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Builders use technology during construction to enhance home value

By: Jason Reynolds
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Gregory Epperson

Two luxury homes in North Chattanooga are incorporating environmentally friendly methods that not only will save electricity but also will add to the homes’ value, the builders say.

“My family and I felt a responsibility to take advantage of as much new energy-saving technology as possible, but the more I read the more confused I became,” said Randy Baker, who is building one of the homes. “I heard about the Energy Star program and the free assistance provided by EPB to help consumers understand how to design an energy-efficient home, and they have been a tremendous help.”

Mr. Baker is having his personal residence built on Carroll Lane in North Chattanooga by Chuck Williams of C.T. Williams Contractors Inc. The about $2.5 million house will be built using the Energy Star program, he said.

“Energy Star and other programs add value,” Mr. Williams said. “There is a one-time cost associated with it, but it certainly adds value.”

Nearby, HGH Construction LLC has finished building a 3,600-square-foot house at 19 Fairhills Drive in Rivermont. Jay Robinson of Crye-Leike Realtors has the house listed for sale at $875,000. The house is open to the public today and next Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

Gregory Epperson, supervisor of energy services for EPB, recently conducted an energy audit of Mr. Baker’s home. EPB performs free audits of homes under construction to help builders determine the best ways to make the homes efficient. Energy Right and Energy Star are two options.

Both systems require extensive caulking and insulation, Mr. Epperson said, as well as efficient heat pumps and sealed ducts.

“If you don’t have proper insulation it hurts,” he said.

The type of insulation, such as fiberglass or cellulose, doesn’t matter as much as simply filling all cracks as well as not having air pockets inside the insulation, he said.

Staff Photo by Jason M. Reynolds -- Gregory Epperson, left, energy services supervisor for EPB, tells homeowner Randy Baker about Energy Star standards.

The idea is to prevent outside air from seeping in, he said, and inside, conditioned air from leaking out.

HGH Construction built its home by the Earth Craft Home standard, HGH Construction owner John Coffelt said.

Earth Craft is similar to other programs like Energy Right in that it calls for sealing the house against air seepage, he said, but adds additional requirements. Wood used in the construction was not pre-treated with chemicals, Mr. Coffelt said, and all leftover wood was ground into mulch. Excess materials like shingles and brick were ground up as fill material for the driveway.

The Earth Craft standard not only is environmentally friendly but will help the house stand out from other luxury homes now and when the house is sold again, he said.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “And it sets a good example for our children.”

The Fairhills Drive house is HGH Construction’s third Earth Craft house, said project manager Zack Willmore. The company built two Earth Craft homes in Jefferson Heights about two years ago as part of an initiative by Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise and the Lyndhurst Foundation, he said. The agencies worked with contractors to build 20 such houses in Jefferson Heights.

Earth Craft adds between 3.5 percent to 5 percent to a house’s cost, Mr. Willmore said, but pays off in energy savings as well as being friendly to the environment.

The Energy Right, Energy Star and Earth Craft standards are for new construction, not existing homes, because they require verification throughout the construction process that the standards are being met, Mr. Epperson and Mr. Willmore said.

EPB does energy evaluations of existing homes to give homeowners tips on how to lower their electric bills, Mr. Epperson said. The utility will give customers a $50 credit on their bills if they install a new electric water heater in their existing home if it has a capacity of at least 40 gallons and meets government efficiency requirements, is working within 60 days of purchase and is validated by EPB staff, according to EPB’s Web site.

“I believe we all have a responsibility to be energy conscious,” said Mr. Baker, developer of the Canyon Ridge community in Rising Fawn, Ga. “I don’t know whether or not it impacts the world but I prefer to err on the side of conservation.”