Central Florida Gas Promotes Energy Efficiency
By Scott Ranck
Energy Plus Partner Representative
State Certified Energy Rater I
Central Florida Gas
Over the past year and a half, Central Florida Gas, has incorporated into our Energy Plus Home Program, ENERGY STAR® New Homes Qualification as well. It has been our privilege introducing many of you to the Central Florida Gas Utility Sponsored Program. Many builders have become ENERGY STAR New Homes Building Partners and are now beginning to reap the rewards. Our building partners have been able to easily meet and exceed the new Florida Building Code. Conservation rebates, enhanced marketing opportunities, sold homes and qualifying for the $2,000 tax credit have been some of the other benefits. This article will highlight three PCBA member builders who have completed their first ENERGY STAR Qualified Home! Congratulations on your achievements!!
Adams Homes of Northwest Florida has the distinction of becoming the first builder to sign-up under CFG's Energy Plus Home/ENERGY STAR Program. Keith Clarkson, Lucas Martin and Misty Hinson have cooperated fully and have qualified their first ENERGY STAR New Home. The picture gives an idea of some of the enhanced local marketing. The Bartow Chamber of Commerce, accompanied by the Mayor came out and did a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating Adams Homes and Central Florida Gas' accomplishments. Adams Homes is committed to building homes that are consistently 15-20% more stringent than the Florida Energy Code. Because this is a natural gas development Adams Homes also may benefit by receiving conservation rebates for using any or all of the following, gas water heaters, gas furnaces, gas dryers and gas ranges. Congratulations to the team at Adams Homes!
Probably the most talked about home to include the Central Florida Gas Program is the Hickman Homes, INC "PCBA Green Home." This home is an unusual project for several reasons. First, the proceeds of the home go into the PCBA Foundation to help future builders learn the trade. Second, it is a one-of-a-kind home that many local vendors have contributed "Green Products" to as part of the benefit. The home achieved a HERS Rating of 46! That means this home is 54% more efficient than a home built to the International Energy Conservation Code. It is 36% more efficient than a home built to Florida's Code. Congratulations to Mike Hickman and his team for this joint venture.
The newest addition to our growing group of ENERGY STAR Qualified Home builders is VERDE Homes. The Country Club Estates subdivision in Winter Haven is being developed by John T. Murphy with Joe Esposito as the builder. Verde Homes has taken over this subdivision which previously was total electric and brought natural gas into the project. The 94 home subdivision features natural gas tankless water heaters, ranges and dryers. All the homes will achieve the ENERGY STAR Qualification. The home pictured has a HERS Rating of 58, meaning this home is 32% more efficient than a home built to code in Florida. The exciting thing about this home is the builder qualifies for the $2,000 tax credit. That credit is achieved by reducing heating and cooling costs by 50% or more and improving the homes envelope by 10% or more. This home had 53% reduction of heating and cooling and 29% improvement on the envelope. One more thing to peak your interest, the builder/developers have capitalized on conservation rebates through both Central Florida Gas and Progress Energy. VERDE Homes is working smarter not harder! Congratulations to John and Joe on your accomplishments!
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