Going green from scratch; Environmentally-friendly building growing in popularity

By John Rudolf

Today's News-Herald

LAKE HAVASU CITY - When Dick Raczuk set out to build his dream home, he decided to make it one for the ages. He chose combination foam-concrete walls, a high-tech material that offers almost three times the insulation of conventional wood-frame, or “stick” construction. Besides the energy savings, he figured the 10-inch thick walls had an added benefit: standing the test of time.

“I think this is going to be a 1,000-year house,” Raczuk said. “It will survive any bomb blast in the neighborhood.”

The home has other earth-friendly features, including a solar-heated swimming pool, double-insulated ceilings, and interior wood beams that are actually clever fakes, made from high-density polyurethane. A special coating added to roof tiles helps reflect the Arizona sun's scorching rays. “You find it used in extreme climates,” Raczuk said of the coating, called Thermo-Shield. “Even when it's 90 degrees out, I can put my hand on the roof and it'll feel cool.”

Promoting “green” building in the desert might not sound like the most environmentally-conscious thing to do-after all, except for cacti and palo verde trees, the natural hues of the region are various shades of brown. But whether it's called green, sustainable or eco-friendly, the housing of tomorrow appears headed in one direction: away from energy-guzzling construction, and toward homes that works in harmony with the natural world.

“It's coming,” said Judy Ann Cheon, a realtor and secretary of the Lower Colorado River Resource Conservation and Development Council. “You can either be in the locomotive, or you can be standing in the depot as the train pulls out of the station.”

While sustainable building has not yet reached critical mass in Western Arizona, Cheon said more and more homebuyers were looking for energy efficiency and extras like solar water heating. “It adds a premium,” Cheon said. “Energy efficient homes tend to sell faster and at a higher price than most homes.”

In Kingman, the county's first green-certified master planned community is under way. Called Eagle View Estates, homes in the 334-lot development will feature solar power, recycled gray-water lines for irrigation, super-insulated walls and ceilings, and zoned climate control.

“A big misconception in the homebuilding trade is that green technology is just too expensive to install,” said Richard Iddings, spokesman for Eagle View Estates. “But all of a sudden, these things are becoming much more mainstream products, which is bringing the price way down.”

Even solar panels, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars for a large array, have become more affordable, with thousands of dollars in newly available state and federal tax credits helping to defray the expense.

This boom in “green” building does not necessarily signal a shift in earth-consciousness, however. “Another misconception with green homes, is that you have to be a hippie to appreciate them,” said Iddings.

That was not the case with Frye Family Homes, who are developing the homes. “They did it purely from the standpoint of trying to reduce homeowner cost,” he said. Company President Eric Frye, “is definitely not a hippie,” Iddings added.

While advanced insulation, solar power and other amenities can often add between 10 and 20 percent to the cost of a home, energy savings mean that expense is quickly recouped.

The homes in Eagle View, for example, are expected to use between 30 and 50 percent less energy than conventional homes.

And with the cost to cool a large home in the scorching Mojave Desert climbing steadily each year, those savings can be substantial.

Dick Raczuk, for one, expects his home's many modifications will pay for themselves within just a few years.

“In extreme temperatures, like we have in Lake Havasu, you get payback on it,” he said. “Utilities are not going down, and neither is the sun.”