Real estate
BY KAMERYN GRIESSER
Most of Build Native’s homes use hail-resistant solar panels with battery backup systems for extreme winter weather events, Co-founder and President Nick Ryza said.
PHOTOS COURTESY BUILD NATIVE
Green builder Nick Ryza explains what ‘net-zero’ housing looks like Founded in 2007, Build Native takes a holistic approach to “green,” net-zero building by creating homes with self-sustaining utility systems. Co-founder and President Nick Ryza spoke to Community Impact about some of the innovations— and challenges—of net-zero, luxury building for the Texas Hill Country. What does “net-zero” mean? It means a home is built to produce as much energy as it consumes, so that throughout the
course of a year, you net out at zero. ... Most of our homes have solar panels, high-e ciency HVAC systems and a tight envelope that can moderate the temperatures, spray-foam insulation, and really good windows and doors. How can builders account for the region’s ongoing drought? A lot of new development can strain the local resources, but the good majority of our homes use 100% rainwater collection. ... A typical home would have somewhere around 30,000 gallons of rainwa- ter collection for a four-person family, and that’s about a four- to six-month supply. How does rainwater collection work, and what happens during dry periods? We do a metal roof. ... From the gutters, it goes into PVC pipes that run underground and then go
into the rainwater collection tank. ... We almost never hear about clients running out of water, even in the dry months, because the water is preserved in the tank year-round from the last rain event. How has green building changed in the region over the years? In general, it’s become a lot more popular to build with net-zero energy [in mind], and with more innovations entering the market, it’s gotten less expensive. ... You still pay a slight premium to build [net-zero homes], but that premium usually pays for itself within three to ve years as you save energy.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .
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