Changes big and small can impact energy efficiency!
In 2020, when most of the world worried about getting COVID, Jeff Dinkle caught a different kind of infection.
“I got the green building bug,” says the president of Eco Custom Homes in Sandy Springs, whose projects run between $1 and $3 million. “I wanted to set ourselves apart from competitors. And I’d gotten bored building the same thing over and over. I hate building a house that’s obsolete the day it’s done.”
Since then, Dinkle has focused on looking ahead several years and anticipating what the next new, environmentally friendly house element will be.
“We try to implement some of the techniques that will eventually be building code,” he says. “Each municipality does its own thing, and some have higher standards than others. But in every house, we try to implement something different to make our standard better.” For example, while many electric car owners have had to retrofit their garages for 220-volt charging outlets, Dinkle has been adding them for years, and they’ve now become part of most building codes. He’s also a fan of ultra-high efficient, variable speed heat pumps that he predicts will be standard in about six years.
The company also aims to build net-zero homes, ones that are highly energy efficient and use renewable resources wherever possible. “That’s what our clients want,” Dinkle says. “Especially if they’re building their last house and plan to be in it for 20 years, energy costs are maybe a thing they can take care of now. In theory, costs will go up in the next 20 years, and they’ll see the savings.”
Solar panels are popular features of net-zero houses and have come with tax credits available to offset the costs, which generally range from $60,000 to $100,000, Dinkle says. “The lifespan of solar is about 25 years, and we see returns in about 12 years with the tax credits and based on current energy prices,” he says. “But that’s not what most of our clients are thinking; they think it’s the right thing to do.”
Without investing in solar, Dinkle says some changes to new and existing houses pay off rapidly.
“It’s pretty clear that with better insulation, you’ll see savings in the heating and air bills,” he says. “And it’s cheap overall. But the days of fiberglass insulation are almost over because it’s hard to get good coverage. We pretty much do spray foam everywhere.”
On new construction, Dinkle has started adding a thermal wraparound that acts like an insulating blanket swaddling the entire structure. Along with properly installed flashing around windows and doors, and durable exterior materials such as brick or stone, a wrap is one of the ingredients that can make a house airtight and less prone to issues such as dampness and mold.
“Having an air tight house with the proper filtration means the inner air quality is excellent,” Dinkle says. “You won’t have excessive pollen coming in from outside, and that’s important to a lot of clients who have chemical sensitivities or allergies.”
While the cost of adding these elements varies by the size of the house, in the long run, Dinkle says it’s worth the investment. “It might cost a few dollars more, but your house will last longer.”
ECO CUSTOM HOMES
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Trends in Eco-friendly Homebuilding
Fireplaces: Rather than having a flue that often sucks warm interior air out and lets colder air leak in, more home builders are moving fireplaces outside. n Induction cooktops: They require less energy to heat up quickly.
High-quality windows: While most new homes feature double-paned windows, Dinkle is seeing an uptick in clients going to triple panes. “It’s a 30% upgrade, but they let fewer drafts into the house, and they’re quieter and cut back on noise.”
High-efficiency hot water heaters: Whether building or replacing, go for the most energy-efficient model available because “about 30 to 40% of energy usage is hot water,” Dinkle says.
Dehumidifiers: When it’s not quite time to turn on the AC, but the humidity is climbing, Dinkle suggests built-in dehumidifiers that can take care of that extra moisture buildup more efficiently than running the AC system.
Metal roofs but not doors: While asphalt roofs run about $5 per square foot, metal is close to $15. But Dinkle says they’re more durable (no more hail pockmarks), can be fire resistant and are better suited to holding solar panels. Alternatively, metal doors aren’t insulated and often have moisture issues.
PHOTO: Joann Vitelli
