Florida Green Building

Green Builder Spotlight

2009-02-16T15:01:00.008-05:00

I recently started a newsletter for the EarthSTEPS Green Building Division. As part of that newsletter, I am going to be highlighting a green builder in every issue. Here's a copy of the first Green Builder Spotlight. A copy of the entire newsletter can be found here.

I would love to get feedback on the newsletter... what kind of information do you want to hear about green building in Florida!?

If you would like to sign up to receive news on green building in Florida, please register here.

Green Builder Spotlight

LD Callaghan, Inc. of Crawfordville, FL, build their homes to FGBC Green Home standards. Now, they have recently added ENERGY STAR to their list of certifications, and will soon complete their first ENERGY STAR certified home.

LD Callaghan homes incorporate simple, practical, green building practices with stunning custom touches such as made-to-order stained glass windows. While relatively new to the green building world, they have quickly earned a reputation for building high quality, energy efficient homes. An example of a recent and stunning green spec home (sold!!!) can be found here.

----For each newsletter, we aim to highlight a different green builder. The intent of this section is to inform and connect builders, and to highlight the different scales and approaches to green building - from custom single-family builders to production scale developers. From focusing entirely on energy-efficient practices, to the most eco-friendly products and techniques available. If you or someone you know would be interesting in being spotlighted in a future issue, please contact us.

EarthSTEPS Green Building Division looks forward to working with you. Together, we can help to shape the built environment of Florida.

Sincerely,

Alex Mordas, LEED AP
Vice President, EarthSTEPS
www.earthsteps.org
amordas@earthsteps.org
850.559.4976

Certified Homes in Florida

2009-02-10T22:27:00.005-05:00

This first post on the number and location of certified homes in Florida is going to focus on Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Certified Homes.

The Florida Green Building Coalition is a nonprofit organization with a commitment to improving the built environment in Florida. While only one of many different green certification schemes, FGBC differs from others in that it has a strong focus on disaster mitigation. The FGBC certification provides credit for Wildfire, Hurricane, Flood, and Termite resistant construction. This recognition of the unique challenges of a Florida home has made FGBC one of the top choices for homebuyers in Florida, and has led to the growing national recognition of FGBC as a leader in quality green certifications.

Other FGBC credit categories focus on the following:

Category 1: Energy
Category 2: Water
Category 3: Lot Choice
Category 4: Site
Category 5: Health
Category 6: Materials
Category 7: Disaster Mitigation
Category 8: General

With 1,000's of homes certified, FGBC homes are now readily available and present throughout the state. For listings of FGBC certified projects in your area, please check out the following database that allows you to search for certified projects by zip code.

For more information on Green Building Certification, as always, contact Florida's leading consulting firm

Green Building Florida

2009-02-10T21:12:00.001-05:00

Florida's statewide full-service green consulting firm!

EarthSTEPS (Smart Technology for Energy Production and Savings), LLC, a sustainable technology and consulting firm, recently launched its statewide Green Building Division.

Consisting of LEED APs, Nationally Accredited HERS raters, Florida Green Building Coalition Certifying Agents and LEED-H raters, the ES Green Building Division provides quality service for green and energy efficient builders throughout Florida.

Current projects include a commercial LEED certification on a dentist office in North Florida, LEED-H, ENERGY STAR and FGBC certifications throughout the Panhandle and Capital region, including numerous Habitat for Humanity projects and HOP eligible homes, as well as HERS ratings and consulting on green remodels of older homes and buildings.

If you are interested in green building in Florida, ES Green Building Division will walk you and your team through the requirements during our initial meeting and/or design charrette to ensure that your project is on track for certification. Throughout the whole process we will consistently provide support and feedback on your project, and will work diligently to provide access to federal, state and local rebates, tax credits and incentives for your certified buildings.

For more information, please contact us at:

EarthSTEPS LLC
Phone: 850-325-6505
Fax: 850-325-6504
info@earthsteps.org

Green Cents

2009-02-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

Gulf Power has recently created the new earthcents program to help their customers lower their utility bills and increase comfort and value of the home.

This new program encompasses many different energy saving practices compiled into one set of guidelines for building or remodeling an energy-efficient home. According to Gulf Power "Earth Cents Homes offer superior quality and performance while addressing the need to preserve our natural resources."

To see the detailed requirements for the program, please follow this link

For more information on the program, or to get started contact a HERS rater and green building consultant.