Jul 11 2007
Local construction advisors offer homeowners the opportunity to manage their own building projects and build green. Nick Blair and Brent Gates, owners of the UBuildIt-Parker office, joined the Built Green Colorado program to give their owner-builder clients access to the benefits of green building.
Co-owner Nick Blair explained, "Next to the mortgage, home energy bills are the largest on-going expense associated with home ownership. A 'green' home provides energy savings for the life of the home. It also qualifies for energy credits with the local power company and the Federal Residential Energy Efficiency Tax."
Owner-builders also gain added value. A study by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and the EPA reported that for every one-dollar decrease in a home's annual utility bill due to energy efficiency, the market value of that home increases twenty dollars.
According to co-owner Brent Gates, the health of the environment is a common concern in our society. Recent polls found that upwards of 80% of all Americans consider themselves "environmentalists". Built Green provides the tools to build homes that speak to this concern, and the UBuildIt System gives owners the opportunity to direct their own green building project.
UBuildIt's construction advisors show owner-builders how to use technologies, products and practices to increase energy efficiency, provide healthier indoor air, reduce water usage, improve comfort and durability, reduce maintenance and reduce pollution.
Through UBuildIt, owner-builders can receive the Built Green designation for their homes by building to the program's standards. Built Green criteria include an energy efficiency requirement and a minimum number of "green" options from the Built Green Checklist.