Efficiency First

Residential Retrofits at USGBC Greenbuild

By Laura Reedy Stukel, chair Efficiency First Real Estate Working Group

The USGBC is well-known for it’s work on new commercial projects.  But what about residential retrofits? This year, that topic was included in the Residential Summit held on Thursday.  Several members of Efficiency First’s Real Estate Working Group (REWG) attended the Summit.

Summary of Highlights

*  Assessing, Tracking, Creating Value of Green Homes.  This session included Al Medina from the National Association of Realtor’s Green Resource Council.  Al will present his content again on Efficiency First’s upcoming webinar, “What is an MLS and What Makes One Green?”  Use the link to register for this session! Speaker Sandra Adomatis, with Adomatis Appraisal Service recommended spelling out the difference between green upgrades and “just to code” features.  This information is extremely valuable to appraisers of newly-built homes.  The same points can help consumers understand that “just to code” is a minimum standard and see the need for and benefits of retrofit upgrades.  REWG member Mark Berman with Davis Energy Group was able to discuss some REWG work during the Q&A session.  REWG has been interested in the SAVE Act which is being promoted by the Institute for Market Transformation.  This draft legislation would include an energy calculation for federally-backed mortgages in addition to traditional calculations of principal, interest, taxes and insurance.  His comments were well-received in the room and IMT staff ended up being part of the audience to answer questions!
* From New Construction to Retrofits.  Andy Ault, Little River Carpentry offered a good framework for talking about green remodeling with customers.  He suggested that that seven categories for LEED certification is too much.  Instead, he recommended four:  geographic, structure, systems and aesthetics.  He says to always start with the first and work down, as the later ones can be more easily changed down the road.  So plan retrofit work for climate and site location first. Then, factor in the building itself.  Finally, design around the systems and the appearance of the home.  Steve Baden from RESNET discussed retrofit-related policy efforts including DOE block grant and BetterBuildings funding.

* Creating Demand: A Dialogue on the Green Consumer.  Deborah Meyer, with Pulte Group discussed their three strategic market segments:  first-time buyers, move-up buyers and active adult.  She revealed that one segment is most open to solar-powered homes:  the senior/active adult market!  They have found that this segment is often cash buyers with a fixed budget and the numbers for solar make sense to them.  Pulte markets to women as the key decision-makers.  First-time buyers are very focused on fixed costs and find modest energy efficiency features to be appealing.  Move-up buyers are focused on lifestyle factors like a family-oriented floorplan, comfort and healthy indoor air quality.

Did you attend Greenbuild? Post your summary in the comments!