PlanetRockwall.com

Texas Home Builder LEEDs the Pack

Published: October 21, 2011

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Still reeling from sticker shock over this summer's utility bills? One Texas homebuilder is giving new home buyers the opportunity to do something about it. Houston-based Plantation Homes has built Rockwall County's first LEED-certified home and is showcasing it at Woodcreek in Fate.

What is LEED? According to the U.S. Green Building Council's website, "LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes." To become certified, a home must meet standards of energy and water savings, indoor air quality, land use and landscaping, and resale value. Independent inspectors use a checklist and scoring system to determine whether a new home meets these standards.

The rating scorecard is a “very comprehensive pool that looks at the entire project”, said Jonathan Kraatz, executive director of the USGBC North Texas Chapter. According to Ken Gezella, Plantation's regional sales director, “You’re not green unless a third company says you are, such as LEED for Homes. It's not easy to meet their requirements.”

The energy-efficient home features low-flow water fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping mechanisms, vinyl windows and R-16 wall insulation, a rating for high resistance to heat flow. It is estimated these refinements will bring the home's heating and cooling bill down by at least 52 percent less than that of a house of the same design built to code in 2000. This in turn raises the value of the property in the long term and helps to conserve limited resources.

Visitors can see the model home at 498 Price Drive in the Woodcreek subdivision in Fate.

Visit Plantation Homes website - Fate, Texas

Bob Lewis
Photos by Planet Rockwall

Posted Friday, October 21, 2011 in Living, Home & Garden,

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