Pardee executive speaks on `green building'

Pardee Homes will offer its insights on energy efficiency and other "green building" topics at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference trade show this week in San Francisco.

In "Mainstreaming the Zero Energy House," Joyce Mason, a marketing executive for the company, will discuss her company's approach to home designs that help conserve resources, save homeowners money and protect the environment, while providing the comfort and features consumers desire.

"Buyer response to our first Energy Star homes encouraged us to expand our efforts," Mason said. "In San Diego, we have synthesized Energy Star with our own program, an entirely new level of environmentally friendly features that enrich everyday home function, and the buyer's long term investment-in sensational detached home designs for the modern family."

Joining Mason on the panel will be Robert Walter of Morrison Homes and moderator Robert W. Hammon, an expert in energy-efficient construction techniques and principal consultant with ConSol in Stockton, Calif. The panel will discuss how builders can make energy-efficient construction a competitive advantage; how to overcome challenges in green building technologies and construction practices; and effective marketing of such homes.

"The Energy Star program has shown us that buyers are eager for resource-conserving designs that can also help reduce household expenses," Mason said. "Our companywide commitment to Energy Star compliance for all new Pardee homes is an excellent example."

Pardee is the first and only large production builder to implement this program companywide, according to Sam Rashkin of the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We applaud Pardee for taking this step," he said. "Their Energy Star commitment will pay big dividends to their home buyers, and it establishes a leadership benchmark for other large-volume home builders."

The Energy Star label certifies that a new home design uses 30 percent less energy than a standard home for heating and cooling. The program, administered by the EPA and the Department of Energy, requires homes be independently tested.

PCBC, the West Coast's largest trade show for residential builders and project teams, is a showcase for industry news and trends. It attracts more than 23,000 home builders, developers, architects, contractors, product manufacturers and representatives of associated industries.

Pardee Homes has been active in Southern Nevada since 1952.

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