By
Rick Elkins
Visalia -Carbon Footprint appears to be the buzz phrase of the 2000s and while Daley Homes' new “green” subdivision in Tulare certainly reduces a homeowner's carbon footprint, it also reduces that homeowner's energy and water bills.
This week, Daley Homes showcased Tulare County's first California Green Builder Community – Palm Ranch in Tulare's newest residential area, east of Mooney Blvd off of Alpine Avenue.
Being “green” means offering homes that go way beyond just being energy efficient, noted Scott Daley.
Not only will all 89 homes in the first phase of the new subdivision come with solar panels built into the roof, they will have scores of other energy features, be environmentally safer, use less water for landscaping and even the construction waste materials are recycled.
There are now more than 1,000 builders, remodelers and other members of the home building industry that have earned the Certified Green Professional (CGP) educational designation since it was introduced early this year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), said the NAHB.
There are several in California, but Bob Keenan, executive vice president of the Tulare and Kings County Building Industry Association, said Daley is perhaps the first to offer an entire “green” subdivision in the Central Valley. He said many builders will construct a green home and follow environmentally friendly practices, but he was not aware of any entire subdivisions. Definitely, he said Paul Daley, owner of Daley Homes, is breaking new ground.
“I think it's really neat. With people concerned about global warming and carbon footprint, it will be marketable,” said Keenan.
He explained the state building commission has drafted Green housing building standards to be phased in starting in 2009, so “green” subdivisions may become common within a few years. “Paul's doing them now,” noted Keenan.
Certified Green Professionals must complete 24 hours of classroom training, including 16 hours of green building instruction, must have two years' industry experience, must sign a code of ethics and must commit to fulfilling continuing education requirements to qualify for the designation. The educational designation is an important part of the new NAHB National Green Building Program, introduced in February.
“Home owners and home buyers are demanding more green products and features in their homes, and the building industry wants to meet that demand. That's how this market works,” said NAHB President Sandy Dunn.
Scott Daley explained that his father has always been environmentally conscious and he has had solar panels on his office for years.
“He's interested in energy efficiency. It has just been an evolution. It gives us a competitive advantage and it is good for the environment,” said Scott Daley. “The time is right.”
Besides the solar panels that are hardly detectable on the roof, every home comes with extra installation, higher than standard dual pane windows, coating of the roof sheeting to future reject outside heat and cold, a higher than standard energy efficient cooling and heating system, dim switches on lights, high-rated energy efficient appliances and more.
“Where we really go over the top is energy efficiency,” noted Scott Daley. He pointed out that the homes exceed energy efficiency by 35 percent. The solar panels alone provide 30 percent of the power needed for the home and extra panels can be added.
“With everything included – energy efficient and insulation – you can save 50 percent of your power bill,” said John Davis, senior construction manager for the home builder.
There are six components to the “green” program. First is energy, but there is also insulation, wood (using recycled or reconstituted wood products), inspections (home is certified for maximum energy efficiency), water (homes must use at least 20,000 gallons less water per year) and waste (builder must recycle more than 50 percent of waste – Daley recycles more than 80 percent).
Daley said they go “above and beyond” in insulation, explaining they use 2x6's on outside walls “that allows us to put in thicker insulation.” Thicker insulation is also put in the attic.
The company also uses certified inspectors to make sure that are few leaks of air, both into the home and out of the home. The inspection includes both the walls and the ducting.
Low volatile organic compounds are also used, lowering the environmental effects in the home from paint and other materials, resulting in better air quality.
To reduce water usage, every home comes with a Toro Intelli-Sense irrigation controller. The system automatically calculates the optimum irrigation scheduled and the control receives daily water updates from satellite-based weather stations and adjusts the watering accordingly.
Also, every home is equipped with a tankless water heater that immediately heats water on demand. The system is centrally located to quicken the delivery of hot water to outlets.
Daley said they also are installing drought-tolerant plants, and low-flow toilets and shower heads to reduce water usage.
Cost of the homes starts at $199,950 for the 1,245 square-foot model, up to $236,950 for the largest model, 1,732 s.f.
Davis said that is about $15-20,000 more than a conventional home, but much is recovered through reduced energy costs.
“We're trying to give people the best green bang for their buck,” said Daley.
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