Green building takes hold

Sunshine and water, two things Lake Havasu City has an abundance of, could be used to reduce energy costs.

Matt Lamont is an architect from Scottsdale who believes in the environmental and economic benefits of “green building.”

Green building, or green architecture, focuses on making construction growth more efficient with respect to use of resources, sustainability, and quality.

“It takes one or two projects for people to walk through and see the benefits,” Lamont explained.

“Everyone wants to see it done somewhere else because they haven't seen it before.”

Harnessing solar power through the use of photovoltaic (PV) cells is growing. In 2003, world shipments of the technology grew by 30 percent and the PV industry earned $4.7 billion, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Lamont said Lake Havasu City has more days of sunshine than Phoenix in a typical year. Today, solar energy users can tap directly into the regional power grid. PV panels, usually installed on rooftops, capture light from the sun and send what is not used at the time to the grid. In fact, many utility companies compensate the homeowner for doing so in the form of a credit.

Arizona is among many states offering tax subsidies to encourage solar installations.

Another example of using natural resources to lower energy costs would involve using Lake Havasu's water to cool air conditioning coils.

“For example, say you had a convention facility or office building with large amount of cooling,” Lamont said, “borrow the water to run across cooling coils.”

Over the life of a building, it could save a considerable amount of energy and reduce utility bills. Lamont said it would be more appropriate for buildings close to the lake.

The United States Green Building Council is a coalition of 6,400 members from the building sector, government agencies, and environmental organizations. Its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) system measures the effectiveness of buildings to promote sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality, according to USGBC.

In his job as an architect, Lamont is the “first line of contact to present people with reasons why to build green.”

The Villages at Sailing Hawks development off London Bridge Road is integrating several aspects of green building. Applicant Lee Arnon explained to the Planning and Zoning Commission in September they wanted to use a mix of granite and polymer, instead of oil, to pave the property.

In addition to reducing overall use of petroleum, Arnon said the alternative pavement minimizes wastewater runoff, thus protecting the lake from chemicals and oil flowing off the surface.

City Council recently approved the asphalt alternative. Sailing Hawks developers are emphasizing the purchase of local materials whenever possible, a measure used for the LEED rating system as well because it reduces the transportation of goods and lessens greenhouse gas emissions.

Although Lake Havasu City does not have any LEED certified building developments, there are fourteen throughout the state of Arizona. Among them is a maintenance facility on the South Rim at the Grand Canyon, the Institute of Eco Tourism in Sedona, and facilities in Phoenix, Tucson and other cities.

Lamont does hear some criticism about green architecture.

“The No. 1 thing I hear is the initial cost is too high,” he said. “But the more you research, you find out it's really not that much more expensive.”

Once consumers see the long-term payback on their investment, interest usually picks up.

Lamont pointed out green building also has a positive impact on local economies by encouraging local production.

Durability is another question raised by skeptics.

“Can I be assured materials are as durable as materials commonly found in the marketplace?” Lamont asked.

He said the answer is yes as more and more environmentally friendly materials reap the benefits of mass-production.

He used the examples of DVD players, IPods, and florescent light bulbs to show the benefit of lower costs once production technology makes the initial investment.

A large part of green building's increasing popularity can be attributed to a growing interest in environmental problems. In the United States, building construction and use account for 36 percent of total energy use, 30 percent of waste output, and 12 percent of potable water consumption, according to Global Green.

Five to 10 years from now, Lamont said he sees the architectural trend gaining wide acceptance.

“By then it will be mainstream. It will have transcended beyond the point of just talking about it,” he said.

You may reach the reporter at hays@havasunews.com

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