Builders can now rely on a GE LEED® Green Associate when building industry-recognized, LEED®-certified buildings
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--01 April 2011-- The green market for new construction is growing with builders to suppliers jumping to meet the demand. The green market was 2 percent of non-residential construction starts in 2005; 10 to 12 percent in 2008; and will grow to 20 to 25 percent by 2013.1
Kelly Montgomery, sales black belt and contract marketing specialist at GE Appliances, recently earned a LEED(R) Green Associate credential. (Photo: GE)
Not only is the demand growing, the evidence is mounting for the increased value of green building. An upfront investment of 2 percent in green building design, on average, results in life cycle savings of 20 percent of the total construction costs -- more than ten times the initial investment.2
Since high-efficiency appliances can really help a home or business achieve LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification through reduced water and energy usage, builders are reaching out to GE to help them determine which appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers and water heaters, will help a home run as efficiently as possible.
These appliances can complement builders' environmental credit strategies, helping them gain points towards LEED® certification.
To help answer those questions, GE is proud to announce that Kelly Montgomery, sales black belt and contract marketing specialist recently earned a LEED® Green Associate credential. LEED® is an internationally recognized green building certification that provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance. There are both environmental and financial benefits to earning LEED® certification. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED®-certified buildings are designed to:
* Reduce CO2 emissions,
* Improve indoor environmental quality,
* Conserve energy and water, and
* Demonstrate stewardship of resources and sensitivity to the impact of resources on the environment.
"I learned so much about how GE appliances and products can fit into builders' selected LEED® credit strategies to help them earn points towards certification, and I'm excited to be a helpful reference contact for LEED® questions relative to appliances in the contract business," says Montgomery.
Montgomery is the program manager for the GE Homes Inspired by ecomagination℠ program, a whole-home energy solution GE created to help builders and developers build homes that rank higher in energy efficiency than current industry standards.
Homes Inspired by ecomagination and LEED® certification can offer consumers added value to their home not only in terms of energy savings but also a higher value per square foot.
A recent study published in The Appraisal Journal indicates that the market value of a home increases by $10 to $25 for every $1 decrease in annual fuel bills. An investment in energy improvements could add $8,000 to $25,000 to a home's market value.3
"If a builder is trying to choose between GE's Homes Inspired by ecomagination program or LEED® certification, they can easily decide to incorporate both programs to make the home even more marketable," says Montgomery. "The two programs don't have to be mutually exclusive and actually function very well together."
By using the Homes Inspired by ecomagination program, builders have access to GE-supported marketing materials to help with positioning themselves as an "energy-efficient builder." Uniting the GE program, recognized by builders as the most "green" brand,4 with LEED® certification, recognized by consumers, a home or commercial building's performance can jump.
About Homes Inspired by ecomagination
GE's Homes Inspired by ecomagination program combines building science with Masco's Environment's for Living (EFL) program and high performance products to give homeowners the ability to monitor energy consumption through a home energy manager. These homes are designed to lower overall household energy use, CO2 emissions on the power grid, indoor water consumption and associated costs.
GE Homes Inspired by ecomagination deliver a guaranteed comfort level, where the temperature in the center of any room will not vary by more than 3 degrees from the thermostat set point (see EFL written guarantee). They can also achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in household energy versus industry-accepted average for new homes.
Depending on the geographic region, a 2,500-square-foot home built to the Homes Inspired by ecomagination specification is designed to save the homeowner between $600 and $1,500 on annual utility bills versus an industry-accepted average new home due to significant energy and water savings.
GE Homes Inspired by ecomagination can prevent at least 20 percent of CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions on the U.S. grid from energy use and can achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in household indoor water consumption versus industry-accepted average new homes.
Depending on the geographic region, a 2,500-square-foot home built to the Homes Inspired by ecomagination specification is designed to avoid approximately 1 to 7 metric tons of CO2 emissions on the U.S. grid annually versus an industry-accepted average new home. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions in the range of 2,500 to 15,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in an average car on U.S. roads.
"GE recognizes the positive impact it can have on our environment and I am proud to be a LEED® Green Associate, who can help builders and developers build homes that are comfortable and energy efficient," says Montgomery. Builders can access a GE website that will also help them while selecting appliances at http://www.geappliances.com/build-with-ge/index.htm.
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About GE Appliances & Lighting
GE Appliances & Lighting spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting, systems and services for commercial, industrial and residential use. Technology innovation and the company's ecomagination(SM) initiative enable GE Appliances & Lighting to aggressively bring to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, Café™, GE®, Hotpoint®, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.
1 McGraw Hill Construction (2009). Green Outlook 2009: Trends Driving Change.
2 Kats, G. (2003). The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force.
3 "Green Sells: Energy Upgrades Raise Home Value." Lynch, Josh. Energy 2.0 Community Blog. http://energytwodotzero.org/2010/08/04/green-sells-energy-upgrades-raise-home/
4 McGraw Hill Construction (2009). Green Outlook 2009: Trends Driving Change.
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Kim Freeman
GE Consumer & Industrial - Americas
[email protected]
502-452-7819