In China, most first-time homebuyers often forget to take into account the utility bill when working out the costs of owning a home.

They then complain loudly when they have to pay probably high electric and water bills, especially during the long scorching summer months.

Some savvy home builders have realized that energy-smart buildings can give them a competitive advantage in the market and at the same time, homeowners can save on their energy bills.

Forte Group, one of the China's largest developers, with the assistance of Shanghai Real Estate Trade Association and other agencies, highlighted new materials and techniques that can lower construction and energy consumption costs in an exemplary housing development.

Though much has been said about energy saving in construction and maintenance of buildings, in reality, examples of this remain limited and isolated. This is due to mainly a lack of co-ordination between developers and research institutes.

Putting words into practice and setting an example, Forte spent the past two years to build two experimental detached villas, featuring 15 energy saving and environment-friendly technologies, on a 1,000-square meter plot in Songjiang District where one of its villa projects is located. The firm cooperated with Shanghai Research Institute of Building Science in the building of the two villas.

With a total investment of 4.24 million yuan (US$530,000), the cost for each square meter is 5,300 yuan, about 1,000 yuan higher than construction that does not use energy saving techniques.

Source:佚名