ENERGY STAR® Information

We are proud to offer new homes that have earned the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR qualified new homes are substantially more energy efficient than homes built to the minimum code requirements. Our ENERGY STAR qualified new homes are independently verified by a third-party Home Energy Rater to ensure they meet ENERGY STAR energy efficiency guidelines. These homes are better for the environment and better for you.

Benefits of owning one of our ENERGY STAR qualified new homes include:

A Label Backed by the Government

All ENERGY STAR qualified new homes are certified to meet EPA's strict guidelines for energy efficiency. This exemplary performance is verified by an independent third party.

Lower Utility Costs

Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified new homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and hot water heating. Homeowners can expect to save about $200–$400 annually on their utility bills.

More Comfortable/Quieter Homes

The energy-efficient features of ENERGY STAR qualified new homes keep out excessive heat, cold, and noise, and ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms-making these homes more comfortable to live in.

Helping to Create a Better Future

By purchasing an ENERGY STAR qualified new home, you are joining millions of consumers who have changed to ENERGY STAR, helping our nation reduce our energy needs and building a cleaner environment for the future.

Features of our ENERGY STAR qualified new homes include:

• Effective Insulation — Properly installed insulation that meets or exceeds national code requirements helps achieve even temperatures throughout the house while using less energy. The result is lower utility costs and a quieter, more comfortable home.
• High-Performance Windows — Advanced window coatings help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. They also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furniture.
• Tight Construction and Tight Ducts — Attention to detail by sealing all holes, cracks, and seams in ducts and construction assemblies helps eliminate drafts, moisture, dust, pests, and pollen. This improves comfort and the quality of indoor air, while lowering maintenance costs.
• Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment — More efficient and properly sized heating and cooling systems use less energy, which reduces utility bills. These systems also turn on and off less frequently, removing more humidity and providing better comfort.

Learn more about ENERGY STAR qualified new homes at http://www.energystar.gov/.

Green Home Information

Green Homes 101

Making your home a greener place is a commitment – to yourself, your family, your community and the world. But more than that, it is a learning process. As exciting new technologies, products and scientific breakthroughs constantly emerge, staying educated on the hows – as well as the whys – of maintaining a green home is the best way to ensure your efforts are as effective and beneficial as possible.

Green Home Defined

A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste and is healthier for the people living inside compared to a standard home. It’s as simple as that!

A home can be built green, or you can make it green later. A green makeover can happen all at once, or it can be a gradual process. But what it all comes down to is a new way of thinking – and a new way of living. From a more energy-efficient kitchen to a tree-filled backyard paradise, your home can be green top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. And it doesn’t matter whether you rent or own, live in an apartment or single-family home, or live in the city, the suburbs or the country.

The Benefits of a Green Home

There are many very real benefits to living in a green home, and every day, more and more Americans are discovering those benefits. That’s why green homes are expected to make up 10% of new home construction by 2010, up from 2% in 2005, according to the 2006 McGraw-Hill Construction Residential Green Building SmartMarket Report. Owning or renting a green home is good for your health, your wallet and our environment.

~ A Healthier Home

• Green homes’ use of toxin-free building materials helps combat indoor air pollution, which can be much worse than outdoor pollution. Unhealthy air inside can pose serious health risks for residents.
• Natural ventilation in green homes, as well as use of mechanical ventilation systems to filter and bring fresh air inside and vent stale air outside, keep residents breathing easy.

~ A Cost-Efficient Home

• The net cost of owning a green home is comparable to – or even cheaper than – owning a standard home. If upfront costs are higher, it is often because many architects, home builders, engineers, plumbers and other industry professionals just don’t have the knowledge and experience to cost-effectively plan, design and build a green home. Finding a professional familiar with green-building techniques will save you money and ensure you’re getting the best-quality work possible.
• Month to month, people who live in green homes save money by consuming less energy and less water than standard homes. Over the years, that adds up to big savings.
• A healthier home can mean fewer expensive doctor visits and fewer days of missed work.
• Soon, it will cost less to insure a green home than a standard home. An increasing number of insurance companies are offering discounts on policies covering green homes. Similarly, several mortgage companies offer discounted loan rates for homebuyers buying green.
• A green home is often more durable than most standard homes because of its high-quality building materials and construction processes, requiring fewer repairs.
• The value of a green home is often higher than that of a comparable standard home, and the market demand for green homes continues to rise. The Solaire, a green residential high-rise in New York City, brings in rents 10% to 15% higher than market rates, and in Rocklin, Calif., the LEED-certified homes in the Carsten Crossings development outsold the competition 2-to-1.
• Local, state and federal governments are increasingly offering tax breaks and other incentives for building LEED homes or adding green features to your home.
  

~ An Environmentally Friendly Home

• Residential cooling and heating alone make up 20% of the United States’ yearly energy use. Throw in household lighting, appliances and other electronic equipment, and homes are clearly a major source of energy consumption. Most of that energy comes from greenhouse gas producers like oil and coal, contributing to global climate change. Green homes use 40% less energy than comparable standard homes.
• Some green homes further reduce our dependence on conventional energy sources as they generate some or all of their energy needs through alternative energy sources like the sun, wind, geothermal energy and biomass.
• Efficient plumbing and bathing fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping and water-conserving irrigation systems help green homes use less water than standard homes.
• Far fewer natural resources are used in the construction of a green home. Many green building materials have significant recycled content. Some companies, for example, now make carpets and floor tiles from recycled tires and bottles. Green homes can also be constructed with salvaged materials from demolished buildings. Green homes use materials made from rapidly renewable materials, like bamboo, hemp, agrifibers and soybean-based products. And the use of wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council helps promote socially and environmentally beneficial forestry practices.
• Building a standard 2,500-square-foot home creates approximately 2 tons of construction waste that ends up in landfills. Construction of a green home, however, should generate less waste – often much less.

Incentives

Beyond the health and environmental benefits of living in a green home, many local and state governments, utility companies and other entities across the country offer rebates, tax breaks and other incentives for adding eco-friendly elements to your life. Following are just a few of the many resources to help you find those incentives in your area.

• Find local incentives for building LEED buildings, including homes, at this searchable database.
• Through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. government offers several tax breaks and incentives for efficiency upgrades to homes.
• DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, connects you to local, state, federal and utility incentives available for switching to renewable or efficient energy use. It is a nonprofit project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency links to many of the sources of funding for green building that are available nationally and at the state and local levels for homeowners, industry, government organizations and nonprofits in the form of grants, tax credits, loans and other sources.
• The U.S. government’s ENERGY STAR® site connects consumers, home builders and others to federal tax credits for using energy-efficient products.

Source: US Green Building Council

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