Consumers want green, and builders comply

By Mark Hansel

Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Tight credit markets and the prolonged slump in the housing market have builders focusing on consumer demands more than ever.

As home buyers have shown an increasing interest in green building and energy efficient products, builders have begun to focus more on delivering these options.

This increased emphasis was evident at the recent International Builders Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Several pages in the exhibit guide were dedicated to companies showcasing energy efficient products or services, such as building materials, appliances and consumer guides.

The Council for Responsible Energy unveiled an online calculator that allows consumers to measure their carbon footprint. Carbon footprint calculators are not new, but Eric Burgis, director of commercial and residential markets for Energy Solutions Center, said this calculator is more comprehensive than previous models.

“The main difference between this carbon footprint calculator and the others is that this one works,” Burgis said. “It gives an accurate reflection of a household’s carbon footprint.”

The calculator, Burgis said, goes beyond just digesting information and spewing out numbers. It was developed from the model used by the Energy Department and is based not just on the amount of energy used by appliances, but also the process by which the energy used gets to the consumer’s home. By tracking the environmental impact from the energy source, a more complete picture of the true carbon footprint is possible.

The calculator is accessible to consumers at no cost through the Council for Responsible Energy’s Web site. Users enter specific information relating to energy use, including their city and state, the square footage of their homes and what type of appliances they use.

“It compares the four primary residential appliances; heating, water heating, clothes dryers and the range for cooking,” Burgis said.

Users also enter how often they use the appliances and the number of occupants in the home.

The calculator then reveals the user’s carbon footprint and the site provides links to companion sites that offer suggestions of ways to reduce the number. The calculator allows consumers to compare the reduction in the carbon footprint based on changes to the appliances in their homes. Consumers who may be on a budget, but still want to reduce their footprint, can determine which appliances have the greatest effect.

The Council for Responsible Energy is composed of representatives from natural gas utility companies, combination gas and electric companies, manufacturers and natural gas suppliers.

Once consumers determine what their carbon footprint is, the next step is to reduce that number. There were plenty of appliance manufacturers at the Builders Show showcasing products that would do just that.

Allison Gatta of General Electric Consumer and Industrial said the company has begun to work more with builders because buyers have gone beyond just thinking green to actually requesting energy efficient appliances.

“They really have made the jump and are now willing to make the financial commitment to focus on energy efficient products,” Gatta said. “They are responding to what the buyers want.”

Literature distributed at the exhibit identified GE appliances as “Energy efficient products and programs from the ecomagination company.”

The company has an extensive list of Energy Star appliances that meet government guidelines for energy efficiency and it also participates in recycling programs such as the “Recycle Your Old Fridge Campaign” sponsored by the Energy Department.

Energy efficient products include tankless water heaters, dishwashers with multiple settings that allow users to wash a variety of dishes in a single load and clothes dryers with faster and more efficient spin cycles that reduce energy use.

The Builders Show also demonstrated how difficult it can be to determine which products are truly the most energy efficient. Each exhibitor took great care to explain how his products or services saved energy, but the information provided also fit the agenda of the exhibitor.

The Council for Responsible Energy, for example, extols the benefits of natural gas because most of its members are natural gas advocates. Gatta talked up the benefits of electrical appliances because many GE products use electricity.

One thing that all of the exhibitors seemed encouraged by is that people have begun to get serious about energy efficiency and the environment.

“That’s one reason builders have shown an increased interest in these products,” Gatta said. “They are responding to their customers, just as we are.”