Extreme Makeover: Energy Efficiency

Written for kvia.com by Anchor/Reporter Stephanie Valle

EL PASO, TX –When the Ruiz family’s home is premiered on Extreme Makeover this weekend on national television, it willshinemore light on a new way to build homes.

Local company SENERCON (Southwest Energy Conservation) helped theDesign Team create the house so it is more energy efficient.

“That home is going to save them about $400 a year,” said SENERCON President Javier Ruiz. “It’s not only going to save them money, it’s going to reduce the greenhouse gases.”

Ruiz says SENERCON helped pick out water saving faucets and materials that will help reduce the amount of energy the family uses.

The idea of being more environmentally friendly in home construction is picking up; more builders across the nation are catching on to the idea. Ruiz says there are an estimated 120 in the El Paso and Las Cruces area.

“Sometimes they call it a trend, but actually it’s something that’s a way of life,” says Ruiz. “Everyone’s changing to be more sustainable, more energy efficient, because not only is it good for the planet, it’ll also save you money.”

More home buyers are catching on, too.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the National Association of Home Builders recently conducted a survey, in which consumers put energy efficiency at the second highest priority in buying a home. The Journal says energy efficiency didn’t even register on the survey five years ago.

Ruiz says even current home owners can make their home more efficient. Switching out light bulbs, isolating and filling cracks or gaps that allow heat or cool air to escape the home are just a few ways to become more environmentally friendly.

If you want to see the “green” Ruiz family home on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, be sure to watch ABC-7 at 7 P.M. Sunday.