Going green is all the rage, but it’s old hat for Able Home Builders in Sioux City, Iowa. For more than a decade, the company has built houses as green as the lush new lawns that surround them – and along the way, created a market niche to stand out among area homebuilders.
“Remember that country song about being country before country was cool?” asks Willie Delfs, who co-owns the company with his brother, Jeff. “Well, we were green before green was cool. Back in the late 1990s, we recognized it as a good opportunity to set ourselves apart from the competition.”
In a sense, the Delfs brothers are grateful for higher energy prices, which provided a bull market for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly houses. “That’s what drove us into it,” says Delfs. “With an energy-efficient home, you can save $700 to $800 a year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You pay a little more up front – maybe a couple thousand dollars more than for a regular home – but it pays for itself within two or three years.”
The brothers shifted into green mode about 1997, when local utilities began offering rebates to consumers who bought houses built to so-called Energy Star standards, developed by the EPA. Energy Star houses are at least 15 percent and as much as 20 to 30 percent more efficient than houses built to normal building code standards.
GOING GREEN
What makes Energy Star houses so budget-friendly? They’re built with proper insulation levels, high-performance windows, tightly sealed heating and air-conditioning duct systems, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, and energy-conserving light bulbs, ventilation fans and appliances. (for details, visit www.energystar.gov.) As a bonus, an Able-built house also includes passive radon and foundation-water evacuation systems and a concrete storm-safety room.
At the time, the Delfs were building houses in a new Sioux City subdivision. After familiarizing themselves with Energy Star building requirements, they started promoting their expertise, and received an enthusiastic response.
“Very few builders could tout that ability,” Delfs says. “You have to follow the Energy Star requirements, then get an audit when the home is finished. You also have to ensure any subcontractors can meet the requirements.”
Encouraged by the initial success, Delfs decided to take things one step further by incorporating into Able houses a variety of environmentally friendly products made from recycled or remanufactured materials. For example, he began using I-joists made from wood-waste products and glue, OSB sheathing, carpet pads made from recycled rubber, and drywall that includes recycled paper.
Delfs learned about the effectiveness of various products by reading industry newsletters, attending home-building conventions and conferences, joining professional organizations and doing research on the Internet.
“The Internet is an amazing tool,” Delfs says. “My brother and I also attend the International Builders Show (sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, or NAHB), which previews new technology and products. We scour the aisles for new products that can improve our houses.”
Delfs says he also is a member of the Energy and Environmental Building Association, which sponsors an annual convention, including a wide selection of seminars and classes. “It helps us stay up on whatever is new, from new framing techniques to maximizing insulation value,” he says.
