16 April 2009
Home Renovation Project Spawns Green Building-Supply Business
Bright spot in America’s home construction industry during a downturn
Washington — In 2005, Jeff Rogers began planning for renovations to his Massachusetts house. He wanted the house to be able to produce its own electricity and heat, but found it difficult to get the design advice and building materials he needed.
So Rogers traded a career as an environmental engineer for another type of so-called “green” job — turning his family’s 21-year-old hardware store and lumber yard into an environmentally friendly materials-supply business called New England Green Building.
New England Green Building continues to sell traditional building materials but is transitioning to environmentally friendly products for its entire inventory.
According to Rogers, wholesale prices of energy-efficient merchandise have dipped slightly as the number of companies making the products increases. (His customers have not always seen the effects of the lower prices because transportation surcharges due to high 2008 oil prices have been added.)
The pioneering business sells everything from rooftop solar panels to soy-based, toxic-free paints and countertops and roofing made from 100 percent recycled materials. Rogers’ product line includes long-lasting lighting that uses 85 percent less electricity than traditional lights, formaldehyde-free insulation and biodegradable cleaning products.
All the lumber Rogers sells is certified as having been grown and harvested in ways that do not harm the environment by companies that treat their workers fairly.
Rogers’ customers come from all over the seven-state upper Northeast. His business and his home attract architects and designers from the area who come to learn about environmentally friendly materials.
The entrepreneur provides homebuilding advice to customers and employs up to 20 people, depending on the season. Unlike many small businesses suffering from the economic downturn, his company has no plans to lay off workers.
The increasing popularity of green buildings among homebuyers, Rogers told America.gov, is a bright spot in America’s construction industry. (See “U.S. Homebuyers Vote for Energy Efficiency with Their Money.”)
In his own house, Rogers installed such energy-saving features as a ground-source heat pump and solar electricity system. He patches the house’s cracks using toxic-free insulation and caulk to conserve energy.
In 2007, the house was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as meeting its highest standards for energy conservation. The house was the first in New England and is just one of a handful of homes in America to receive the “platinum” Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating.
More information on New England Green Building is available on its Web site.
