There are many ways to measure how green your green home in Austin is, and given that Austin is the birth-place of the green home rating programs (starting in 1991), I’m going to use that as a measure of where the new green homes are here.

In Austin Energy’s Green Building Annual report there’s a great diagram of where the 2010 rated homes were built. The blue circles depict different magnitudes of single family home building per zip code.

Green Rated Building in 2010

Of 1909 single family homes that were built in Austin, 38% participated in the rating program. 78723 was one zip code which did well for commercial and residential projects, and Mueller Austin features in the commercial projects to watch with the Austin Children’s Shelter, Mosaic, the Greenway Lofts, The Wildflower Terrace and the Mueller House Condominiums being featured as projects to watch. The large blue circle means over 151 homes green homes were added in 78723 – more than any other area. The full key for the above diagram is in the annual report – check it out.

In less than 4 years, all new homes built in Austin are planned to be net zero capable, according to the Austin Climate Protection Plan‘s ambitious goals. The 38% rated projects in 2010 are not all net zero, but it’s a step in the right direction. Builders are learning to work in new ways with new materials, and to figure out what elements score points in one rating program. There’s still a big leap to making the holistic choices that make an entire building net zero.

If you’re interested in more Mueller homes for sale in 2011 and beyond, you can stay up to date at my other website.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker®

Specializing in: New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

5 Star Green construction can certainly run at a premium and people often ask me if they can get such a high performance home in their price point. I took a look at the market today and came up with the following answer: yes.

There are a couple of challenges in finding them yourself – there aren’t all that many agents who use the primary listing database fields correctly. Green Building Scheme Rating is an optional field, and some agents don’t fill it in correctly. The other challenge is that new homes aren’t always in the MLS. So even if you find a site that shows “5 star green homes” it tends to reflect a portion of the market.

Correctly labeled in the MLS too!

There are a few condo developments which meet the criteria, one being the Lakeline Square condos up near 183 and 620. You can get three story town homes for around 150k there – over 1300 sqft with 3 beds.

If being close to town is more important as part of your sustainable lifestyle choice, there are the Pedernales condos on E6th Street – right by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. These were built in 2005 and start at around $120k for a 1 bed unit.

From time to time other small condo developments pop up too – from small duplex conversions to new builds.

For single family detached homes in the city, the only place is SOL Austin – right now they have a 1300+ sqft 3 bed home for around $250k.

Inventory turns all the time, so get in touch if you want an updated list of 5 star green homes in your price point.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker®

Specializing in: 5 Star Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

Air humidity is one of the key factors for comfort at home, and can sometimes be unexpectedly high in a brand new “green” build. I spoke to Positive-Energy‘s Kristof Irwin and found out one method he uses – psychrometric testing – to help identify issues with discomfort in the home.

This little gadget logs temperature and humidity

The type of comfort we’re talking here is thermal comfort, and the following factors which are most frequently controlled by your HVAC play into that:

• Air temperature
• Relative humidity – we lose heat when we perspire, and the amount of water vapor in the air determines how fast we can cool
• Air movement – moving air feels cooler

A side effect of your HVAC system is the reduction of humidity as it cools air. This is great as keeping the humidity down within an acceptable range is important for you to feel comfortable.

The challenge for builders of energy efficient homes is that building envelopes are getting tighter – there are less places for water vapor to escape. So if you’re cooking and generating steam, or taking a shower without an exhaust fan, your traditional HVAC will have to expend a great amount of energy to dehumidify the air.

There’s a sweet spot at which air temperature and air humidity feel comfortable for most of us. The interesting thing from an energy efficiency standpoint is that you don’t need to run all of your HVAC to dehumidify the air. You can simply add a lower power dehumidifier to your home, and use less energy on HVAC operations to achieve a feeling of comfort.

So what goes wrong? If your relative humidity remains high (even at a lower temperature) the combination doesn’t feel right. And if the relative humidity stays above 60% for too long, fungal spores can germinate. The EPA advises maintaining a relative humidity of 30-60%

What starts off as feeling uncomfortable can end up being unhealthy. So that’s where Kristof gets called in. He uses psychrometric testing:

“By logging humidity and temperature over time, you can learn where the air moves,” says Kristof. From there he can understand your home and figure out what needs to be addressed.

Little data loggers can be placed strategically around the home to test theories. I’m adding two in my home just to see, and I’ll report back what we learn.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker®

Specializing in: New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

Geothermal HVAC in a home – can it be done in Austin? This was the question I was posed on the phone last week, and the first thing that sprung to mind was the net zero capable community of SOL Austin which features geothermal HVAC options. I checked the MLS home sales in the City of Austin in 2010, and just 3 of 9694 sales were labeled as having geothermal HVAC – all of them above $325,000.

The next thing that suggested itself was calling in the expertise of Kristof Irwin of Blue Heron Builders – he specializes in remodels and construction of net zero capable homes in Austin. His answer was surprisingly simple – yes!

He said he could build a 1500sqft home with geo-thermal HVAC for under $300,000 – possibly $275,000. The system is around twice the cost of a regular HVAC, he explained. The ground is used as a heat sink for the refrigerant used to cool the home, so rather than having an external unit using a motor to compress refrigerant from a gas to a liquid, you use a hole in the ground. The refrigerant is pumped into the heat sink where it cools down sufficiently to begin the heat exchange cycle with your home once more. The energy required to pump is less than the energy required to compress a gas, so the net result is lower energy bills.

Kristof then went on to explain that he wouldn’t necessarily choose a geo-thermal HVAC to attain the goal of a net zero capable home – one which through provision of on-site electricity production could produce the same amount of energy as it consumed over a year.  (In short, a high performance home without the pesky burden of energy bills) He said that he would also look at ductless mini split heat pumps which eliminate the challenge of duct leakage in a home and allow a more fine grained control of the zoning. You only condition the rooms you are in, so save on conditioning the whole house.

He also pointed out that the ductless mini split systems can also improve the humidity control in a house, which is crucial as building envelopes become tighter. I’ll talk more about the perils of humidity in a new green home in an upcoming post.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker®

Specializing in: New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

Modern high-performance homes in Austin:

Good looking and green

SOL Austin is the KRDB project 3.3 miles East of downtown Austin which has been swelling in the last few years with geothermally powered eco-abodes. I took a quick walk around today and shot a few short videos to give an idea of the completion status. There are two homes currently under construction, and nothing in the MLS.

Here are a few quick updates on the project.

• 17 homes are sold, of 38 lots.
• Prices are below $200/sqft (as low as $171/sqft)
• It’s 3.3 miles if you’re a commuting crow, 4.1 miles if you adhere to more conventional transportation options (according to google maps)

You can check out the available SOL home listings at my website (there aren’t any at the present time), or give me a call if you want to check them out in person.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Real Estate Agent Specializing in: New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

Here’s a short video I shot of the new green homes down on Longview Road in South Austin. Las Casas Verdes bill themselves as the first solar middle-income neighborhood in Austin, though I’m not sure if SOL Austin would agree.

That said, colour me impressed by the specifications:

• 3kW Solar PV panels for each home
• Passive solar design – overhangs, heat chimneys, optimal orientation
• rainwater collection on a significant scale -not just a couple of rain barrels and a gutter
• Unique designs for each of twenty 1800sqft homes
• The Walkscore of 37 isn’t great, but the homes are on a bus route
• Pending 5 star rating in the Austin Energy Green Building Program

The homes are available to be built right now, of the two in the MLS, one is under contract. You can see more details on the homes at these Las Casas Verdes listings, or give me a call if you want to check them out.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Specializing in: Green Austin Real Estate and New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

Green is Unregulated was a post concerning the green-washing in the real estate world. With the green building market set to triple in size over the next four years, I feel it’s important that the people representing buyers and sellers of green homes in Austin have the opportunity to work with someone appropriately qualified. Hence, my EcoBroker certification!

What is an EcoBroker? EcoBroker is a certification undertaken by real estate professionals to give them additional expertise and training in the field of high performance homes. There are many aspects of the certification, and the aim is to make real estate agents more capable to serve their clients in marketing or buying their green homes.

Green homes in Austin are a larger share of the market than in other parts of the country – the City spawned the Austin Energy Green Building Program which begat LEED, and Central Texas is leading the country in the growth of LEED certified buildings.

As consumers become more demanding and more educated about aspects of home construction that will make their homes healthier and more efficient, some agents have started to differentiate themselves by seeking training. As an EcoBroker, I know what things to look for and have a network of like-minded people who can help my clients to achieve their green goals. Whether it’s improved indoor air-quality in a new home, lower utility bills, or the things to look out for in a home built in 1944 – I can point you in the right direction.

I’m not claiming to be an expert on which roof surface will support a solar PV array, but I know a man who is! And if you’ve invested in a 15 SEER HVAC system in a home you are selling, I know how to explain the benefits to a prospective buyer.

With many new homebuilders claiming their homes are green, it’s good to get a second opinion on such a large catch-all term. That’s where an EcoBroker comes in!

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Specializing in: Green Austin Real Estate and New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

The homes:

• SIPS construction (modular construction means a better insulated fit and faster construction)
• Solar power for each home
• 5 star green building rating (AEGBP)
• 1800 sqft
• Priced in the $300,000s
• Solar hot water
• 3kW solar panels for each home
• On demand gas fired water heaters

The location:

The twenty homes are being built in South Austin – 78745, near the junction of Longview and Cameron Loop, about a mile South of William Cannon and Brodie.  Check out this map of Las Casas Verdes.

Schools:

The homes are currently zoned as Boone, Covington, Crockett.

The Las Casas Verdes website has details of plans on the site. Each home is custom planned, and given the SIPS construction techniques, they should be ready in three months rather than the typical four to six of a production builder.

Get in touch if you’d like to see more of Las Casas Verdes!

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Specializing in: Green Austin Real Estate and New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

Green homes in Austin were given a boost this week by an article in the Austin American Statesman about SOL Austin.

The article charts the progress in Austin’s first net zero energy community, and talks to some of the buyers who are planning to move in this summer.

The last word from the affordable program out there is that there is a substantial waiting list, though market rate homes are still available.

Buyers can enjoy a home that produces as much energy as it consumes over a year, with metal roofs, spray insulation and solar power in addition to geo-thermal HVAC.

Give me a call on 512 694 8873 for more information on what’s available at SOL Austin!

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Specializing in: Green Austin Real Estate and New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873

After walking to meet a client in the neighborhood last Friday, I stopped by the pickup point for our Community Supported Agriculture farm shares on the way home. Vegetables in hand I arrived at home and then turned around to walk to a neighbor’s house for happy hour.

My pedestrian-friendly neighborhood dream at the Mueller Development has come true. To celebrate, here’s a picture of the vegetables that we get from Hands of the Earth Farm, and some links to more information about being a locavore.

Crop share!

I am not exclusively a locavore myself, but I do enjoy some locally grown vegetables from the Boggy Creek area.

For a neighborhood of 350 homes, the Mueller redevelopment showed it’s green by quickly snapping up 30 half-shares of the farms’ produce.

We’ve had spinach, radishes, carrots, garlic, onions, lettuce, fennel, dill, greens, beets and more so far, and the season has just begun.

The week's bounty

• Texas Locavore – getting a good taste from locally grown produce.
• Greenling – get local organic food delivered to your door.
• Hands of the Earth – sold out this planting season, but get on the waiting list
• 10 reasons to buy local foods if you want some background in genetic diversity, fresher food and less energy consumption
• Community Supported Agriculture – CSAs in Central Texas (scroll to bottom of article)

Get in touch if you have a good recipe for collard greens, or you want to move to a green community or home in Austin!

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Specializing in: Green Austin Real Estate and New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873