Climate change, cost prompting energy-efficient home construction

[Source: Elizabeth Exhine, LifeWire] -- Nestled among the new brownstones and midcentury bungalows in the heart of Phoenix are eight contemporary town homes dubbed The Galleries at Turney. These luxury homes aren't just architectural beauties. They're also good examples of "green" buildings (structures designed to accommodate rather than shut out the environment).

To absorb the brunt of the harsh desert sun, a rain screen fashioned from fiber cement and zinc panels wraps around each building, while specially glazed low-emittance (low-E) windows prevent outdoor heat from working its way inside. Low-VOC paints -- tints low in volatile organic compounds that emit harmful gases -- coat the structures inside and out, and high-efficiency appliances and heating and cooling systems have been installed in each unit. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]