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Sage Homebuilders Builds Near-Zero Energy Home!

Sage Homebuilders Builds Near-Zero Energy Home!

Published 02-23-07

Submitted by Owens Corning

ST. LOUIS, MO "“ February 23, 2007 "“ Sage Homebuilders (Sage) is building a showcase home that will help demonstrate the variety of "green" building practices and materials that are revolutionizing the home building industry.

The Sage Near-Zero Energy Home, which is sponsored by Owens Corning, is currently under construction in Creve Coeur, MO at 29 Beacon Hill Lane, and will be completed in late Spring 2007. The 3,700 sq. ft. house will be a near-zero energy home (NZEH), meaning that it will produce a majority of the energy it uses via solar power. The use of renewable energy, such as solar power is one of many green features to be showcased; others include ICF construction (Insulated Concrete Forms) for the walls, geothermal heating and cooling, PEX plumbing, radiant heat blocking house wrap, and various green construction techniques. The interior finishes will showcase some of the many high quality and fashionable green options that are now on the market, including bamboo and cork floors, countertops made from recycled glass, plumbing fixtures that conserve water, non-off-gassing paint and adhesives, low-energy use light fixtures, and many others.

The idea of the home is to help educate those in the homebuilding industry, as well as homebuyers and the general public, in a tangible way, about the various green building options and their benefits. The home is projected to be awarded the difficult to achieve green certification under both the Home Builder’s Association GBI program and the USGBC’s LEED-H program.

Market research has indicated that a paradigm shift is taking place in the building industry, a shift towards a new, greener way of building homes. McGraw Hill’s recent report - the Residential Green Building SmartMarket Report "“ predicts that 2007 will be the "tipping point" for green building, and that by 2010 a majority of homebuilders will be building green. The change is already starting to occur, with a 20 percent increase in the number of green homes in 2005, and a projected 30 percent in 2006.

Rick Hunter, Managing Partner of Sage, states, "this paradigm shift is fueled by consumers who are demanding a house that "works" for them, a home which helps them cope with rising energy costs, a home that works to reduce effects of allergies, asthma, and other air related health issues, a home that is designed to require less maintenance and last longer, and a home which seriously addresses the impact that homes have on climate change."

The Showcase home will be a highlight of the green building tour for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Conference which is being held in St. Louis March 25-27, 2007. The Conference will bring over 1,400 builders and dozens of national and local media representatives. The home will also be a cornerstone in the Parade of Green Homes, an event being planned by local green homebuilders for late spring. This event is a local event, aimed at the general public, which showcases green homes that are available for sale or coming to the market.

At completion, the house will be held open for various group events, tours, and other educational opportunities, before being sold. Those with an interest in seeing the house or scheduling an event there can get more information at the Sage Homebuilders website: www.sagestl.com. The home will be for sale in May 2007.

A leader in the St. Louis green building movement, Sage Homebuilders designs and builds custom homes that combine the High Performance of green building and the desirable aesthetics and functionality of High Design. Sage’s approach to building results in beautiful homes with lower utility bills, healthier and more comfortable indoor air, less maintenance, and an eco-friendly contribution to our environment. Sage is meeting a growing demand for a healthier and more conscientious lifestyle that is catered to by an intelligently designed home.

"We couldn’t be more excited to be a sponsor of this home, and work with builders like Sage who are helping the market push the envelope on reducing the environmental footprint for today’s homes," said Gale Tedhams, Owens Corning director of sustainability. "Our homes and buildings account for nearly 40 percent of US energy use, and it’s initiatives like these that are going to help continue to change the conversation for our country and our future."

Sage Homebuilder’s other projects include two single family homes at 1303 and 1309 Childress in Dogtown, four townhomes in the South Grand neighborhood at 3319-27 Gustine, and various custom projects for private clients. The Gustine and Dogtown homes will be the first certified green homes under the HBA GBI Program in the City of St. Louis. For more information, or to sign up for the Sage e-newsletter, visit www.sagestl.com.

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions. A Fortune 500 company for more than 50 years, Owens Corning people redefine what is possible each day to deliver high-quality products and services ranging from insulation, roofing, siding and manufactured stone veneer, to glass composite materials used in transportation, electronics, telecommunications and other high-performance applications. Since the company's founding in 1938, Owens Corning has become a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of $6.3 billion in 2005 and 20,000 employees in 26 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.owenscorning.com.

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Owens Corning

Owens Corning

Owens Corning is a global building and construction materials leader committed to building a sustainable future through material innovation. Our three integrated businesses – Roofing, Insulation, and Composites – provide durable, sustainable, energy-efficient solutions that leverage our unique material science, manufacturing, and market knowledge to help our customers win and grow. We are global in scope, human in scale with approximately 18,000 employees in 30 countries dedicated to generating value for our customers and shareholders and making a difference in the communities where we work and live. Founded in 1938 and based in Toledo, Ohio, USA, Owens Corning posted 2023 sales of $9.7 billion. For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.

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