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Green Built Homes of Florida is an incentive-based program offered by JEA and Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) to promote the use of green building practices in new single family homes constructed in JEA's service territory.

Program Eligibility
To be part of the Green Built Homes of Florida program, you must build a new single-family home in the JEA electric service area (Florida Water Star incentives provided in JEA’s water service area) that meets one or more of these certifications:

• Energy Star – Performance Checklist          BOP Checklist
• Builders Challenge – Builders Challenge requirements
• Florida Water Star – FWS Checklist
• Florida Green Building Coalition – FGBC Checklist
• LEED for Homes – LEED-H Checklist
• NAHB Green Home Standard – NAHB online green scoring tool

Program Benefits

• Competitive advantage by differentiating your homes from the competition
• Improved customer satisfaction through reduced call-backs and liabilities
• Improved quality and comfort of the home through third-party inspected workmanship
• Increased revenue through energy saving home features
• Eligible for green financing options

Program Basics
A Green Built home meets the certifications and/or criteria of one of these six programs:

ENERGY STAR ®
You may already be familiar with ENERGY STAR. This program was developed in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to promote the efficient use of energy. Today, the ENERGY STAR label is synonymous with energy-efficiency and can be found on home appliances, office equipment and even an entire home.

ENERGY STAR Homes:

• Have tight construction
• Have improved insulation
• Feature high-performance windows
• Have tightly-sealed ductwork
• Have highly-efficient, right-sized heating and cooling equipment

Builder's Challenge
The Builders Challenge is a Department of Energy program that is very similar to ENERGY STAR. The most significant difference is these homes have a higher efficiency requirement. Third-party certification by a Florida Class I energy rates is required to earn the Builders Challenge designation.

Florida Water Star
The St. Johns River Water Management District created and administers Florida Water Star. Certified homes incorporate water-efficient appliances and irrigation systems in their design and construction. Third-party certification by a Florida Water Star certifying agent is required to earn the Florida Water Star designation.

Florida Water Star Homes

• Have high-efficiency, water-consuming appliances such as dishwashers
• Have high-efficiency or maximum performance toilets
• Have Florida-friendly landscaping – native plants which thrive with minimal irrigation
• Have water-conserving irrigation

Florida Green Building Coalition
Created to provide a statewide green-building program, the Florida Green Building Coalition is a non-profit corporation seeking to establish clear and meaningful principals for qualifying structures as green. Third-party certification by a Florida Green Building Coalition certified inspector is required to earn the FBGC designation.

Florida Green Building Homes:

• Include many of the features of ENERGY STAR and Florida Water Star program homes
• Have healthier indoor environments
• Have reduced environmental impact through use of sustainable building materials and reduced/recycled construction waste
• Have improved resistance of damage from natural causes including hurricanes, floods, wildfire and termites

LEED-H and NAHB Green Certification
Much like Florida Green Building Coalition guidelines, the US Green Building Councils LEED for Homes (LEED-H) and the National Association of Home Builders Green Home Standard are voluntary rating systems that promote the design and construction of high performance homes. These green certifications recognize and reward builders for meeting the highest performance standards. It also gives homeowners the confidence that their homes are durable, healthy and environmentally friendly.

These green homes use less energy, water and natural resources; create less waste during construction and are healthier and more comfortable when complete. The benefits of LEED-H and NAHB Green Homes include lower utility bills, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a green home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home.

The Plan
The following steps outline the process for building a certified home under the Green Built Homes of Florida Program.

Step 1

• Have your plans reviewed by an appropriate certifying agent (see Step 3 below) to determine what modifications are required
• Free technical resource available from JEA at (904) 665-6590 or conservation@jea.com

Step 2
Decision Point
Determine which certifications you want to incorporate in the construction of the new home and learn about them. For ENERGY STAR, determine which path you wish to take:

• a) The Performance Path – Individually rated homes using the HERS Index
• b) The Builder Option Package – Prescriptive path which doesn’t use the HERS Index

Step 3
Choose a Certifying Agent

1. ENERGY STAR – HERS Rater or BOP Providers
2. Florida Water Start Certifying Agent
3. Florida Green Building Coalition Certifying Agent
4. LEED-H Field Agent
5. NAHB Green Home Verifier

Step 4
Construct the home and schedule in the required certification agent inspections.

Step 5
Near completion, arrange for the home to be tested and certified by an appropriate certifying agent.

Step 6
Apply for the Green Built Homes of Florida rebate by submitting a Builder Incentive Request Form along with the required documentation listed on the form to:

Northeast Florida Builders Association
103 Century 21 Drive, Ste 100
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Fax: (904) 721-3372

Incentives
See individual rebate incentives and qualifying information below. There is a maximum rebate of $1500 per home. All rebates are available to homes within JEA’s electric service area. Florida Water Star rebates are available to homes within JEA’s water service area.

• ENERGY STAR – The base rebate for an ENERGY STAR home is $300, meeting required HERS Index of 77. For each HERS Index point below 77, add $20.
  Example: HERS Index of 73 would receive a rebate of $380. This rebate is attained by receiving $300 for achieving a 77 HERS Index + $80  ($20 x 4 for each point below 77.)
• Builders Challenge – The base rebate for a Builders Challenge home is $440, meeting required E-Scale of 70. For each E-Scale point below 70, add $40.
  Example: E-Scale of 67 would receive a rebate of $560. This rebate is attained by receiving $440 for achieving the E-Scale of 70 + $120 ($40 x 3 for each point below 70.)
• Florida Water Star Home – Add $100 for this certification
• Florida Green Building Coalition, LEED-H and NAHB – Add $200 for one of more of these full green certifications. Rebate maximum is $200, regardless of number of certifications received.

Step 7
Sell the home to a satisfied buyer.

Direct questions and request for more information on this program to conservation@jea.com