Green building products used as a lure for homebuyers

LAS VEGAS — From water-stingy toilets and electricity- sparing appliances, to flooring and siding made from sustainable materials, the housing industry is rolling out a trove of new, green products it hopes will lure homebuyers back into the market.

At the recent International Builders' Show, a record 363 vendors were featuring green products, more than double the number last year, said Calli Barker Schmidt, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Home Builders.

"I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of a green attribute to every product down there," she said.

The tide toward green building that has taken hold in recent years remained unabated as the industry looks forward to better days, convinced that energy-efficient homes outfitted with sustainable materials will be coveted by future homebuyers.

"People are interested in the things they can do to cut energy bills in the long run," said Gayle Butler, editor-in-chief of Better Homes and Gardens.

And increasing competition between green-product suppliers is driving costs down, making it more affordable to build greener homes.

One example of a technology that has become cheaper is radiant floor systems, which function as heaters.

"Four or five years ago, it was pretty cost prohibitive," said Matt Belcher, president of Belcher Homes in St. Louis, Mo.

"They're pretty affordable now; they're made better and are more efficient."

Locally, the Northwest MLS added in 2007 a green search feature in its property listings database. In its annual report of sales for 2008, it said: "In the past few years we've seen more and more green homes on the market as homeowners have come to appreciate energy efficiency, healthier indoor air, and environmentally friendly materials when provided at comparable prices."

"The next trend emerging in residential real estate looks at sustainable building on a larger scale and focuses on the concept of green neighborhoods, where the location efficiencies and walkability of the neighborhood supports the ability of its residents to live a truly sustainable lifestyle."

Infill lots

Great Northern Land, a Built Green member, builds on infill lots to utilize existing infrastructure and recycles a majority of job-site waste.

The company developed an "Acre for an Acre" program, in which it buys and permanently preserves an acre of important natural wildlife habitat for every acre it develops in Seattle.

The company is convinced that green homes will be a requirement for a successful homebuilder in the next three to five years.

"The softening of the economy has hampered green development," said Ed Gallaudet, owner of Great Northern Land.

"However, the future of green development is very strong. Buyers' priorities are price-driven at the moment," Gallaudet said, adding: "If developers can cut the cost of construction and still qualify for a three-star versus a four-star rating, that is the direction some will take."

A study by Green Works Realty found that new environmentally certified homes in King County sell in up to 18 percent less time and for 28-37 percent higher value per square foot.

GreenWorks Realty founder Ben Kaufman, who led the charge to introduce green search categories on the MLS, said, "The new data shows buyers are indeed going green and certified homes have more value. This is good news for our kids, our communities, our planet ... for all of us. We also see green homes command a higher return on investment."

Flashing materials

Among this year's slate of products, Belcher was impressed with new "flashing materials," which can resemble tape and are used to keep water from getting trapped inside the home.

"You can't see it, it goes underneath the siding ... but to somebody like me, that's great to see," said Belcher, who builds near-zero energy homes featuring green features such as geothermal and solar power units.

He also highlighted a new electric tankless water heater designed to be used in homes that receive hard water from sources like wells.

"Until now, it's been hard to use tankless water heaters," he said.

Many of the latest innovations were on display in the New American Home, billed as a state-of-the-art laboratory for new construction and built in Las Vegas in conjunction with the convention.

The 8,721 square-foot home features solar paneled awnings that draw energy from the sun and from sunlight reflected off the ground, walls made from insulated concrete and some 40 percent of its indoor lights from LEDs and compact fluorescents.

Many products at the convention don't represent advances of leaps and bounds, but rather modest improvements in how they're made or a wider variety of offerings.

CertainTeed of Valley Forge, Penn., rolled out several new siding, roofing and ceiling components made of synthetic materials.

Its Cedar Impressions Naturals siding, made of fiber cement, includes up to 30 percent fly ash, a glasslike powder emitted by coal-fired electric power plants.

Efficient water heaters

Several exhibitors were displaying energy-efficient water heaters, including Stiebel Eltron. The West Hatfield, Mass.-based company is the latest to use hot air to heat water.

Its W300 draws the heat from the surrounding air and uses it to raise the temperature of the water in the 80-gallon tank, using up to 80 percent less energy than a standard heater that uses electricity to heat the water, said Frank Stiebel, the company's president.

As an added perk, the heater churns out cooler air and cuts down on humidity.

"If you're using a lot of hot water all at once, the electric element will kick in to supplement it," Stiebel said.

The unit will be available in the U.S. beginning in March for about $2,500, he said.

Gas or propane-powered fireplaces can be an energy-efficient way to heat a room, and fireplace maker Napoleon showcased several stylish designs at the show, including its new Crystallo model.

The rectangular fireplace is designed to fit several feet up off the floor, like a wall-embedded fish tank, and generates up to 17,000 British thermal units.

The fireplace, which can be placed in bedrooms, bathrooms and even mobile homes, is priced at $1,500.

Kohler, one of the show's green building sponsors, displayed several new stylish and water-saving designs for toilets.

One, dubbed the Cimarron, uses gravity to push the water from the tank into the bowl.

Using less water

But unlike other toilets with a flip lid inside the tank, the Cimarron features a plastic stopper that limits the water per flush to about 1.3 gallons — far less than standard 3.5-gallon toilets.

That translates to 63 percent less water use in a year, the company claims.

The next generation of water-efficient toilets is likely to incorporate the use of wastewater, suggested Shane Judd, Kohler's senior product manager.

Channeling wastewater into toilets also means creating more integrated plumbing connections between bathroom fixtures.

But most important, manufacturers need a guideline on the use of wastewater, and a standard hasn't been established for the industry yet, Judd noted.

"We're a ways from that," he said.

Seattle freelance writer Shelley Seale contributed to this report.