Norm Schreifels, co-owner of Sun Mountain Construction, said Wednesday a green home can cost up to 15 percent more to build, but the cost is easily made up with energy savings in the first few years. And such a home can be built for just about any budget. Schreifels said he had a green house in last year's tour but will not this year because he is in the middle of building another sustainable house in Corrales. Some of the features that can be found in sustainable homes are lumber from recycled sources, straw bales and rastra, which are made from recycled plastic mixed with concrete and rammed earth bricks. Other features can include heat mirror windows, paints with low-volatility organic compounds and passive solar systems.
Water is another area where green homes can be environmentally conscious.
It can be reused for landscaping by collecting rainwater off roofs and gutters and channeling it to the yard. According to one of the Green Built tour sponsors, the New Mexico Solar Energy Association, New Mexico is an ideal location for alternative energy. Hundreds of years ago, the Anasazi designed their cliff dwellings to maximize solar gain in winter by building into the cliffs and positioning their buildings so the winter sun could reach their homes. The sheltering overhang minimized nighttime heat loss and protected them from cold winds. The tour is being put on by the Sustainable Living Alliance and Alliance for Green Development.