MARTINEZ, CA - In a twist of fate, what was once a contaminated electrical substation site is now home to some of the "greenest" residences in the county. Isidro Farias, a Martinez-based architect, said he built eight townhouses on the former PG&E property at Berrellesa Street and Marina Vista Avenue because he wanted to take the location "full circle" from unclean to green. "The main thing is this project used to be a substation and an eyesore to the neighborhood. It was contaminated," he said. "That gave us the idea of 'let's go green.'"
The units have the upscale amenities home buyers expect these days, granite countertops and stainless steel kitchen appliances, gas fireplaces and hardwood floors. They also come with green seals of approval from a national nonprofit which advocates sustainable green building practices. The U.S. Green Building Council defines a "green home" as one that uses less water, energy and natural resources, creates less waste and is healthier for the residents.
The council administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Green Building Rating System which assigns ratings to single- and multi-family homes based upon an independent evaluation of how the project meets eight criteria, including water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and site sustainability.
Last month, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded Farias's $2.7 million Villa Del Sol project a "silver" LEED for Homes rating. It is the first residential project to receive LEED certification in Contra Costa County. LEED for Homes is one of numerous green home building programs in the country, including Berkeley-based Build It Green. The townhomes include energy-saving features such as an instant water heater which heats on an as-needed basis, efficient air conditioning and furnace units, "energy star" kitchen appliances, insulated garages and double-pane windows.
Farias also put in low water-usage plants, stone pavers that reduce water runoff into the gutters and used recycled construction materials. By planning to use these materials from the beginning, Farias said he was able to keep his costs down. "We haven't seen that it costs us more," he said. "That's just an add, and for us it's knowing we built a project that was energy-efficient. And if we could do it for the same price, why not?"
He estimates that homeowners will save 30 to 40 percent on their energy costs versus a traditional house. In December, Susan McGarry, an independent certified LEED inspector, was testing the air conditioning and heating ducts in the Villa Del Sol townhouses for leaks as part of the rigorous LEED certification process. The test revealed a 5 percent leakage. "It's difficult to get under 5 percent. I've gone into homes that are leaking 75 percent," McGarry told a reporter at the time. She also inspected the windows and the insulation and tested the air quality inside the units.
Dan Geiger, executive director of the Northern California Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, said the LEED for Homes program is not as developed as the program for the commercial sector. Despite the downturn in the housing market, he expects it to grow as more home buyers demand environmentally friendly building. Farias completed the development in late December, and he has sold one unit so far. Because of the housing crisis, Farias had to slash prices on the townhouses from more than $500,000 to $349,000 for a two-bedroom and $419,000 for a three-bedroom.
Brian Parker, an engineer at Shell Oil, moved into a three-bedroom unit two weeks ago. Its proximity to work and downtown Martinez was a major draw, but he said the LEED certification and the fact that the entire complex had been designed to reduce energy usage also att
Source: Contra Costa Times