Corporate
|
May 30, 2007 EPA awards Advanced Energy a 2007 Energy Star® Homes Outstanding Achievement Award® Advanced Energy continues to demonstrate how gaining capital, saving energy and protecting our environment can coexist with the construction of more than 500 Energy Star qualified homes RALEIGH - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Advanced Energy the Energy Star Homes Outstanding Achievement Award for its continued involvement in the development of energy-efficient homes in North Carolina. In the past year Advanced Energy has facilitated the construction of more than 500 Energy Star qualified homes through its partnership with non-profit developers statewide. Energy-efficient homes are environmentally responsible and financially advantageous for the homeowners by saving them nearly 15 percent of total energy used. The construction of these homes is also economically wise for the builder, enabling them to reduce callbacks and retain profits. The Energy Star Homes Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes this important advancement in construction process improvements and supports the continued progression of Advanced Energy’s leadership in the field. EPA created the Energy Star program in 1992 as a way for manufacturers to voluntarily conform to energy efficiency guidelines and to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since its onset, more then 2,000 builders nationwide have partnered with Energy Star in its mission to construct energy-efficient homes. One of these partners is Masco, a world leader in the manufacturing of home improvement and building products. Through its partnership with Advanced Energy, Masco created the Environments For Living® program, which encourages builders to apply the latest building science principles to new construction. This initiative has aided the construction of an additional 130,000 homes to date that exceed Energy Star requirements. "Partners like Advanced Energy are building a new generation of homes that reduce our impact on the environment," said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. "Each Energy Star qualified new home prevents 4,500 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year, while giving homeowners greater comfort and lower energy bills." Energy Star qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling and water heating - a savings of $200 to $400 annually on their utility bills - as compared to the average home. Currently more than 5,500 builders across all 50 states are constructing homes that meet EPA’s Energy Star regulations for energy efficiency. More than 500,000 families now live in Energy Star qualified homes. Each of the 500 Energy Star homes Advanced Energy helped constr uct meet SystemVision™ standards. SystemVision is Advanced Energy’s program to specifically aid in the development of energy-efficient homes in the affordable housing market statewide. Since the beginning of this program, SystemVision has offered a Homes Built with SystemVision Guarantee to homeowners. In partnership with the N.C. Housing Finance Agency, more than 45 nonprofit builders in North Carolina, including community development corporations (CDCs), Habitat for Humanity affiliates, local governments, public housing authorities and other nonprofits build to these improved construction standards and plan to extend this guarantee to their homeowners. To date, Advanced Energy has helped N.C. developers and builders construct more than 1,322 Energy Star homes for low-income families through its high performance SystemVision building program. Nationwide, more than 200,000 homes earned the EPA’s Energy Star label last year, brining the total number of Energy Star qualified homes built to more than 725,000. Through strategic partnerships, Advanced Energy continues to demonstrate the value for more energy-efficient construction practices creating homes that exceed Energy Star standards. To date, Americans have saved more than $14 billion on their utility bills and also avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 25 million cars. "We know that building energy efficient homes are a win for consumers and the environment," said Brian Coble, Advanced Energy’s director of affordable housing program. "Our homes offer comfort and reliability, all while saving consumers money and protecting the planet. Our partnerships with nonprofit developers and builders make this possible." With progressive cooperation and innovation, Advanced Energy continues to develop higher energy-efficient standards for home construction benefiting the environment and saving home owners hundreds of dollars every year in utility costs.
About Advanced Energy
About Energy Star |