With the concept of “green” building gaining popularity among developers and homeowners, Jane Provo hopes one of Denton’s newest subdivisions becomes a trendsetter.

DRC/Gary Payne

Rainwater is reclaimed from the gutters and put into a tank at the back of the house which is used to water the landscape at 3400 Paisley St.

Denton Affordable Housing Corp. has completed construction on the first of 14 planned single-family homes in eastern Denton that are designed to maximize environmental conservation and energy efficiency. Others are in various stages of construction.

The single-story homes — with floor plans that range from 1,180 to 1,600 square feet — come with a guarantee that energy bills will not average more than $58 per month.

But what Provo, executive director of the nonprofit developer, said makes these homes stand out is their cost. They start at $120,000, which is almost unheard of in a segment of home construction that traditionally has been relegated to the custom and upscale ranks.

The project is part of a trend that sees more developers going green, often at the request of environmentally savvy customers. As material costs decrease and public demand escalates, builders might even see some bottom-line advantages.

“It’s something that’s a passion,” said Robert Stock, president of Denton-based Energy­wise Solutions, which specializes in green building. “Financially, it is a harder sell and it costs more. There’s no real financial benefit to the developer. But we keep doing it.”

The 14 houses in Nevada Court, slated for three acres near the intersection of Mockingbird and Paisley streets, are each loaded with energy-efficient appliances, and utilize construction techniques aimed at improving air quality and keeping the summer sun outside. The lawns and gardens are xeriscaped, using recycled storm water runoff for irrigation.

But Provo said the houses in the subdivision, which is the most ambitious project of its kind in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are durable in addition to being affordable. She expects them to sell quickly to families in qualifying income brackets.

“The summer months teach us just how important a well-built home is in this climate,” Provo said. “If homes are built inefficiently, a lot of times during the hot summer months, the utility bills can exceed the house payments. For a lot of low- and middle-income families, that can be a killer.”

These days, most energy-efficient homes — called “high-performance” homes by some — are built in shades of green, with selected conservation features instead of the foundation-to-rooftop scrutiny of the DAHC development.

Still, full-blown green homes are almost exclusively custom, which is why they tend to be more scattered. But some industry experts see a current market transformation, since green building can have a positive impact on resale value in addition to mortgage benefits.

“The trend is certainly there. The consumers are clamoring for it,” said Beth Johnson, a Dallas realtor specializing in green homes. “The trend is certainly that the production builders are going to be building more of these.”

Nationwide, developer organizations are taking notice. About two years ago, the National Association of Home Builders adopted guidelines to voluntarily encourage mainstream home builders to incorporate conservation measures into every phase of the construction process. Govern­ments in cities such as Frisco have imposed mandates requiring energy efficiency in new home construction.

Theddi Weight Chappell, managing director of Oregon-based Pacific Security Capital, said green building could revolutionize certain aspects of the home construction industry.

“There are a lot of aspects to it besides just saying you’re going to save money. You have to look at the benefits over time,” Chappell said. “These houses are affordable, but it’s also a healthier house. Some people think it has to be ugly or unattractive, but that’s not the case at all.”

Johnson said the Denton project is a “watershed” moment in green building in this region because it shows that energy-efficient homes can be built for the masses.

One challenge, she said, is changing the public mindset through education. Consumers need to learn what to ask for so private and corporate builders can catch up. Stock predicts that’s a slow process that could take decades.

“You have to develop a market for it,” he said. “It doesn’t do us any good to build green, energy-efficient homes if nobody’s going to buy them.”

Stock said overall construction costs range from 10 to 20 percent more on green buildings. Still, Provo said developers should embrace the idea because it is positive for the community and for the conscience.

“You are giving your homebuyer the best product you can, not only in the initial purchase of the home, but in the ongoing operation,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do these days.”

TODD JORGENSON can  e reached at 940-566-6878. His e-mail address is tjorgenson@dentonrc.com