Clean Living; Energy-efficient home first to be awarded sustainable building tax credit

Story by JANE MAHONEY For the Journal Photographs by RICHARD PIPES Of the Journal

Energy efficient features ranging from compact fluorescent lighting to foam insulation helped to put money back into the pockets of the builder of Albuquerque's first home to be awarded the sustainable building tax credit.

The contemporary Tuscan-style home built by Keystone Custom Homes may look similar to its upscale neighbors in North Albuquerque Acres, but it is filled with design features and products that help conserve energy, water and building resources.

The home, one of 24 in a GreenBuilt home tour May 17-18 (see box), was the first to qualify locally for tax credits through the Sustainable Building Tax Credit Act passed by the New Mexico Legislature in 2007. The tax incentive plan, to run through Dec. 31, 2013, was passed to encourage both commercial and home builders to design and construct buildings with high-energy efficiency and overall sustainability. The one-time tax credit factors in the size and energy efficiency of the home and the rating it receives by Build Green New Mexico or LEED, a voluntary, national standard for defining green building. Typically, the qualifying homes are at least 40 percent more energy efficient than a standard home.

For Keystone Homes, which built this particular new house to meet Build Green NM's gold level, the tax credits amounted to $11,000, said company President Scott Hauquist. The high performance home is 3,084 square feet and is listed for sale at $739,900.

Many of the home's tax credit-earning features are simply good construction practices long followed by this custom builder, said Hauquist.

"We've been a quality builder all along," he added.

The home's green features start with orientation. Exterior overhangs block most of the intense summer sun, while allowing the winter sun to help heat the interior space. Energy efficiency is also achieved with savvy building techniques such as including all ductwork within the home's conditioned (heated or cooled) spaces. Energy Star appliances, a highly efficient and correctly sized combination furnacerefrigerated air conditioner unit, an open cell insulation package, plus an inch of continuous foam on the exterior, keep this exceptionally tight home comfortable in all seasons. Indoor air quality is enhanced with a programmable fresh air intake system. Paints, sealants and carpeting are listed as low-V.O.C., meaning the products do not emit outgases.

The Keystone home uses proven technology that goes beyond energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Advanced framing techniques and lumber dimensions conserve resources as well. Studs and floor joists are on 24-inch centers. Headers on nonbearing walls are smaller than the norm. Carpet pads are produced from recycled materials and cardboard is recycled. Water conservation is obtained with low-flow showerheads and faucets and dual-flush toilets. The concrete tile roof in a medium color tone reflects much of the daytime heat and keeps the attic from heating up.

Even with all the energy saving features, this threebedroom residence is right at home in its upscale neighborhood. Design features include an alder and glass front door that opens to an entryway with a view of a private outdoor courtyard. Exposed engineered trusses provide a cathedral-like ambiance in the great room, where a cultured stone fireplace and entertainment center span an entire wall.

Other custom touches include a two-way fireplace in the master bedroom, a three-car (with double access doors), alder cabinetry, granite counter tops, Travertine tile floors, bull-nosed corners, plastered walls and jetted tub.

Hauquist estimates that the many green features added about $15,000 to the total cost of the home, much of which he got back through the tax incentive program. In this case, the builder - rather than the homeowner - took the tax credits because the home is a spec home. Hauquist notes that the home's energy saving features will continue to generate additional monetary savings for the home owners in the years to come.

Tax credits can be substantial depending on the square footage of the building and the sustainable rating it receives, says Susie Marbury, president elect of the U.S. Green Building Council NM Chapter. For example, a 2,000-square-foot home built to the LEED or Build Green NM silver standard can receive a $10,000 tax credit.

Qualifying for a sustainable building tax credit starts with the design phase, said Marbury. Build Green New Mexico or LEED for Homes is used to certify residences. Throughout the construction, the building requires documentation, including some inspections, showing it meets the green building and energy efficiency standards. Once the building is constructed and certified, the builder applies for the tax credit through the state's Energy Conservation and Management Division. For more information, visit www.CleanEnergyNM.org.

ESTIMATED MONTHLY PAYMENTS:

(includes estimated taxes and insurance)

For $739,900 home (3,084 square feet): $4,783.79

Assumptions: 20 percent down; 7.5 percent, 30-year conventional mortgage

Source: Mace Kochenderfer, Anchor Mortgage Group

CUSTOM FEATURES:

Alder glass entry door and cabinetry

Travertine tile

Two fireplaces

Interior courtyard and fire pit

Concrete tile roof

Recirculating hot water

Granite countertops

HEATING/COOLING:

Gas forced heat/Refrigerated cooling GreenBuilt Tour

See what makes sustainable houses tick during the ninth annual GreenBuilt Tour on May 17-18. The open houses at 24 sustainable homes in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos are the culmination of an educational Sustainability Week sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council New Mexico Chapter.

Here's a schedule of events:

9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 10:

A series of lectures and workshops will be held to help homeowners and others learn more about green building and environmentally friendly products and materials. Topics include water conservation, solar energy, recycling, strawbale homes, energy audits and how to go green.

Two other lecture tracks will focus on sustainability topics of particular interest to real estate and building professionals.

Tickets for the slate of lectures, held at UNM's Continuing Education building, 1634 University Blvd. NE, are available at the door and cost $10 per person. Ticket price includes the guidebook for entry to the GreenBuilt Tour of Homes the following weekend.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 10:

The Green Central Expo, a trade fair of sorts, will showcase displays about green building at UNM's Continuing Education building. It will allow visitors to take a closer look at environmentally friendly products and materials ranging from low-e windows to solar photovoltaic panels that can be incorporated into existing residences.

May 10-16: Participants on Sustainability Week can sign up for social events, LEED workshops for building professionals and a separate tour of green commercial buildings in Albuquerque. For details, visit www.USGBCNM.org or call 224-0474.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17-18: Self-guided GreenBuilt Tour of 24 sustainable New Mexico homes. Fifteen are in the Albuquerque area, including houses in Edgewood, Corrales, Cedar Crest and Los Lunas. Tickets cost $10 per person, and include a guidebook. Tickets for the tour can be purchased in Albuquerque at La Montanita Co-op, 3500 Central Ave. and 2400 Rio Grande NW, and at Whole Foods, 5815 Wyoming NE; in Santa Fe at La Montanita Co-op; and in Taos at Cid's Market and Peoples Bank.