utah real estate
The premier event of the global homebuilding industry was held in Las Vegas last month. The International Builder’s Show (IBS) is recognized worldwide as the gold standard in the building industry. The show is organized by the NAHB (The National Association of Home Builders). Their awards ceremony (The Nationals) was held at Caesars Palace on Tuesday, January 19.
"The Nationals is the most prestigious awards of its kind, setting the benchmark for innovations in new home design, marketing and sales," said Sheri Jackson, chairperson of The Nationals. "NAHB's commitment to recognizing originality, imagination and success has been exemplified by its award winners since the competition's inception."
Local Utah Builder, Garbett Homes received the award for Best Product Design of a Single-Family Detached Home. The winning home is their new Solaris Collection in Daybreak. These Solar and Thermal-Powered homes feature innovative modern architecture at very reasonable prices. Homes are priced from $206,900 to $249,900 with 3 or 4 bedrooms and two-car garages.
“We’re super pleased with this prestigious award,” said Rene Oehlerking, Garbett Homes Marketing Director, “It’s great to get international recognition for the trail-blazing work we’re doing here in Utah."
“Many young buyers want to go green, but they just can’t afford it”, notes Bryson Garbett, President Garbett Homes, “So we made green affordable. It’s just that simple! With solar power you’re not only being environmentally conscious, you’re also saving money. Homebuyers will be cutting their monthly power bill by about 25%. In this economic climate, every penny saved really counts.”
Solar electric and thermal systems are reliable and pollution-free – all the time. They make use of an endless source of energy – the sun. The solar power system in these homes will provide a constant stream of renewable energy by automatically converting sunlight into electricity using Photovoltaic Cells. This cutting-edge technology uses no moving parts and is highly durable with excellent low-light performance even on cloudy days. An inverter converts DC power from the solar panels to AC power for household use. Essentially there is a mini power plant on the roof, producing energy at no cost to the homebuyer.
“We’ve had an enormous amount of interest,” says John Dowdle, Garbett Homes Sales Associate, “We have two fully furnished model homes and we’ve had over 5,000 people come through since we opened in August last year! Of the 22 homes we’re offering in the first phase, we only have 4 left to sell.”
The modern architectural design of these homes also allows for other energy-saving advantages. The roofs are flat and made of a plasticized white membrane that is not only an energy saver but also absorbs less heat than a dark roof. Studies show that white roofs reduce air-conditioning costs by 20 percent or more in hot, sunny weather. Lower energy consumption also means fewer carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel laureate in physics, has proselytized for cool roofs at home and abroad. “Make it white,” he advised a television audience on Comedy Central’s “Daily Show”. From Dubai to New Delhi to Osaka, Japan, reflective roofs have been embraced by local officials seeking to rein in energy costs. In the United States, they have been standard equipment for a decade at new Wal-Mart stores. More than 75 percent of the chain’s 4,268 outlets in the United States have them.
The Solaris Collection of homes also have a 100% Energy Star rating – which means everything from high-efficient insulation to low emission windows are standard. “We’ve tried to make these homes as energy efficient as possible at the lowest possible price,” remarks Jacob Ballstaedt, Garbett Homes Sales Manager, “Our goal is to bring green technology to the affordable home market. Most of our clients are first-time homebuyers and they need to be below the $250,000 ceiling for a new home. We believe we’re created something here that meets this demand. We’re very happy with the Solaris Collection.”
http://www.youtube.com/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
