Rilington Communities has become the first large-scale developer in the Coachella Valley to commit to building houses that are more energy-efficient than state standards.
The Cathedral City developer has signed on as the area’s first certified green builder, using guidelines developed by the Building Industry Association, said vice president Wes Ahlgren.
Houses built under the guidelines are 15 percent more energy efficient than state requirements, and also use less wood and water, and create less construction waste.
Palazzo, a Rilington project in Indio, will be the company’s first to go green, Ahlgren said, speaking at an association-sponsored lunch Friday at Indian Palms Country Club in Indio.
Two other Rilington projects – Prado in Coachella and Dolce in Palm Desert – also will eventually use the guidelines, he said.
The lunch, and Ahlgren’s announcement, were aimed at gaining support for the association’s Green Builder program and incentives the Imperial Irrigation District is offering to developers with projects in the company’s east valley service area.
The district is backing the program with $500,000 in incentives. Builders whose projects qualify may get between $1,200 to $1,700 per house from the district to offset the extra cost of energy-efficient construction.
Ahlgren estimated Rilington’s costs at about $2,000 per house.
Scott Smith, owner of Cabildo Development in Palm Springs, sees green building as “the way of the future” and intends to sign up for the incentives for his next project, still in the works.
Would he build green without the cash offsets?
“We’ll have to weigh the cost benefit,” Smith said. “Is a person willing to pay for this (energy efficiency)? We’ll find out.”
Developer commits to energy efficient homes
Rilington Communities has become the first developer in the Coachella Valley to commit to building houses that are environmentally friendly and 15 percent more energy efficient than state standards.
The company has signed on as the area’s first certified green builder, using guidelines developed by the Building Industry Association, said Wes Ahlgren, vice president for corporate development.
Palazzo, a project currently under way in Indio, will be the company’s first to go green, Ahlgren said, speaking at an association-sponsored luncheon Friday at Indian Palms Country Club in Indio.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “Our goal is that each community will be part of the program.”
The company has two other projects underway, Dolce in Palm Desert and Prado in Coachella.