To save on energy costs, a local remodeler installed solar panels on his Cambridge home (pictured above).

Skyrocketing energy bills have some homeowners seeing green.

Consumers increasingly are turning to remodelers to make their homes more energy-efficient and cut their home heating and cooling costs, according to a recent survey. Thirty-three percent of remodelers responding to a quarterly survey by the National Association of Home Builders reported that their services are being sought to help homeowners conserve energy.

More than 70 percent said they had installed energy efficient windows in recent months and 65 percent improved insulation.

Some local remodelers say homeowners are showing more interest, but not necessarily going forward with such improvements.

“People will call us for a room addition or any project like a new kitchen, and while we’re there we will look at the efficiency of their systems,” said Chuck Hall, owner of Cor-nerstone Building and Design in Framingham.

S+H Construction in Cambridge launched a special division a year ago to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar thermal hot water and geothermal heating and cooling systems. The company also has a program to train all employees and subcontractors to utilize green building practices.

Doug Hanna, co-president of S+H Construction, estimates that about 5 percent of his company’s business comes from clients who are remodeling homes to conserve en-ergy. Even though that’s not a significant amount of the firm’s business, it’s a jump from just two years ago when the company didn’t see any clients clamoring for such im-provements.

“We have a bunch of projects in the office that have varying levels of green building objectives or renewable energy installation,” said Jamie Leef, a project manager and di-rector of S+H Construction’s Renewable Energy Division.

The company started remodeling a penthouse condo in Boston six months ago that will include high-grade insulation, solar hot water, solar electric power, wood from a cer-tifiable sustainable harvested forest that will be used on cabinets, framing and trim, recycled materials and heat mirror insulating glass on the windows.

At a Brattle Street home in Cambridge, the company is sealing the exterior, restoring existing windows, upgrading the heating and cooling systems and using low VOC (volatile organic compounding) paints.

Jerry Fiske, owner of Anchor Insulation with offices in Wilmington and Niantic, Conn., said even though there’s been a downturn in new-home construction, homeowners and builders call daily to inquire about higher-quality insulation because they think it can save them money over the long term.

Homeowners are increasingly seeking Icynene spray foam insulation, which costs more than double fiberglass insulation but is supposed to be more energy efficient, he noted. “People are considering it a lot more than they were because they’re all talking about the higher costs of heating,” said Fiske.

But for many homeowners cost is a deterrent, according to builders.
“The frustrating thing is that everybody thinks it’s a great idea, but when they figure out it costs more they back off,” said Hall, chairman of the Builders Association of Greater Boston’s Custom Builders & Remodelors Council.

Hanna agrees.

“Cost is an issue definitely because some of the systems are expensive and the payback is low,” said Hanna.

Consumers can expect immediate savings by improving insulation, installing new windows and thermal solar systems, he noted. But with other improvements, such as geo-thermal heating, it would take longer to realize savings.