Published
December 20, 2007 12:24 am
-
Sweetbriar
Lakes house receives special designation for
efficiency
By Alan Mauldin
THOMASVILLE — While most people are familiar
with the Energy Star stickers hanging from
appliances like refrigerators to certify energy
efficiency, they may not know that houses can
also receive the designation.
The first house
in the county to receive an Energy Star blue
seal was constructed in the Sweetbriar Lakes
Phase II subdivision. The 2,100 square foot home
has Lycene insulation, a propane tankless water
heater that produces hot water on demand as well
as energy-efficient air conditioning, windows,
appliances and light bulbs.
Capital Home
Builders, which constructed the home, is listed
by energystar.gov as one of the 128 builders and
developers in the state who have built one or
more Energy Star homes or are planning to do so.
The vast majority are in the Atlanta area.
Izzy Bienes
said his company is embracing the future and
being good stewards of the environment by
building green homes.
“We’re
committed to that. We have kids, and we’re
trying to help the environment as much as we
can,” he said. “We don’t want to leave them with
environmental problems. This is the path that
we’re taking in all our houses. It’s just better
for the quality of our homes.”
Capital Home
Builders has been in business for about 20 years
building conventional homes, he said.
The home is
listed for $319,000 and a discount on closing
costs would make the total price $309,000,
Bienes said.
Energy Star
homes are typically 20 to 30 percent more energy
efficient than standard homes, with annual
savings in energy bills of about $800 to $1200,
according to energystar.gov. More than 750,000
Energy Star homes have been constructed, and
more 2 million are expected by the end of the
decade.
Energy Star is
a joint program of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of
Energy.
To earn the
Energy Star rating, a home must be independently
verified by a home energy rater, who tests the
home after its completion.
Mills Herndon
of First Thomasville Realty said there may be a
market for energy efficient homes in the area.
“I think so, as
long as they’re competitive with other similar
homes,” he said. “I think that would appeal to
certain people. I think it’s a good idea. I
think those are good features to have.”
Reporter
Alan Mauldin can be reached by calling (229)
226-2400, ext. 226.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
CHB Homes:
Response to First Thomasville Realty - Mr. Mills
Herndon.
Recent comments made by local Realtor
that "there may be a market for energy efficient
homes in the area" it's not a matter of there being
a market for these types of homes it's the
U.S.
Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental
Protections Agency that is driving the country to
improve energy efficiency in our homes, businesses,
schools, governments, and industries which consume
more than 70-percent of the natural gas and
electricity used in the country. It’s one of the
most constructive, cost-effective ways to address
the challenges of high energy prices, energy
security and independence, air pollution, and global
climate change. The goal here is to achieve a common
goal-protecting the environment for future
generations by changing to more energy efficient
practices today. Some of us are not aware on the
efforts being made by more than 9,000 organizations,
including more than 3,500 of the nation’s home
builders creating a sustainable, aggressive national
commitment to energy efficiency through gas and
electric utilities, utility regulators, and partner
organizations together with home buyers reducing
greenhouse gas emissions generated from the energy
used nationwide.
Other comments “as long as they’re competitive with
other similar homes” Energy Star homes are not
comparable to minimum standard spec homes. Quite
simply, homes that earn the Energy Star are
significantly more efficient than standard homes
typically 30% more efficient. Real Estate
professionals must learn the basics of
energy-efficient features and use them with
prospective buyers increasing awareness. This
further increases the value of the real estate
professional because if they are knowledgeable, they
can point out energy saving features and benefits
the buyer might enjoy. Real estate
professionals separate themselves from the rest by
being better able to communicate a home’s true
value.
Benefits of an Energy Star home include: Lower
ownership costs-compared with standard spec homes,
Energy Star homes use substantially less energy for
heating, cooling, and water heating-delivering
hundreds of dollars of annual utility bill savings.
Better performance-an energy efficient home (ones
that earn the blue seal) helps ensure consistent
temperatures between and across rooms, improved
indoor air quality, and greater durability. Higher
resale values-by the end of this decade, more than 2
million homes are expected to earn the Energy Star
while utility and fuel costs continue to increase.
By choosing a home with the Energy Star label,
borrowers can be confident that it will have an
increasingly valued feature when the time comes to
sell.
Unless borrowers pay cash for their home, each and
every month they will make a mortgage payment. Each
month they will also pay the utility bills based on
their homes’ monthly energy usage. Together, these
expenses are typically the largest monthly operating
costs of a home. The biggest energy efficient
feature of Energy Star qualified homes result in
lower operating costs than standard spec homes.
Additionally, most energy efficient homes are more
durable than standard spec homes and therefore
benefits from lower maintenance costs.
Eco-Smart
Homes
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