Energy Efficient building, also called High Performance or Green Building, is improving the way that homes and homebuilding sites use energy, water, and materials to reduce impacts on human health and the environment. Building an energy efficient home means making environmentally preferable and sustainable decisions throughout the building process, decisions that will minimize the environmental impact of the home while it is being built and for the many generations following its construction.
As an environmentally responsible construction company, VPC Builders provides an answer for people who are looking to be a part of the Green movement. We offer different levels of “Green” that range from Homes that are Energy Star Rated, to homes that are designated with the prestigious LEED Certification that is given by the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial, as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fit out, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves. (Courtesy of the USGBC)
The NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program provides a certificate for homes meeting “green home guidelines” built by residential builders who practice sustainable, high performance building strategies making the home a comfortable, healthy and affordable place that reduces energy and water usage, promotes renewable energy use and helps protect the land where the home is built.
In a HealthyBuilt Home, building materials and processes are selected to reduce pollution and the waste of natural resources during the manufacturing and construction phases and throughout the life of the home. The builder is encouraged to provide homeowner education about the high performance features of the home and provide local resources for “green” living.
A NC HealthyBuilt Home is moving the North Carolina market toward:
- Lower operating costs – Lower utility bills for heating and cooling
- Increased comfort – Improved indoor air quality
- Creating lasting value – Third party review
- Building with health in mind – Lowered Environmental Impact
— Courtesy of the NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes. (Courtesy of Energy Star)
