Story By Tony Paniagua

January 11, 2012

In today's world of increasing populations and diminishing resources, more people are considering creative options when constructing homes or other buildings in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce their impact on the environment.

Rich Franz-Ünder says it's an effort that's leading to success in many areas, although guidance, education and finances are pivotal as a way to make the experience more feasible and enjoyable.

"With our program we provide information, training and actually certification to prove that someone has built a green building," he says.

"Green buildings are better buildings and better buildings are going to cost more. But with a green building you're spending money on things that are going to save you money. So you've reduced your energy cost, you've reduced your water cost, you've also made a healthier building so your health care costs are going to go down."

Franz-Ünder works for Pima County, where his services and information encompass the LEED for Homes Program, Regional Residential Green Building Program and the Tucson/Pima County Net-Zero Energy Building Code, which is a partnership with the city of Tucson.

The goal is to construct houses that won't rely on utility companies for their energy and won't produce carbon emissions.

"We'd really like to have every home and building in Tucson to be net zero and we worked with the city of Tucson and did the research and came up with a recipe if you will, a set of rules, if you follow these set of rules, then you'll be net-zero," he says.

He hopes many of these principles will become much more affordable and commonplace in the future so they can be the standard--not an alternative--in the construction industry.

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