Builders

E3 Building Sciences is committed to bringing Green Building to the market. We believe that green building is the larger philosophy of developing buildings that are economically, socially and ecologically sustainable. We offer a wide array of green consulting and certification services to builders, home owners, and architects. E3 has recently been commissioned as a LEED for Homes Provider by the USGBC. We are also the Water Star Provider for SW Florida. In addition to being Providers of those two certifications, E3 also certifies homes as Energy Star and IBHS homes. In fact, E3 Building Sciences is the largest Energy Star Rater in the State of Florida. If you are interested in any of these certifications, or you simply want to green your projects, contact us.

As a Builder, you are faced with a very tough question.  How do you build a superior home and differentiate it from the rest of the market while maintaining a price that suits your homebuyers and allows you to make money?  The answer may be Green Building.  Green buildings are comfortable, durable, energy efficient, water efficient, healthy, and environmentally friendly.  Green Building also does not have to be cost prohibitive.  In fact, 37% of all LEED Homes are deemed “Affordable Homes.”  So, by building Green you can deliver a superior product, differentiate your product, keep your costs low, and make money.

Green Building is just good building.  It emphasizes good building techniques and many cost saving measures.  One cost saving element of Green Building is the “Integrated Design Team.”  Using an Integrated Design Team allows builders to design and plan for the successful and cost effective construction of homes.  A team approach allows for different ideas and methods to be considered when trying to reach design objectives.  Another cost saving element of Green Building is  “Energy Modeling.”  Energy Modeling is done by a HERS Rater or Energy Rater (E3 Building Sciences).  Homes are built of many interrelated systems.  Because the homes are interrelated, analyzing the benefits of improving a system (such as improving insulation) becomes incredibly difficult.  Modeling a home in software allows for proper cost-benefit analysis.  Therefore, you can get the biggest “bang for your buck” when deciding how to build a home.

Once you’ve decided to build Green, how do you let people know you build green homes?  One way is to have your building certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) or the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC).  The USGBC’s rating system, LEED for Homes, is a rigorous national standard which emphasizes the integrated design of a home. The FGBC certification is developed specifically for the State of Florida. Therefore, although the FGBC certification is not nationally known, the individual credits are slightly more “Florida targeted” than LEED for Homes credits.

These systems use third party verification systems.  The third party helps maintain the credibility of the certifications which is then transmitted to your potential homebuyers.  In fact, homes with certifications have been shown to appraise higher than those without.  If you would like to build green and/or have your homes certified, contact us.