I recently had the opportunity to interview Mike Tinskey, Ford’s global director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure, about the company’s recent launch of the MyEnergi Lifestyle program.

The Ford-led MyEnergi Lifestyle program is a collaboration with Whirlpool, SunPower, Eaton, Infineon, and Nest Labs. According to Tinskey, “MyEnergi Lifestyle works by leveraging technology so key energy-consuming devices in a home use less energy, while also shifting energy usage to less expensive periods. At night, for example, when energy costs are lower, a smart refrigerator can perform high-energy tasks like ice making or defrosting – just as Ford’s plug-in vehicles do with recharging.”

The MyEnergi Lifestyle program allows homeowners to engage in energy arbitrage, generating solar power during the day and selling it back to the grid, and then using energy at night when it costs the least.

In January, Ford released results of a Georgia Institute of Technology computer model that calculated the electricity usage of a typical single family in their home for one year, and the associated savings with moving to an energy-efficient lifestyle. Apparently, the cumulative results predict a 60 percent reduction in energy costs and more than 9,000 kg of CO2 (a 55 percent reduction) saved. “If every home in the U.S. were to implement these energy-saving technologies,” says Tinskey, “it would be the equivalent of taking 32 million homes off the power grid.”

Ford’s MyEnergi Lifestyle initiative will be showcased in KB Home’s ZeroHome 2.0 model home in San Marcos, CA. ZeroHouse 2.0’s built-in electric vehicle charge station is engineered to charge the vehicle during off-peak hours for maximum cost efficiency.

Ford is not just focused on new construction—the company is also targeting the retrofit market, where there are approximately 75 million existing homes that can take advantage of the time of use database to achieve enhanced energy usage and performance. To that end, Ford and its partners are launching a MyEnergi Lifestyle Retrofit contest on Katie Couric’s daytime talk show.

Homeowners can enter this national contest for a chance to win a package that includes a Ford C-MAX Energi, new Whirlpool brand appliances, a SunPower solar array, and other home products designed to bring energy efficiency to a typical American family. To enter the MyEnergi Lifestyle retrofit contest, applicants will need to submit an essay of 400 words or less explaining how adding solar power and switching to smart, energy-efficient appliances and a plug-in hybrid vehicle could benefit their family.

Do you know of similar cutting-edge programs that are enabling homeowners to decreace energy use in their homes that we should know about? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

Green Builder Media recently interviewed Dan Bridleman, senior vice president of sustainable technology and purchasing for KB Homes, about KB’s new ZeroHouse 2.0, a next-generation model home that showcases the features and benefits of sustainable living. The ZeroHouse 2.0 combines energy efficient design concepts and smart-home technologies with the objective of offering home buyers an affordable option for net-zero energy living.

“Intelligent devices in the ZeroHouse 2.0 communicate with the utility so that the home uses energy at the cheapest time possible,” says Bridleman. “Our goal is to reduce the cost of home ownership and, ideally, eliminate monthly electricity bills for homeowners.”

Bridleman states that KB Home’s mantra is ‘reduce before you produce’, which means that the company advocates investing in an efficient building envelope first, and then in solar (PV and solar thermal). The company’s average home design has a HERS rating of approximately 68 (national average), then a homeowner can invest in building envelope upgrades to bring the HERS score down to 40. With the installation of a modest solar system, the house can readily become net-zero energy.

Bridleman states that “the higher efficiency of ZeroHouse 2.0 is the result of a whole-home approach – from the inside out – that includes additional insulation; upgraded HVAC systems; dual-pane, low-emitting windows; and roof-mounted solar panels. Additionally, our WaterSense-labeled homes are designed to use 20 percent less water than a typical new home. For a family of four, that’s a difference of about 50,000 gallons of water a year compared to a typical home, or enough for nearly 2,000 loads of laundry and as much as $600 in annual utility bills.”

KB offers an Energy Performance Guide (EPG) label (similar to an MPG label for a car), which helps homeowners understand their predicted monthly utility bills. Additionally, KB is actively educating consumers about whole home automation systems that enable homeowners to control and monitor their energy consumption and program their appliances via a Web-based portal or mobile application. “Homeowners can set their appliances so their highest energy consumption activities happen at times when electricity rates are lowest. They can also receive alerts about the status of their smart appliances – all from their smartphones or computers,” asserts Bridleman.

KB will test the ZeroHouse 2.0 in ten markets across the country.

Are there other innovative, cost-effective, game-changing systems that we should know about? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

Earlier this week, I interviewed CR Herro, VP of Environmental Affairs for Meritage Homes (9th largest production builder in the country). Our discussion focused on Meritage’s new MGV5 pilot, which is a “durable, healthy, safe, sustainable, emotionally engaging, behavior adapting, and net-zero energy home for an average consumer with no compromises in first cost, lifestyle, or design.”

Sound too good to be true? Not necessarily.

“In the down economy, homes became a commodity,” says Herro. “Meritage’s goal over the past few years has been to create better homes that create real value for consumers.” Meritage has taken the best of European performance and blended it with Japanese predictability to create the MGV5, the company’s fifth iteration of a sustainable home model.

The MGV5 uses Hercuwall Insulated Concrete Panels (ICPs)—a hybrid system that blends the strength, efficiency, and performance of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) with the ease of installation associated with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). According to Herro, this panelized, factory-built approach offers Meritage a “reasonable, scalable, and cost-effective way to build sustainable homes on a production scale,” and he believes that the process has strong potential to affect real, long-lasting change in the industry.

“It’s easy,” says Herro. “Each wall panel is cut in a factory, heavily insulated, and structured with steel and concrete. The panels are then delivered on the back of a small truck to the jobsite. Then we take the panels, lock them into place, fill the steel structure with concrete (which can be sourced locally), and voila!, in half a day we can erect, insulate, internally frame, and case a home with a superior structure, air barrier, and thermal mass that is efficient, precise, durable, quiet, rot proof, and resilient to weather events and pests.”

Herro affirms that the system is cost competitive. “While ICFs are strong and efficient, they are labor intensive and have a high material costs, which makes it difficult to justify their ROI. The Hercuwall system cuts the material cost in half and reduces labor costs by 60%, when compared to ICFs. The system also saves us money when compared to traditional framing—the walls are more expensive, but we reach a net positive though efficiencies and reduced labor costs.”

The MGV5 plan is designed to achieve a HERS Index score of 50, a 60% energy savings when compared to an average U.S. home of the same size, which translates into a potential $80,000 savings over a 30 year mortgage. With the addition of a reasonable size solar system, the home readily becomes net-zero energy.

Meritage will test the MGV5 model in Arizona this summer, with the anticipation that it will be rolled out for testing across the country in the Fall.

Are there other innovative, cost-effective, game-changing systems that we should know about? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

Last week at the Kitchen and Bath International Show (KBIS) in New Orleans, David Lingafelter, President of Moen, delivered a State of the Industry address. He referred to an “aura optimism and hopefulness” in the sector as new home starts are up 20% (400K annualized starts), the remodeling market is up 3% (75M projects), home values are up 3%, jobs have reached 2005 levels, inflation and cost of goods remain stable, and consumer sentiment is markedly improving.

Lingafelter pointed to “frugal fatigue” as a primary contributor to improving consumer confidence. “People are tired of tight budgets and they’re feeling confident enough to spend out of choice, not just necessity,” he says. Nonetheless, he states that consumers are still guarded in this age of “why”—they’re thoughtful and deliberate about purchases and are looking for increased value.

In his presentation, Lingafelter pointed to four main drivers that are influencing consumer purchasing patterns:

1) Channel Surfing 2.0: Digital media has permanently altered purchasing by enabling consumers instant access to product information, reviews, price comparisons, and personalization. This fluid shopping experience has lead to more educated and empowered consumers than ever before. Lingafelter’s research shows that 50% of consumers use tablets and smartphones to investigate products while shopping, 25% look at product reviews before purchasing, 50% use mobile shopping apps, and 40% use the internet to source product information. Lingafelter advises building professionals to leverage online tools to create an intimate relationship with consumers and access new business opportunities.

2) Digital Dwellings: Ownership of tablets and smartphones continues to dramatically increase year after year, and 20% of homeowners now use their computers in the kitchen. As technology becomes more pervasive in the home, consumers are looking to integrate their computers, tablets, and other devices into spaces in innovative, seamless ways. Lingafelter encourages building and design professionals to blend technology with interesting aesthetic features, creating spaces that are both technologically functional and aesthetically beautiful.

3) Urban Uprising: The majority of consumers are no longer demanding McMansions. Instead, they’re looking for smarter, accessible, and affordable spaces in urban centers. The square footage of new homes decreased by 6% in the U.S. in 2012, and the metro areas with populations of over 2 million grew considerably. Although they’re prioritizing quality over quantity, consumers are not willing to sacrifice style or amenities. In smaller spaces, every choice is impactful, and Lingafelter recommends that building professionals offer efficient, flexible spaces with streamlined designs that are appropriate for the modern homeowner’s lifestyle.

4) Reinventing Aging: Boomers now comprise 44% of the U.S. population, representing approximately 76 million people (in 2030, 1 U.S. citizen will turn 65 every 10 seconds!) Boomers are generally financially secure, self-actualized, active, and demanding. They want to age (read that, live!) in place, so they’re investing in their homes to make them safe, comfortable, efficient, and durable. In fact, Boomers are driving approximately 50% of the remodeling market today. Since remodeling spending seems to be increasing as the Boomers age, Lingfelter suggests that building professionals should research the social and psychological patterns of this massive and affluent target market. By familiarizing themselves with Boomers’ individualized language, building professionals can offer design solutions that align with their need live in place with style and grace.

While Lingafelter didn’t specifically mention sustainability during his State of the Industry address, several pivotal concepts were woven throughout his presentation, namely efficiency, durability, and flexible spaces.

What other factors do you think are driving the housing recovery? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

The housing market is finally starting to recover, and as we emerge from the darkness of the recession, the landscape around us certainly looks different than before the downturn. Regulatory changes and increases in performance rating requirements are mandating greener homes. While energy costs continue to rise, renewables and efficiency have become cost-effective and viable strategies. And green buildings are yielding meaningful returns on investment through reduced operating costs (13.6% on average for new buildings and 8.5% for retrofits) and increased building values (10.9% for new buildings and 6.8% for retrofits).

Perhaps the most important contributors to the growth in demand for green building products and sustainable living options are consumers themselves. According to Green Builder Media’s market research, consumers are playing a central role in purchasing decisions for the home: building professionals claim that consumers make specification decisions about building products for their homes 55% of the time, a number that is growing by 5-10% each year.

In order to find out what consumers really want, Green Builder Media recently conducted a consumer research study, which unveiled some intriguing results.

We were heartened by the survey and realized that we may have been guilty of underestimating consumers’ levels of interest and sophistication when it comes to green living. Survey respondents, comprised of a wide swath of Americans, reported to us in no uncertain terms that they have a positive association with sustainability, they understand the value of having a green home, and they desire to live a green life.

Our research confirmed the increased adoption of sustainable living. Over two-thirds of respondents claim they have become more environmentally conscious over the past two years, particularly when it comes to products and systems for their homes. Of those who don’t think they are green enough yet, over 90% of them report that they would like to live greener life.

Clearly, the opportunity is ripe for green professionals, manufacturers, and advocates to help consumers make positive changes to improve their quality of life, enhance their health, save money through energy efficiency, increase the value of their homes, reduce pollution, and repair our environment.

While consumers continue to be cost-conscious—two-thirds of respondents report that they haven’t incorporated more sustainable ideas into their lives because green products are too expensive—they do understand the value of energy efficiency. When respondents were asked how they would spend $5,000 on their house, upgraded windows, insulation, and HVAC topped at the list.

In addition to understanding how green products can help them live a healthier, more cost-conscious life, respondents also realize that a green home is more valuable: 85% of respondents thought highlighting the energy efficiency features of their homes would help their house sell faster and 87% thought showcasing the durability of the products in their home would positively impact a home sale.

After analyzing the results of this consumer research, I am encouraged. It’s evident that we have turned the corner relative to the adoption of sustainable living. The tide is not ebbing, even as the market turns. Hopefully, with this market evolution, we can finally come to terms with the fact that we don’t have to chose between the economy and the environment—the two areas are not at odds or mutually exclusive.

For full survey results and to access downloadable charts and graphics, visit http://www.greenbuildermag.com/News/Headlines/Survey--Green-Life-Wanted#.UWxnBb8Ttz_

Do you have insights into what consumers really want? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.