“Area home buyers choosing deals and glitz over green” Jacksonville Business Journal, December 14, 2007 JACKSONVILLE -- The demand for environmentally friendly home building in Northeast Florida is reflected by how buyers answer one question: Do you want granite countertops or a greener home? Most local home buyers choose the countertops, another feature or they pocket the money, instead of shelling out to make their new home more water or energy efficient. Between January and October, about 230, or 5 percent, of the homes built in Northeast Florida received a rebate through Green Built Homes of Florida, a JEA program promoting energy- and water-efficient building practices for single-family homes. The program was created in 2006 to help builders find their way through the many, and often times confusing, green building-related certification options. There are about 80 green-building standards nationally, which often are tailored to local needs, said Bruce Doueck, manager of conservation at JEA. Seventy-five percent to 80 percent of homes that follow the JEA program apply for rebates, said David Reed, a conservation coordinator with JEA. Only homes built within JEA's electrical service area are eligible for rebates, but other builders have used the program despite not being eligible for rebates. Reed expects the number of green homes built to increase as people understand the energy and water savings available, along with the value added to the home. But the public still doesn't fully understand the energy savings available by having homes built with features such as high-performance windows, tightly sealed ducts, and highly efficient heating and cooling equipment. Builders can differentiate their homes through green certification, especially as the market slows, said Ellen Leroy-Reed, public advocacy chairwoman for the U.S. Green Building Council's North Florida Chapter. Custom home builders, like Jacksonville-based Hovis Custom Builders Inc., are having better results with green building. Mark Downing, a CornerStone Homes partner, said electricity and gas prices haven't gotten to the point where buyers see green homes as necessary. The single-home builder had its houses in the Austin Park community in St. Johns County certified using the JEA program. But when the certification is optional, buyers tend to pass on it, he said. It costs $3,000 to $4,000 more to build a home that can be certified under the JEA program, he said. Inspections for certification can also slow construction, said Wayland Wiseman, chief operating officer of Jacksonville-based Collins Builders. Because his homes already have a high level of energy conservation, it costs about $300 to get it Energy Star-certified. The Energy Star program was created by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. In the two years the company has offered the Energy Star option, no customers have opted for it, Wiseman said. "Everybody wants to be water and energy-friendly, but do they want it bad enough to pay for?" Custom builders, such as Hovis Custom Builders Inc., have had better luck. "The only way I build is green," President and Founder Dan Hovis said. "Most people come to me because of the way I build a house." He said some buyers will pay 8 percent or 10 percent more on the home so that it can be certified Energy Star Plus. That program certifies homes that are at least 50 percent more energy efficient than required by building code, said Hovis, who builds five to 10 homes per year. Energy Star requires buildings to be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than building codes require. Hovis is looking into getting Water Star certification -- the aqua equivalent to Energy Star -- for homes he is building at The King & The Bear development at World Golf Village. Green residential building is not as prevalent in Northeast Florida as in Central and Southwest Florida, said Florida Home Builders Association spokeswoman Edie Ousley. "The builders are educated and understand how to meet the green built process, but the consumers have to be ready to make the investment."