SEATTLE - Recession or not, many people are still willing to spend what it takes for an eco-friendly home - one that's more energy efficient, uses more recycled products in building materials, and works with nature in its landscaping.
Architechtronics says integrating heating and lighting management into the rest of your media needs can save 15 percent on your heating bills.
"Let's say you wake up in the morning, you want your heat to come on like a half hour before you get up," spokesperson Richard Chase said.
Cool northwest rains and the plants and trees you grow around your home figure into new environmentally-focused landscaping techniques from companies like In Harmony.
Rain gardens can help filter toxins from water. Soil management results in maintenance-free yards and urban gardens enable city-dwellers to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
"One thing that's been lost in this country is the ability to grow food, so we believe there's some savings there, if you can start harvesting from your yard," said Mark Gile, of In Harmony Landscapes. "And it's organic, so it's good, wholesome, nutritional food."
Regional companies keep pursuing new green techniques because they say northwest consumers keep demanding them. So they highlight recycled building materials that make up a home's structure, as well as new composite, sustainable products that lay on top of that structure, like bamboo floors, recycled glass backsplashes and recycled wool carpets. Forests are sustained, and a home's indoor air quality is improved.
"It's a really big part of our business plans and our customers appreciate that everything we do is built green," said Bill Marr, of Timberland Homes.
Those customers' checkbooks also appreciate government incentives to invest in solar power. Seattle-based Sunergy Systems says a 30 percent federal tax credit helped light up its balance sheet.
"There were a lot of people that were right on the fence of wanting to do a system or not, and then to take it and have 30 percent come right back, that really put a lot of people over the edge," said Thomas Mallory, of Sunergy Systems.
Here in Seattle, Sunergy is still having to convince potential customers that our cloudy days can still power solar panels and solar hot water systems.
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