‘Green’ building and energy efficiency keys parts of rebuilding for some in Sonoma Valley

Arthur Dawson and his wife, Jill, think green. They have an electric car and do what they can to be environmentally friendly. When they started thinking about rebuilding their Glen Ellen home after the 2017 wildfires, they thought about all the sustainable options and incorporated as many as they could to make their new home energy efficient.

Residents who lost their homes in the fires don’t have a choice in selecting some building materials such as higher-rated insulation and dual-paned windows because they are required under stricter California building codes. There are, however, decisions fire survivors such as the Dawsons have that can make a big difference in the energy efficiency of their new houses.

Andy Simms, owner of Simms Custom Construction in Sonoma, said he focuses on a holistic approach when he builds homes. He starts with the state’s energy code requirements intended to reduce energy consumption, then aims for greater sustainability.

“People think that just putting (the newly required) insulation in the wall is going to” make the home airtight, Simms said. It’s a matter of how the insulation is installed, too, he said. Insulation is tested in a factory under pristine conditions. In the real world, where fire victims are rebuilding, walls have pipes and wires running through them creating gaps. It’s why Simms uses a spray foam insulation around pipes to fill the cavities.

And some homeowners are more than willing to go beyond the state’s energy requirements, said Cory Avston, project manager at Robert Baumann and Associates Architects in Sonoma.

“Some of the clients are environmentally-?friendly minded and wanted to do something (extra) just to lower their carbon footprint,” said Ayston, who was particularly impressed by customers who rebuilt their homes with a water-catchment system to harvest rainwater to use for irrigation.

For those who rebuild with an eco-?friendly mindset, the cost savings from energy efficiency takes a while before it pays off.

Seth Maze of GBH Builders said a lot of the state’s energy code requirements place much “upfront” money toward energy efficiency and it takes homeowners years to recoup the extra cost through lower electric or gas bills.

With that in mind, Sonoma Clean Power has three options in its advanced energy rebuild program for participating homeowners to earn up to $17,500 in incentives, $12,500 of it for using only electric power. Homeowners interested in applying for the incentives must have building permits in place by the end of this year, and then they’ll have up to 36 months for the completion of a home.

As of April 18, there were 189 applicants for the program countywide, said Rachel Kuykendall, senior program manager for Sonoma Clean Power.

That’s less than 10% of the 972 homes currently permitted - 164 of them in Sonoma Valley - for rebuilding after the fires.

Dawson said he and his wife looked into the advanced energy rebuild program.

“We thought about going all electric, but we were concerned about comfort,” he said.

All electric meant they would have to install an electric water heater. They were happy with the tankless water heater they had in the burned house, and it wasn’t electric. Sonoma Clean Power does offer up to $7,500 of incentives for using electricity coupled with natural gas or propane, a rebate for which the Dawsons qualify.

Contractor Simms said tankless water heaters are one of the things his business includes when building sustainably. Solar panels are another option he generally includes, though that’s an option Dawson said is off the table for his home right now. The Dawsons had the panels on their house that burned, but didn’t think they got a good return for their investment, he said.

Sonoma Clean Power offers a $5,000 incentive for installing solar panels, paying half of that upfront to help cut the cost for homeowners.

Homeowners have the option to orient or position a new house on the lot for conditions such as sun exposure and wind, which can make a big difference in the energy efficiency, Avston said. It’s an oft-overlooked building decision, he said.

The position of a house can alter how windows absorb or reflect heat and light, and how wind passes through effecting heating and cooling, he said.

All options such as the orientation, product purchases and building materials are part of Simms’ “whole house” approach to create an airtight house that will keep out moisture and drafts, and ultimately, lower energy bills and protect the environment.

Dawson said he and his wife are keenly aware of climate change and would have liked to build even more sustainably, but they are limited in time to finish their new house by their home insurance coverage which is paying their temporary housing costs. They’re OK with that, he said.

“There are a lot of silver linings,” Dawson said. “We’re building a house that will work for us for the next 20 years or longer.”