Green Building Philosophy
From the start, home building has been more than a business to us; it is a passion fueled by deeply held beliefs. We believe, for instance, that we can build a better world by rethinking how homes and communities are designed and constructed.
The Bad News: The average home produces twice as much greenhouse gas pollution as the average car. Source: Alliance to Save Energy
The Good News: In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the ENERGY STAR program as a way to identify and promote energy efficient products and thereby reduce greenhouse gas pollution. ENERGY STAR-labeled homes are designed to perform 30% more efficiently than the typical home. Dorn's SOLAR SMART HOMES are designed to be approximately 65% more efficient than the average home.
Even More Good News: Adding "Low-E" (low emissivity) coatings to all windows in the country would save the equivalent of a half million barrels of oil per day. Or one third of all the oil we import from the Persian Gulf. Source: Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 7th Edition
If all U.S. households and businesses bought Energy Star-labeled products instead of standard new equipment over the next 15 years, our national energy bill over that time would be reduced by about $100 billion. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to taking 17 million cars off the road for each of those 15 years. Source: Energy Star Fast Facts
If every U.S. household replaced 4 incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, we'd save as much energy as removing 7 million cars from the road. Source: Alliance to Save Energy
The Best News: (but we're biased). At Dorn Homes, we are Re-engineering the American Home to save our owners thousands of dollars in utility bills, while providing some of the best-built and healthiest homes in America. Our industry has morphed into rows of cheaply built boxes that are more about profit for Wall Street than an investment for the owner or a thing of beauty. As energy costs continue to soar, the world becomes more sensitive to our planet's dwindling resources, and we learn about the health impacts of the homes in which we live. Dorn Homes has instituted what we hope will become the new Standard of Building Science for all homebuilders. Over the last 2 years, we have been applying the advancements of modern building science, while tapping into the expertise of the country's foremost building scientists to assist in the definition, development, and administration of our Energy Smart Homes.
By working with leading engineers and scientists, the US Department of Energy's Building America Program, Tucson Electric Power's Energy Guarantee Program, and Unisource Energy, Dorn has created what we feel are The Most Energy Efficient, Healthy, and Comfortable Homes in Southern Arizona.
We don't just meet the most stringent standards set by the US Government, we greatly exceed them. This will save our customers THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in utility bills over the life of their home.
To learn more about our available Solar Smart Homes visit SOLAR SMART.
