Sustainable Home in a Sustainable Community

Every home built in Whisper Valley adheres to the Austin Energy Green Building Program (AEGB). While numerous national green building certification programs exist, several cities and regions across the country have recently started developing certification programs, which respond to specific and contextual sustainability issues. 

Austin’s city-based program offers several pathways to receiving required points for certification, including recycling programs to reduce waste on-site, modeling the home for HVAC efficiency based on its orientation, and energy-efficient appliances, lights, and fans. 

One homeowner, Jessie Gardner, took her house above and beyond these requirements. Gardner’s home includes high-efficiency insulation to avoid thermal bridging into living areas. The home has a solar panel array, along with the connection to the geothermal grid system, which allows the home to use renewable and clean energy sources. As a result, Gardner’s home uses up to 65 percent less energy than a “normal” house in the same region. 

Several builders are involved in Whisper Valley, including Avi Homes, Buffington Homes, GFO Home, and Pacesetter Homes. Gardner worked with AHA Dream Homes to help her meet the zero-emissions standard that Whisper Valley Neighborhood requires. According to AHA Dream Homes’ website, the company utilizes cutting-edge design technologies and eco-friendly building practices to create innovative sustainable homes.  

To achieve a net-zero emission rating, Gardner and AHA relied on ZIP System sheathing and roofing materials to reduce air leakage in the building envelope. They also incorporated spray-foam insulation in the attic, Energy Star double pane windows, and HVAC duct testing. 

Supporting a Sustainable World 

For Gardner, the most satisfying part of living in a sustainable and energy-efficient home is “knowing I’m positively impacting the planet.” For homeowners interested in upgrading to a more sustainable living environment, Gardner says that the “benefits are phenomenal, and you feel like an active player in making decisions with your dollar to support a more sustainable world.” 

Herrejon adds that net-zero sustainable homes are attractive to “eco-friendly and technology-friendly clients. These clients are people who generally like to be involved in his or her community. They like to know that they’re living in a place that not only saves them money, but that also promotes healthy living that aligns with their lifestyle.” 

Whisper Valley’s builder partners continue to construct new net-zero ready homes in the community, combining modern amenities, high-end finishes, and sustainable materials into homes that function as good neighbors in the locally and globally. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”