B+A South Carolina Greater Upper Coastal

Why We Build Green "T By Harry Dill HERE ARE MANY shades of green" when it comes to current building techniques. There are ways to save water, minimize groundwater runoff, etc. The shade of green building Sterling Homes pursues is the color of money — the money its clients save in reduced electrical use, as well as the future amounts of money required to produce energy for a growing South Carolina population. Newer construction techniques now allow sustainably built homes to use up to 30% less electricity each year than similarly sized homes that did not implement the energy saving methods. Sterling Homes is certifi ed to build under the Environments For Living system (www.EFLhome.com) and was also the first builder in South Carolina to be certifi ed under the Energy Star program, of which Santee Cooper is a partner. Both programs bring the latest in engineered systems of construction, which are inspected each step of the way by third-party inspectors who certify to the homeowner that the system was completed successfully. Both programs save in electri- cal usage over the lives of certifi ed homes, which means green savings (the color of money) totaling many thousands of dollars in reduced electrical bills over time. These green building programs empha- size beefed-up insulation, improved seals on HVAC systems, more energy-effi cient HVAC systems and radiant barrier sheath- ing under the roof to refl ect heat out of attic space. Sterling Homes estimates increased costs associated with this construction to be about 1% of the total contract price of the home. The Santee Cooper Smart Energy Homes program will pay builders up to $1,600 for successfully completing the home to that program's standards, which helps the participating builder a great deal in off setting the overall cost increases. Another shade of green is the money made by the participating building com- pany, as work volume increases due to more clients desiring a home that saves them money each month. Although our industry has been depressed greatly in recent years, I expect builders' commitment to green building to be rewarded when things return to normal. Sterling Homes builds this way without asking its clients to pay the increased costs. The company does this because its team thinks it is the right way to build and will have important and valuable consequences over coming years within South Carolina. The life of each home Sterling Homes builds may be at least 100 years, and the company did not like the thought of leaving a legacy of wastefulness, which will continue into future generations. On the other hand, some projections indicate a need for up to 1 million new homes in South Carolina over the next 25 years, as a portion of our nation's population relocates to the Palmetto State. If all these homes are built under the new green energy programs, the collective savings in overall demand would be huge. It would be hoped, as a result, that fewer new electric-generating plants would be needed — another shade of green that relates to each builder doing it the right way: one new house at a time, multiplied by 1 million. Sterling Homes is happy to be an early pioneer in fully committing to these programs and hopes that the legacy left to future generations will be one of which we can be quite proud. For further information, contact 2011 Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association President Harry Dill, of Sterling Homes, at (843) 357-6638 or e-mail Harry@ SterlingHomesSC.com. ■ 18 | SOUTH CAROLINA GREATER UPPER COASTAL Builder+Architect SCGUC.BUILDERARCHITECT.COM BUILDING GREEN

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