Solar Homes in Roseville, California - Terra Vista

Green Homes

As the consumer demand for environmentally friendly homes increases, building greener homes is becoming a priority for many home builders. Across the country, builders are constructing homes that are healthier for the environment and more cost-effective for homeowners. According to GreenHomeGuide.org, green homes are expected to make up an impressive 10% of new home construction by 2010. Below is a list of builders offering green homes for sale in new home communities throughout the United States.

MBK Homes – Minimizing the impact of our carbon footprint is a concern that MBK Homes take pride in and in the summer of 2009 MBK Homes was honored for its efforts in building green homes. MBK Homes took the initiative and implemented a unique recycling program that benefited Polar Bear SOS, a Natural Resources Defense Council program aid the stop of global warming. MBK Homes builds new homes in Northern and Southern California with homes starting from the mid $200s.

Shea Homes – Shea Homes announced that each of the home builder’s Green Certified Homes will offer a 3-killowatt BP solar system as a standard feature. The EnergyTile roof-integrated solar electric system looks like a standard tile roof and can reduce a home’s carbon footprint by as much as 48%. Shea Homes becomes the first national residential builder to offer a solar standard across the nation. The Green Certified Homes are available in Shea’s Trilogy Active Lifestyle Communities and also include energy efficient appliances, solar attic fans, dual pane low-e windows, wood from sustainable forests, blow-in insulation from recycled cellulose and many more products and building techniques that promote energy efficiency.

KB Home – In 2007, KB Homes was recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for building 7,467 Energy Star qualified homes in eight divisions – Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin, Sacramento, Houston, Las Vegas and Southern California. According to a KB Home press release, these homes will save homeowners $3.3 million annually on utility bills and is the equivalent of planting 6,048 acres of trees.

D.R. Horton – In November 2007, D.R. Horton signed an agreement with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to construct 187 solar homes in a Natomas, California neighborhood. These SolarSmart green homes are expected to be the equivalent of removing 90 cars from the road and save homeowners 60% annually on their utility bills.

Pulte Homes – By constructing more than 15,000 green homes, Pulte Homes has built more Energy Star homes than any other builder. In communities nationwide, Pulte Homes Energy Star appliances, low-flow toilets, low-E windows, right-sized heating and cooling systems and tight building envelopes, which help reduce energy loss. In some southwest communities, Pulte Homes include water conservation and re-use landscape designs.

Centex Homes – According to builderonline.com, in July 2008, Centex Homes announced that by January 2009, the company would include a “standard suite of energy efficient features” in homes nationwide. Centex Homes commissioned a study by the NAHB Research Center that concluded that these Centex Energy Advantage Homes  are up to 40% more energy efficient than a typical 10-year old home.

Lennar Homes – In Sacramento, Lennar Homes is constructing one of the largest green home communities with 1,254 environmentally friendlier homes; construction on these greener homes is expected to end in 2010. In Roseville, California, Lennar Homes is building 650 homes with solar panels.

Elliott Homes – In Roseville, California, Elliott Homes is currently selling new homes with solar roofs and energy efficient appliances. These homes, in their Terra Vista community, were recently named “Roseville BEST Homes” by the Roseville Electric Company.

Green Home Plans

FreeGreen offers consumers and home builders free energy efficient home plans and designs. In addition, the company works with product manufacturers to give the home building industry, and consumers, different mixtures of green products, materials, and vendors. Their website gives visitors access to a wealth of information about green building and ways to “go green”. Several home builders that are not mentioned above, but do offer green homes for sale; ask your home builder what they’re doing to build greener homes.