FRANK SESNO, CNN ANCHOR: It seems the idea behind those energy- saving homes built in the 1980s remains a viable option in this first year of the new millennium. CNN's Brian Cabell reports on the continued interest in high-tech housing.</s>BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are five so- called "earthcraft" houses being built near Atlanta this year, homes that are environmentally friendly and guaranteed to save owners up to $100 or more a month on energy costs. Sure, most have energy efficient appliances, the washer, dryer, dishwasher, and air conditioning units, but at least equally important, builders say, is the way the house is constructed, with heavy-duty insulation, mastic to seal leaks on ducts, sealed light fixtures, rubber seals around doors.</s>JIM HACKLER, EARTHCRAFT HOUSE PROGRAM: Typically, on most homes, and this is even new homes, that a third of your heating and cooling costs are lost because of leakage.</s>CABELL: One other vital component these homes feature to prevent leakage: double pane windows with a special glass that deflects some of the sunlight. All this adds to the cost of the homes, maybe 2 percent at most, but designers say it's well worth it in the long run.</s>TOM FALIK, HOMEBUILDER: So the overall cost of one to one and a half percent is amortized very easily by the energy savings that the homeowner will have over the first couple of years of the house.</s>CABELL: Are home shoppers ready for more energy efficient and slightly more expensive houses? Clearly, some are.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did buy a solar home and paid extra, and have enjoyed it thoroughly.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Up front, it's all done at once, and if you tried to add it later, it's going to be far more expensive than it would be if you did it in the beginning.</s>CABELL: That's the attitude homebuilders are counting on. The numbers are huge, 700 earthcraft homes being built in Atlanta this year, thousands more similarly green being constructed across the nation. Brian Cabell, CNN, Atlanta.
Energy-Saving Homes Begin to Sprout up in Atlanta