While the homebuilding industry has spent a lot of time and energy touting the benefits of green building, technology might end up being the biggest differentiator of all in this tough market.
The problem is, of course, that all those desirable amenities (like home theater, multiroom audio, high-speed networks, lighting control, energy management, HVAC control, central vacuum and, to some extent, security) are still alien concepts to many builders.
Nevertheless, it's necessary to learn. Three out of every four builders say home-tech amenities have a positive impact on their revenue.
To that end, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is working closely with the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) in a collaborative initiative called the Home Technology Alliance (HTA).
The alliance, which formed last year to spearhead growth among the builder community, is slowly developing an educational curriculum that will become the defining document for builders incorporating technology into their new homes.
Why slowly? Because the information is indigestible in large chunks. So, the HTA is summarizing everything from the individual technologies, the impact of technology on builders' bottom lines and the construction cycle, how to select the right contractor and more.
There are, however, two universal truths when looking to work with a home technology installation company:
1. The electronic systems contractor needs to be involved early in the design-build cycle.
When you are first sitting down with the architect, the electronic systems contractor needs to be there, too.
He is not like the plumber, roofer or electrician, who are "in and out" of the house; he is there for a prolonged period, and his decisions affect many other contractors.
Germaine Palangdao, the NAHB staff person with oversight of the HTA, told me, "When the contractor is brought in during the design phase, there can still be open dialog with the consumer, whose ideas can be flushed out and the options can be provided. Whereas, down the line, it will be much harder."
Meanwhile, Mike Holmes, owner of Holmes Construction Company in the Reno, Nev./Lake Tahoe, Calif. area, is chairman of the HTA and sits on the Custom Home Builder Committee.
He says bluntly that bringing the contractor in early "eliminates the conflicts and makes the coordination during construction so much easier."
2. Technology complements green building.
Holmes says home technology is a vital component of green construction. Green building includes Energy Star appliances, insulation, site development and solar orientation. Technology helps improve green building, especially with devices like programmable thermostats for HVAC.
As an example, Holmes talks about driveway snowmelt systems that require sensors for humidity and temperature. Even though it might be cold, the boiler and hydronic heating system won't kick in unless there is the right amount of humidity being measured by the sensors.
"Could you argue that the system itself is antigreen?" he asks rhetorically. "I guess you could because we are using energy to melt the snow, but compare the power usage of the super-efficient boiler versus the cost of gasoline and pollution from a snowplow. I can sell more insulation and energy-efficient devices in a home than I can ever sell power-consumptive devices."
The point is that technology is actually the big driving trend that will enable you to be green.
If you still don't think you rely on technology, think about how business would be to conduct without a cell phone, spreadsheets or PDA.
Holmes says succinctly, "Thank God I have a Treo with Google, or I would look like the village idiot."