DALLAS, TX--(Marketwire - Apr 25, 2012) - Wood Partners, one of the nation's largest and most active multifamily developers, announced today that it has received a 2012 ENERGY STAR Leadership In Housing Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its achievements in energy-efficient new home design and construction.
The award recognizes the important contribution Wood Partners has made to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection by constructing nearly 1,000 ENERGY STAR certified apartment homes last year. Collectively, these homes will save residents more than $437,000 on utility bills each year.
Wood Partners strives to design and construct every new project to the standards established by ENERGY STAR for New Homes or the energy efficiency standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program from the U.S. Green Building Council. Many of its communities also incorporate construction waste recycling, transit orientation and other techniques to reduce their environmental impact.
"Receiving the ENERGY STAR Leadership In Housing Award is most appropriate, since our goal at Wood Partners is to be the industry leader in designing and constructing energy efficient homes," said Wood Partners' Architect/Design Manager William J. Greene III, who is LEED AP BD+C certified. "It's also a terrific validation of the hard work done by the green team at Wood Partners offices across the country."
The company's 100 percent commitment to green building is the result of detailed research and cost analyses. In a 2007 survey of Wood Partners' 6,000 apartment residents at the time, 80 percent of those who responded said environmental issues, particularly energy conservation and recycling, were a concern, and more than 60 percent said that such concern affects their purchasing decisions.
"Receiving ENERGY STAR recognition also says a great deal to our investors," added Greene. "Designing and building our homes to ENERGY STAR and LEED standards make our properties more attractive to residents, results in lowers overall operating costs, and reduces the energy costs to our residents in very real dollars."
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a new home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the EPA that make these homes at least 15% more efficient than standard new homes built today. According to the EPA's own estimates, the global environmental benefits of the nearly 1,000 ENERGY STAR certified units built by Wood Partners last year are equal to:
- Eliminating the emissions from 479 vehicles;
- Saving 2.9 million pounds of coal;
- Planting almost 800 acres of trees; or
- Saving the environment more than 5.6 million pounds of CO2 per year.
Last year alone, ENERGY STAR homes saved Americans nearly $400 million on their utility bills and avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 510,000 vehicles. More than 1.3 million ENERGY STAR homes have been built in the United States since the program first began labeling homes in 1995.
Over the past 20 years, Americans, with help from ENERGY STAR, have saved nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
"ENERGY STAR builder partners offer new homes that are designed and built to standards well above most others on the market today," said Jonathan Passe, Director of EPA's ENERGY STAR Residential Branch. "Because ENERGY STAR certified homes undergo rigorous independent inspections and testing, those who choose ENERGY STAR can be confident that their new home will offer real energy efficiency, comfort, durability and value for years to come."
About Wood Partners
Wood Partners is a national real estate company that acquires, develops, constructs and property manages high density and mixed-use communities. Through quality construction, responsible land development and intelligent design, our communities reflect the aesthetic and social fabric of the community and provide a luxurious living experience at a fair price. The company has been involved in the development of more than 36,000 homes with a combined value of more than $4.5 billion nationwide. To learn more about Wood Partners, please visit our Web site at www.woodpartners.com
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 127,000 new homes were constructed to meet ENERGY STAR guidelines in 2011, by partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
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