Folsom home winner of LEED platinum certification

Only the third such home awarded this designation in the state of California, RJ Walter Homes garnered one of the state's top energy efficiency ratings for a spec-built Home of the Future, located on Mormon Street in the heart of Folsom.Robert Walters is a Sacramento expert in green building and energy retrofits and walked away with Green Builder Magazine's Green Builder Home of the year for his efforts. Partnering with SMUD ad the National Renewable Energy Lab, this state-of-the-art 1,940 square -foot bungalow demonstrates the best and most practical energy efficient technologies."This was a really rewarding project to work on," says Walters. "Everyone involved collaborated to build this amazing home that they truly believe in."The three-bedroom, two-bath home features a tiny carbon footprint in addition to its low energy bills, due to its applied solar panels, solar hot water system, 2x6-inch framing, a water-based air conditioner, LED lighting and a home automation system that controls the home's lighting, thermostat and window blinds to maximize energy savings. The tightly built home is so energy efficient, in fact, that the combined energy bills for the structure total less than $24 per month, compared to the average of $140 for homes even built to current Title 24 energy standards. Walters admits that although there are dozens of features that went into the home, the home itself is not as complex as most would think. "I must emphasize how easy it is to live in a green home and how fortunate we are to have these technologies available for all new home construction," he adds.Even the physical construction of the structure itself lent to preserving the environment, with the framing pre-made at the local facility instead of being created on-site. This eliminated the construction debris associated with a new home build. The team even took pains to make sure that all materials were recycled whenever possible. Its architecture is in harmony with Folsom's historic district as well, boasting a 720-square-feet casita to be used for guest quarters over the detached garage. The home was completed in September, subsequently sold and is now occupied.Organizations that contributed their expertise to the design decisions include the Building Science Consortium, The U.S Green Building Council and the Davis Energy Group.Dena Kouremetis, a syndicated consumer columnist, also does marketing, PR, ghostwriting and corporate content for individuals, web sites, and publications. She may be reached at examinerdena@gmail.com.