ed L. Clifton looks like a stereotypical green builder. He has a long, white beard, wears denim jeans and comfortable cotton shirts, builds custom homes with photovoltaic roof panels, and is vice president of Built Green Washington. But Clifton isn’t altruistic; he believes in sustainable building, but the builder/remodeler told about 100 people attending the NAHB Green Building Conference in Dallas that he builds green to make a profit.

The owner of Coupeville, Wash.-based Clifton View Homes said there also is a good living to be made turning existing homes into high-performance remodels. “We make good money doing this,” said Clifton, noting that 75% of the U.S. housing stock was built between World War II and 1995.

Besides, many folks want to stay in their existing homes instead of moving to new, more energy-efficient ones mainly because their dwellings are close to jobs, shops, and good schools.

Unfortunately, these homes are sorely energy inefficient. Clifton noted that the typical house built 40-plus years ago includes 2x4 wall construction with R-11 insulation and single-pane aluminum windows. If the family is lucky, there is R-19 insulation under the floors and in the ceilings.

“The average 1960s home uses two to three times the energy of today’s [new] homes,” said Clifton, who won a gold EnergyValue Housing Award this year from the NAHB Research Center and the Department of Energy.

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