Nashville Home Earns ENERGY STAR and LEED for HOMES Certification

NASHVILLE, TN. – November 7, 2011 – A Nashville home in the upscale neighborhood of Belle Meade has recently been awarded LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and ENERGY STAR qualification by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The home of Steve and Ann Mitchell at 104 Bonaventure was awarded LEED certification by USGBC for achievement in green home building and design. LEED for HOMES is a green home certification program that rewards homes that are designed and built to be energy and resource-efficient as well as more healthy and durable for the occupants. LEED-certified homes complete a technically rigorous process that often includes a home energy (HERS) rating and onsite inspections to verify that the home is built to be energy and water efficient, environmentally sound, and a healthier place to live.

As an ENERGY STAR qualified home, the Mitchell house benefits from a comprehensive solution to energy efficient new construction that delivers better performance, greater comfort, and lower utility bills to homeowners.  The homeowners should realize 60% savings on their energy bills compared to a home built to national energy code.

E3 Innovate of Nashville provided CertaSpray™ Spray Polyurethane Foam to create the insulated shell of the house. Spray foam is accepted as the superior method of sealing a home, due to its ability to stop air and moisture infiltration, reduce energy costs, add structural strength to a building, prevent the intrusion of dust, pollen and other external allergens, reduce capacity requirements, maintenance and wear of HVAC equipment and overall make homes significantly more comfortable and healthy.

Precision Air of Nashville installed the WaterFurnace Geothermal Heat Pump, a system that takes advantage of the steady year-round temperatures of the soil a few dozen feet beneath the earth’s surface. This soil hovers around 57 degrees all year, offering a temperature that is warmer than outside air in winter and cooler than outside air in summer. A geothermal heat pump doesn’t have to generate hot or cool air; it only has to move it from beneath the soil to inside a home. This system is about 70% more efficient than a conventional HVAC system.

“While demand for traditional residential construction is down, the green housing market continues to grow, and the Mitchell residence is a great example of why this is,” said Nate Kredich, USGBC vice president of Residential Market Development. “LEED certified homes are healthier places to live, produce lower utility bills, have better air quality, and are far more durable than conventional homes.”

Other team members include, Tony Viglietti, Green Rater, Erik Daugherty, LEED-AP HOMES Facilitator, and Jeff Middlebrooks, HERS Rater, Scooter J. Construction, Builder.

Located in the City of Belle Meade, the Mitchell residence features a drought resistant landscape with mature trees that were intentionally preserved. In addition to spray foam insulation and geothermal heating and cooling, the project uses locally sourced building materials, high efficiency windows and doors, ENERGY STAR exhaust fans and appliances, and low-VOC paints and finishes. As a result of incorporating energy saving products and technologies, 104 Bonaventure has achieved a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 55.

About E3 Innovate:
E3 Innovate is the region’s most experienced home performance company and works with homeowners and builders in the Mid-South to improve the comfort, expense, durability and value of their homes through superior and scientifically proven residential building science.  Co-owner Erik Daugherty has a graduate degree in International Sustainable Development, founded E3 Innovate, and is Middle Tennessee’s first LEED-AP for HOMES.  Co-owner Jeff Middlebrooks is the first independent certified HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rater. More about the company at www.E3innovate.com.

About Precision Air:
Precision Air is a highly respected home heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) company.  The owner, Tony LaFrenier, has led the market by promoting and installing more geothermal comfort systems than any other HVAC company in the region. Tony LaFrenier has studied residential building science and is also a trained Home Energy Rater.  Geothermal systems rely on renewable energy for home heating and cooling.  More about the company at www.PrecisionAirTN.com.

About USGBC:
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, USGBC has grown to more than 18,000 member companies and organizations and a comprehensive suite of LEED green building certification systems. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations all sharing USGBC commitment to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Visit www.usgbc.org for more information.

About LEED for Homes:
LEED for Homes is a third-party certification system for building and designing high-performance green homes that are energy-and-resource-efficient and healthy for its occupants.  Developed and administered by USGBC, LEED for Homes awards points to projects in eight categories of environmental performance: Innovation & Design Process, Location & Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, and Awareness & Education. To date, more than 5,000 homes have achieved certification with LEED for Homes program, and over 20,000 have registered and are in process.  For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/homes.