The New Southwest / Re-greening your home

Re-greening your home

Tucson couple earns first Silver Certification from Pima County for a green home remodel

By Bonnie Lewis

Tucson Green Times – September 2009

“The most significant benefit we’ve realized from the process is a much higher quality, energy-efficient home,” says Troy Young. He and his wife Kristi have just completed the “greenest” remodel in Tucson, earning the first-ever Silver Certificate from the Pima County’s Residential Green Remodel Program.

The remodel on the Young’s midtown 1930s house included adding a master suite, family room, and office to their two-bedroom, single-bath home.  Why did they decide to undertake this process rather than moving to one of the abundant newer homes on the market?

“We loved many things about our home – location, lot size, neighbors,” says Young. “So we made a conscious decision to stay in our home rather than relocate for the sake of more square-footage.”

The Youngs intended to participate in a green building certification program as they began planning their remodel. They considered LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™), a third-party certification program, and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED for Homes certification is designed for new constructions or major remodels, which typically involve the addition of extra insulation to the existing walls and roof. The Youngs concluded that since LEED certification would require a complete “gut and rebuild” of their home, the Pima County Green Remodeling Program was better suited to their goals and expectations.

Young is in the construction industry, and wanted to learn more about the county remodel program. He definitely got first-hand experience with the process.

Qualifying for the Green Remodel Program

“Existing homes in our community represent a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous challenge,” says Rich Franz-Under, Pima County Green Building program manager.

To qualify for the county’s certification, additions and remodels must involve a minimum of 500 square feet (existing construction and/or a new addition). The service is provided to homeowners pulling a permit for their remodel in Pima County at no additional charge. Since there are no local certification programs for “green” contractors, homeowners should look for a contractor with green-building experience.

“Check if the contractor has certifications such as LEED AP (Accredited Professional) or the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Green Certified Professional designation,” Franz-Under advises.

The Youngs assumed the role of general contractor for the remodel, and hired subcontractors for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems). “We did much of the demolition, carpentry, and finishes ourselves,” Young explains.

According to Franz-Under, the program has minimal mandatory measures, such as control and direct-site runoff, installation of an Energy Star rated programmable thermostat, and sealing off HVAC ducts during construction. Participants receive credits for using locally sourced materials, and the program allows a great deal of flexibility in design and material choice.

From start of construction to occupancy of the addition, the Young’s project took almost four months. “We made the conscious decision to remain in our home during construction,” explains Young. “Not occupying the home during the remodel would have cut the construction time considerably, but interim relocation was a logistical and financial trade-off we were unwilling to make.”

Payoffs for homeowners are huge

“First, the homeowner will have reduced utility bills,” says Franz-Under. “Many of the elements in a green remodel are eligible for state and federal tax credits – high performance windows, solar, etcetera. The Tucson MLS (multiple-listing service used by realtors) will soon have a check-box for certified homes. This will let future buyers know the home was remodeled and inspected to a higher standard and not just ‘dressed’ for sale.”

Young agrees the Pima County remodel certification will make their home more marketable with a higher resale value in the future.

“While we haven’t occupied the remodeled home long enough to realize any reduction in utility costs, we have nearly doubled our livable square footage. We are confident that we more than doubled its overall efficiency,” he says.

But the Youngs aren’t finished yet.

“Although we have earned a Silver certification, we have yet to reduce our carbon footprint,” he says. “Our plan to add a solar component to our new tankless water heater is one way we will reduce our carbon footprint in the near future.”

Additionally, the Youngs will add native landscaping and incorporate a rainwater harvesting system within the next 12 months to capture the valued Pima County Green Remodeling Program’s Gold certification. Their major strides toward reducing their carbon footprint are inspirational indeed.

For additional information on the Regional Green Building Certification Program, call 520-740-6892.

Author: Bonnie Lewis is a local freelance writer.