SPECIAL SECTION
The Cost of Building Green
Builders question whether the expense of building green homes will make them harder to sell. Kozimor says that he can build his homes at a competitive price, and that tax incentives for energy conservation make green homes even more attractive to buyers.
Builders also question the expense of fire sprinkler systems, but the system in Lenberg’s home did not increase the net cost for the following reasons:
• It is a plumbing-based system, which supplies the sprinklers with the same pipe that supplies cold water to the plumbing fixtures.
• The small-diameter flexible pipe is much faster to install.
• The pre-assembled sprinkler fittings reduce labor.
• Infrastructure incentives like smaller water mains and fewer fire hydrants reduce costs while conserving water and reducing impact on the environment.
Conclusion
Kozimor hopes to break ground on his green subdivision in 2011. He believes that the energy conservation experience with the Lenberg home demonstrates that Farmington can grow without a negative impact on community infrastructure and services. Projects like his certainly meet the definition of sustainable development coined by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, which describes sustainable development as “that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
1 Wieczorek, Christopher J., Ditch, Benjamin and Bill, Jr. Robert, “Environmental Impact of Automatic Fire Sprinklers,” Research Technical Report, FM Global Research Division, 1151 Boston-Providence Turnpike, Norwood, MA 02062.
2 Rural Metro 15-year study.
3 FM Global report, p. ii.
4 Ibid.
This article originally appeared in the February 2011 issue of the Building Safety Journal, copyright International Code Council, and is reprinted with permission.
Figure 6. Solar thermal panels on the roof heat the water for radiant floor heating.
Figure 9. Fire scene at a home requiring manual suppression that complies with NFPA 1710, the deployment standard for career fire departments.
Figure 7. Water reclamation tank.
Figure 8. The grass and trees are irrigated with reclaimed water.
Figure 10. Fire scene at a home protected with residential fire sprinklers.
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