Industry and EPA Encourage Building “Green”

Weston Home follows leads with energy efficiency, zero emissions

Weston, CT – (July 2006) – “Green” building is a growing trend among builders, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders. Builders and developers increasingly feel that green building — efficient use of energy, water, and materials to reduce impact on people and on the environment — is best for the customer, the community, and the environment. Green building is the responsible way to build, both during times of rising energy costs and energy demand and in preparation for future challenges to the environment. Robert Gary, a Fairfield County builder, is at the forefront of green construction with his 2006 Craftsman-style home located at 107 Valley Forge in Weston, Connecticut. The home’s geothermal zero-emission heating and cooling system eliminates the need for oil.

Each energy crisis sets off a flurry of energy- and material-efficient building. The 1970s oil crisis, the first faced by Americans, sparked the use of solar heating panels on homes and commercial buildings. Today’s strains on the world energy supply have led to a far more comprehensive movement toward new materials; energy-efficient design; and sophisticated, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. Green construction is not significantly more expensive and generates tremendous cost savings over the lifetime of the home.

In July 2006, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is upgrading its standards for ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes. ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes must adhere to more stringent standards for energy efficiency through the use of high performance windows, controlled air infiltration, upgraded heating and air conditioning systems, tight duct systems, and upgraded water-heating equipment. In addition, efficient appliances and lighting are encouraged.

Robert Gary of Little Mountains Building Company, LLC, www.LittleMountains.net, began his study and conversion to green construction when he recently calculated the oil use of new homes. He found that a combination of solar panel photovoltaic cells, upgraded insulation, ENERGY STAR-rated windows, and passive solar gain soffit construction could keep his new homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. His first such home using this techniques, a 6,400-square- foot Craftsman-style Colonial located in Weston, is offered at $2,799,000 and is listed by Gail Zawacki of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Westport office.
Gail Lilley Zawacki, one of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's top sales associates, just completed the sale of one of Redding's most premier properties, an $8.9 million, 15,000- square-foot mansion on an 18-acre high meadow. She is a sales associate in the Westport office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, located at 305 Post Road East, and can be reached at 203-454-9644, Gail@SouthernCT.com or www.SouthernCT.com.