part
of the warm-weather decor. But if you
live up North, don’t discount bold,
electric hues. It might be the thing that
sets your house apart from the rest of
the block next winter. If a bright color
is too much for you, there’s always a
deep, rich color such as Marsala, Pan-
tone’s 2015 color of the year. It’s a more
modern take on red. Painted on a door
surrounded by beige siding, this con-
temporary shade creates a warm, wel-
coming look, and your house will be
on trend.
Brighten up
Lots of front doors get that deep,
rich color treatment, but a novel ap-
proach is to give it a jolt of electricity.
Colors such as bright blue, bold yel-
low, neon green or aqua will up the
wattage on your home instantly. Light
colors are a great option if your
home’s siding or brick is darker in col-
or or if you have lots of dark green
plantings around. The extra color will
make your house come alive. And be-
cause the color will be on such a small
area, you don’t have to worry about
being overwhelmed by it. With just
the front door painted in bold shade,
you’ll get all the vibrancy of the color
and your house will have an air of so-
phistication at the same time.
Beyond blue
Just like red, blue is a popular shade
for doors. To give your blue door a
shot in the arm, try a blue-green shade
such as teal. Robin’s egg blue is anoth-
er choice that’s not so expected. Of
course, a deep blue gray is always an
elegant choice. For chic sophistica-
tion, go navy. Navy has a richness that
outpaces an ordinary medium blue. If
you can’t decide between red and
blue, go with a combination of them
both such as blueberry-rich shade of
purple. Drape the door in sparkling
hardware and you’ve got a look that re-
ally makes a statement.
Living Space
- FOTOLIA
A pop of yellow instantly brightens up the exterior of this home.
Bold front door color
gives a home a facelift
By Kathryn Weber
Tribune Content Agency
The Thunderbolt 2 Dock from
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Connect up to five Thunderbolt
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The FireWire 800 port can support
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— GREGG ELLMAN, GREGGELLMAN@MAC.COM
Smart Finds
Thunderbold 2 Dock gives
Apple users more connectivity
- TNS
The OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock is a gem for Apple computer power users.