Longtime Las Vegans Bob and Ty Walsh bought their home six years ago in Vista Verde, the first local showcase for Pardee's LivingSmart program that also was available to homebuyers in Nevada Trails.

With features such as the radiant roof barrier system to deflect the desert heat and low-e2 windows, the Walsh family says they stay comfortable all year-round.

"In these times and in this climate, nothing is smarter than energy efficiency," said Bob Walsh, a former TV newsman and gubernatorial assistant who is a deputy to Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller.

The LivingSmart program, which was founded in 1998, continues to include painstaking research into products, systems, quality control and research to determine what homebuyers want in green -- and what they feel they can afford, McGee said.

"Great programs must be tempered with feasibility in the production housing framework," McGee said.

"We have maintained this dual focus since introducing our first energy-efficient homes and it has paid off with greener homes that are still competitively priced."

LivingSmart provides standard materials, systems and features with EnergySmart, EarthSmart, WaterSmart and HealthSmart advantages.

To these, buyers can add such features as photovoltaic systems for in-home solar power; water filtration; tankless water heaters and bamboo flooring. Optional features vary by home and neighborhood.

McGee said LivingSmart reinforces the company's move toward more sustainable community planning. Demonstrated in many of its master plans, this features open space and tree preservation, habitat restoration and indigenous, drought-tolerant landscaping.

A pioneer in green building, Pardee was the first regional builder to commit to building energy-efficient homes in Southern Nevada in 1998.

Since then, Pardee Homes has earned top honors for its green and sustainable achievements, including being named Production Home Builder of the Year in the National Association of Home Builder's Green Building and Energy, Value Housing 2006 Awards; and Green Project of the Year from the National Green Building Conference in 2004.

The company works with the industry to support environmental research and advancement, and participates in diverse professional forums on green building.

Pardee also built the Ultimate Family Home -- a zero energy home -- for the 2004 International Builders Show in Las Vegas, showcasing energy efficiencies such as an 8.6 kW roof-integrated solar electric system capable of producing nearly all the energy needed for the 5,300-square-foot home.