would you pay more for a house....

[Sticks&Strings]

1. If it was more energy efficient?
2. If it was built with less waste, ie a LEED home?
3. If you had an underground rain water collection system for your irrigation system?
4. If it had solar panels on the roof that could possibly power the house?
5. How much more would you pay for a net zero or near net zero home?

I'm looking into trying to build a more environmentally friendly home via the process and end product, but if it doesnt sell for profit, why do it? I don't even recycle right now, but it amazes me how much trash we send to the landfill on each home I build. That amount of waste to me equals a ton of inefficiencies. That equals money. What does the gs say?

[Dan T]

For me it would depend on how much more. You would also have to have proof that it would be a near net zero home. People are all about efficiency until they realize a home could cost them 50K more.

[Man]

I too am always amazed at the site of the dump bins of a completed house. Tons of waste.

[Sticks&Strings]

For me it would depend on how much more. You would also have to have proof that it would be a near net zero home. People are all about efficiency until they realize a home could cost them 50K more.

Exactly. I have always had the same thought. But I know it's the way of the future and with rising utility costs, what is that magic number that makes it worth it? $10k? 20k? 30k? ....

[Sticks&Strings]

I too am always amazed at the site of the dump bins of a completed house. Tons of waste.

2-4 40 yard dumpsters full to the brim. It's a bunch. And a lot of it is lumber.

[kingchip]

To me the allure of solar in part amounts to selling power back to supplier. With that said, All my electric bills come rom Co-ops, which are immune to most deregulation.
Rainwater collection interests me. A cistern might be nice, but also with the ability to divert into other storage tanks if the main one topped off. Also, I'm about to put a shipping container underground at the ranch. I don't like storing firearms and ammo in a building where it can get extremely hot or cold without conditioning. This container would be something like an old root cellar with more moderate ambient temperature.

[randal]

Id pay more but I'm not sure how much more..

[backwoods]

Many dumpster companies sort waste and others will drop off separate refuse and recycle dumpsters on your site.
You can still divert waste from landfills whether or not you decide to build a "green home".
I think the low energy / green homes are really cool, but I dont see myself spending a premium on them at this time.

As a side topic, solar power is a major disruptive technology and is improving by leaps and bounds every six months or so. It wont surprise me to see most new homes built with solar panels in 10 years.
Electric cars are also improving dramatically. Tesla already has a 400 mile car at about $100k and a 500 mile car is less than a decade away. The Nissan leaf is a 100 mile care for less than $30k.

[cj7zrcool]

I've tried to incorporate more energy efficient components into the build of our new house, but a lot of that stuff is just way too expensive. We've got spray foam insulation in the walls & under the decking, super efficient appliances & HVAC, LED lighting, and a tankless water heater.

[Planner]

I agree that solar is an emerging technology for a sustainable energy source. It definetly seems like the world is trending that direction. But power companies aren't ignoring this and they are closing the gap on selling power on the grid because they still bear the maintenance costs of supplying power, which decreases the value proposition a little. It also seems as though that along with any "new technology" the early adopters pay for a lot of the development costs associated with bringing new technologies to market. I think this is reflective in today's prices. Fast forward ten years and I think we will see a very different market. Remember when those big tv dishes were all the rage back in the '80's? Now you can stream tv through your phone. To answer your question, I wouldn't buy a home with today's solar panels on them but I'd bet my answer will be different within the next ten years.

[CADDOKILLER]

I dont believe it can be done economically so my answer would be no. I see all these estimates about how you will save this much money with energy efficient stuff, you can sell back to the power company with solar panels ect. Yet everyone I personally know who has used them says they were not worth the cost in the long run. Maybe I just talked to the wrong people though so who knows.

Now the one thing that does interest me is the rainwater collection system that I can use to water the landscape. Because I do know rainwater is way better for the environment than what comes out of a tap.

[El Viejo]

Anything that would save me money in the long run would be a yes for me. If it cost me more than what I put into it, then no.

[CADDOKILLER]

I've tried to incorporate more energy efficient components into the build of our new house, but a lot of that stuff is just way too expensive. We've got spray foam insulation in the walls & under the decking, super efficient appliances & HVAC, LED lighting, and a tankless water heater.

Anyway to calculate the added cost of those things plus interest you will pay on it minus what you saved in electric bills over say a 20 year period?

[Atfulldraw]

I have an underground rain collection system.

It's called a well.


It's a tough sell on most of these energy products. Foam insulation, led lighting is about as far as I'll go now.

[texas shag]

Sticks,

If you ever need an engineer to design, draft and stamp a geothermal or photovoltaic system for you or your client, give me a ring. I design LEED buildings for commercial applications, and am familiar with both system types.

I think you will find that in the future, your approach will appeal to a larger segment. At this time, I think most of these types of builds are still limited to the high end, custom home owner.