Green units profitable, says builder

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/01/03/green_units_profitable_says_builder/

Green units profitable, says builder

By Matt Gunderson, Globe Correspondent | January 3, 2008

For the most part, the houses on Marla Circle in Tyngsborough look like a typical snapshot of suburbia. The architectural style is Colonial or Greek Revival, blending with the New England feel of the town. Porticos and porches stretch outward into fertile lawns from clapboard buildings. Only the solar electrical panels on their roofs stand out.

Contrary to a longstanding perception among developers that building green homes is not financially feasible, Carter Scott, who built the development, says the subdivision is proof that developers can be environmentally sensitive - and make a profit.

"That's just not true," said Scott of the notion of economic infeasibility. "You can do it smarter and make more money in some cases."

Ecologically sensitive subdivisions such as the one in Tyngsborough are sprouting up in a number of places across the country, a trend that environmental advocates are touting as one means of dealing with the nation's growing energy crisis.

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