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JEA and NEFBA Celebrate Launch of Green Built Homes of Florida
Jacksonville, FL (June 5, 2006) - JEA and the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) celebrate the launch of Green Built Homes of Florida by hosting an open house and press conference June 1, 2006. Green Built Homes of Florida is a new program to promote the use of energy and water efficient building practices in new single-family homes constructed in Northeast Florida. This program incorporates ENERGY STAR® techniques and will result in homes that help consumers save resources, energy and money. Homeowners using ENERGY STAR® practices typically experience a 15 percent or more reduction in their electric utility bills. Following the presentation, guests toured a Beazer Homes’ model at Villages of Westport, one of the first Green Built homes in Northeast Florida.
JEA initiated this program to reduce electric and water usage, help maintain low electric and water rates for its customers, and create a healthier living environment for Northeast Florida residents.
There are two components of the Green Built Homes of Florida program. The foundation is ENERGY STAR®, which was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to promote efficient use of energy. Common features of ENERGY STAR® qualified homes include:
- Tight construction
- Improved insulation
- High-performance windows
- Tightly sealed ducts
- Highly efficient, right-sized heating and cooling equipment
The second component is FLORIDA WATER STAR, a program under development by the St. Johns River Water Management District that will provide standards to promote efficient use of water both inside and outside the home.
Since 1995 more than 360,000 of the nation's new homes have earned the ENERGY STAR®, saving homeowners an estimated $200 million and eliminating approximately 4 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, green building results in lower insurance costs for builders/developers and homeowners. For example, DPIC (Developer’s Professional Insurance Company) offers a 10 percent credit to architects and engineers practicing commissioning. Hanover Insurance Company ( Worcester, MA) gave a 10 percent credit on homeowner property insurance premiums in six states to solar, underground, and energy-efficient homes, with the justification that the heating systems had fewer running hours, resulting in a reduced fire hazard.
Studies show that sustainable developments have higher property and resale values than do conventional developments. For example, houses in the nation's first sustainable community, Village Homes, in California, are valued at eleven dollars per square foot higher than conventional homes in the same region.
Fifty-five percent of [respondents to a survey commissioned by the National Association of Home Builders] said they were willing to pay more for energy-efficient home features that would help save money on monthly utility bills and potentially increase the resale value of their home. Among those, the average extra amount they said they were willing to add to a home purchase price was $9,600. The most frequent amounts specified were $10,000 (15%) and $20,000 (12%).
Mayor John Peyton, Councilman Daniel Davis and representatives from JEA, NEFBA, Beazer Homes and the University of Florida discussed benefits of Green Built Homes of Florida for consumers and the community for Green Built Homes of Florida.
JEA is the eighth largest community-owned electric utility in the United States, providing electric, water and sewer service to more than 875,000 accounts in northwest Florida.
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