Hill Country Ecobuilders + Hill Country Ecopower = NATiVE
The following article was published by the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association on Friday, August 3, 2012.
This summer, well established Texas eco-builder, Hill Country Ecobuilders and renewable energy systems provider, Hill Country Ecopower, will merge to form a new cohesive green-solutions entity known simply as Native. While Native will retain its ability to provide specific construction and energy services to other builders, architects, or homeowners simply looking to retrofit, Native’s real strength will lie in streamlined integration.
Lloyd Lee, native Texan and founder of both Hill Country Ecopower and Hill Country Ecobuilders, remarks, “Building a home with multiple contractors is a challenge in itself. Adding non-conventional technologies like geothermal, solar, and rainwater collection adds even more complexity because there are fewer installers compared to conventional building systems and it requires a different type of integration into the overall project. Native, on the other hand, seeks to address the lack of a streamlined approach by providing in-house services from design and conception, to contracting and construction, and finally to maintenance and monitoring.”
Lee explained that this innovative integrated approach affords homebuyers the desirable option of skipping the hassle of dealing with several jostling contractors pushing conflicting timetables, and conflicting interests.
“For existing homeowners looking to make their home more efficient or generate their own electricity, Native offers unique, turnkey solutions. Native leverages its building relationships to provide clients with not just solar panels, but additional energy upgrades as well,” Lee said. “Improving an existing home is often a more sustainable solution than building a new home, and we can now bundle services like rainwater harvesting, roofing, insulation, solar, and geothermal heat pump installations for our existing home clients.”
From an industry standpoint, Lee added that Native’s integrated expertise in both building construction and renewable systems allows it to custom-tailor a complete fit to any homebuyer’s needs and budget. In other words, Native can manage and complete a project in its entirety or it can execute more focused services in construction, renewable systems, or both as the project demands.
“As Texas’s population, and corresponding need for energy, continues to grow rapidly, Native is positioning itself to be a one-stop shop for homebuyers interested in living an eco-friendly lifestyle,” said Lee.
With ERCOT reporting that the state’s generation of renewable energy increased by 13 percent between 2010 and 2011, from 28 million megawatt-hours to 31.7 million – some of which comes from solar panels on eco-friendly homes; a recent Yahoo! study noting that despite the moribund housing market, homebuyers were willing to pay more for a sustainable house; And ith the general public becoming more and more interested and educated about sustainability, creating a deficit of eco-friendly home stock; Lloyd decided now was the best time to rebrand and re-integrate.
“Over the next 20 years, it’s estimated that over 2 million new homes will be built in Texas,” said Lee. “If these were all net zero energy, the state would avoid the need to build an additional seven 500MW power plants. Our unique business model allows homeowners to live in homes which are not a burden to the grid the environment, and most importantly – their pocket books.”
A telling paragraph buried in Hill Country Ecopower’s old website says quite a lot about what the new, rebranded enterprise is about and what it intends to do: “We do not view alternative energy as just a job. It is a passion for us. We strongly believe that it’s the right thing to do for our environment and our future. At the same time, we understand that renewable energy has to make financial sense. For more information please visit Native’s new website: https://Build Native.com/