The EPA Recognizes Go Green NM with the 2012 Leadership in Housing Award
April 18, 2012
Dear Go Green NM LLC,
Congratulations! In recognition of your commitment to providing our nation’s homebuyers with ENERGY STAR certified homes, your company has earned a 2012 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award. This award recognizes your organization’s work in promoting energy efficient construction and helping to protect the environment through its partnership with ENERGY STAR.
Despite the downturn in the housing market, it is clear that both home builders and home buyers are continuing to invest in high performing homes. To date, more than 1.3 million ENERGY STAR certified homes have been built – with more than 127,000 constructed in 2011. All of this is thanks to the hard work and dedication by more than 5,400 active ENERGY STAR for New Homes partners!
Last year alone, with the help of ENERGY STAR and partners like you, Americans saved nearly $400 million on their utility bills, and avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of more than 510,000 vehicles. We appreciate the contribution that your organization has made to help ENERGY STAR achieve this great level of success, and your continued partnership.
This year, EPA is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program. For two decades, ENERGY STAR has helped millions of Americans and thousands of businesses save energy, save money, and protect the climate. 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.
Best Regards,
The ENERGY STAR for New Homes Team
NAHB Research Center Recognizes Go Green NM by Awarding a 2011 Green Partner Award, March 20, 2012
March 20, 2012
Go Green NM LLC has been recognized by the NAHB Research Center with a 2011 NAHB Research Center Green Partner Award, for their success in advancing green building within your community, and thier overall leadership and commitment to high performance Green Certified homes.
This is the first year since the Research Center began offering certification services to the National Green Building Standard that we have presented awards to our partners in the green certification program. We have always been deeply appreciative of the early adopters who supported the Standard and saw the value in an independent, third-party certification. However, after administering the program for three years, we felt compelled to recognize the significant commitment to green certification, innovation in building science, and leadership in the residential construction industry that our program partners have displayed. We are awed by what you are achieving in the field and the market transformation that you are accomplishing in what is otherwise a laggard industry. Furthermore, they are doing this with a voluntary, market-driven program – pushing the boundaries of operating efficiencies, technology, durability, and home comfort. Going forward, we expect our Partner Awards to be an annual opportunity for us to honor builders, developers, remodelers, general contractors, verifiers, and other program supporters for their role in transforming mainstream home building.
Our awards recognition was designed to be more informal than most typical awards. We did not want to impose applications and paperwork, rather we wanted to take a comprehensive look back at the previous year and recognize the innovation, leadership, and excellence that rose to the top. We also did not want to impose rigid criteria that limited our ability to recognize program partners who had made unique and meaningful contributions to the program in the past year. We believe the resulting awards program and winners will be more valuable to tell the emerging story of green certification in the residential industry. Research Center staff has deliberated on which partners we believed were most deserving of recognition for their 2011 achievements. Today we are ready to announce our selections.
In 2011, Go Green NM LLC verified over 100 certified Gold homes and 30 Silver certified homes; the most Gold certified homes to the Standard of any builder nationwide. Locally, Go Green NM LLC verified over 150 homes within the Build Green NM program.
Albuquerque Rolls Back Strict Energy Conservation Code, December 20, 2011
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: December 20, 2011
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Albuquerque city councilors have narrowly agreed to roll back the city's strict energy code, which was intended to make the city a leader in energy conservation.
The council voted 5-4 along party lines Monday night to abandon the code in favor of the less strict —and less costly —state code. Republicans supported the rollback, saying it will make Albuquerque more builder-friendly.
Some developers and environmentalists said Tuesday the city has taken a step backward by adopting the new code, which is based on the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, a collection of standards that have been vetted by architects, engineers and builders from across the country.
The city's previous code was in line with what has been proposed for the 2012 international code. It included more stringent requirements for builders on things like insulation, windows and lighting than the state code and the 2009 international standards.
Supporters contend the stricter code was making city buildings 5 to 19 percent more efficient than those built under the state code.
"The rollback of the Albuquerque energy code benefits a few at the expense of residents and small business owners," said Cricket Appel, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council's New Mexico Chapter. "The impact of increased energy costs will particularly burden low and moderate income families and small businesses who are likely to occupy older housing or newer structures built at the lower standard."
The council's action comes about six months after Gov. Susana Martinez's administration rolled back stricter state building codes than had been adopted under former governor Democrat Bill Richardson and touted as some of the greenest in the country.
Supporters of the city's new code contend its strikes a balance between making buildings efficient and encouraging development.
"Adopting this new energy conservation code gives Albuquerque an updated code and permits homes, offices, stores and warehouses to be built more cost effectively and energy efficiently," Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry said in a statement.
The mayor said the new code also puts Albuquerque on a level playing field with other cities and puts the city on track for adopting future standardized codes.
The city has also hired a new green building code manager who will start in January.
Councilors who voted in favor of the measure argued during Monday's meeting that the code simply sets minimum requirements and that builders and homebuyers who want to pay for more efficiency can still do so.
Supporters of the previous code said more efficient buildings and homes, while marginally more expensive to build, would lead to immediate savings for owners when it comes to heating and cooling expenses. They also argued it would reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants and other generating sources.
"The city code was developed in 2009 and at that time we were planning for and preparing for the future. That future was one in which energy efficient buildings and energy efficient building codes would be the norm," said Shrayas Jatkar of the Sierra Club. "That future is here, but the city is now taking a step backward."
Supporters of the old code said they are hoping the efficiency trend will not lose steam with the council's vote and that the retrofitting of existing buildings to be more efficient will continue to be encouraged. They said that work could even produce more work for the city's electricians, plumbers and other trades workers.
Courtesy of Associated Press 2011
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: December 20, 2011 - 8:03 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Albuquerque city councilors have narrowly agreed to roll back the city's strict energy code, which was intended to make the city a leader in energy conservation.
The council voted 5-4 along party lines Monday night to abandon the code in favor of the less strict —and less costly —state code. Republicans supported the rollback, saying it will make Albuquerque more builder-friendly.
Some developers and environmentalists said Tuesday the city has taken a step backward by adopting the new code, which is based on the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, a collection of standards that have been vetted by architects, engineers and builders from across the country.
The city's previous code was in line with what has been proposed for the 2012 international code. It included more stringent requirements for builders on things like insulation, windows and lighting than the state code and the 2009 international standards.
Supporters contend the stricter code was making city buildings 5 to 19 percent more efficient than those built under the state code.
"The rollback of the Albuquerque energy code benefits a few at the expense of residents and small business owners," said Cricket Appel, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council's New Mexico Chapter. "The impact of increased energy costs will particularly burden low and moderate income families and small businesses who are likely to occupy older housing or newer structures built at the lower standard."
The council's action comes about six months after Gov. Susana Martinez's administration rolled back stricter state building codes than had been adopted under former governor Democrat Bill Richardson and touted as some of the greenest in the country.
Supporters of the city's new code contend its strikes a balance between making buildings efficient and encouraging development.
"Adopting this new energy conservation code gives Albuquerque an updated code and permits homes, offices, stores and warehouses to be built more cost effectively and energy efficiently," Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry said in a statement.
The mayor said the new code also puts Albuquerque on a level playing field with other cities and puts the city on track for adopting future standardized codes.
The city has also hired a new green building code manager who will start in January.
Councilors who voted in favor of the measure argued during Monday's meeting that the code simply sets minimum requirements and that builders and homebuyers who want to pay for more efficiency can still do so.
Supporters of the previous code said more efficient buildings and homes, while marginally more expensive to build, would lead to immediate savings for owners when it comes to heating and cooling expenses. They also argued it would reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants and other generating sources.
"The city code was developed in 2009 and at that time we were planning for and preparing for the future. That future was one in which energy efficient buildings and energy efficient building codes would be the norm," said Shrayas Jatkar of the Sierra Club. "That future is here, but the city is now taking a step backward."
Supporters of the old code said they are hoping the efficiency trend will not lose steam with the council's vote and that the retrofitting of existing buildings to be more efficient will continue to be encouraged. They said that work could even produce more work for the city's electricians, plumbers and other trades workers.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: December 20, 2011 - 8:03 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Albuquerque city councilors have narrowly agreed to roll back the city's strict energy code, which was intended to make the city a leader in energy conservation.
The council voted 5-4 along party lines Monday night to abandon the code in favor of the less strict —and less costly —state code. Republicans supported the rollback, saying it will make Albuquerque more builder-friendly.
Some developers and environmentalists said Tuesday the city has taken a step backward by adopting the new code, which is based on the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, a collection of standards that have been vetted by architects, engineers and builders from across the country.
The city's previous code was in line with what has been proposed for the 2012 international code. It included more stringent requirements for builders on things like insulation, windows and lighting than the state code and the 2009 international standards.
Supporters contend the stricter code was making city buildings 5 to 19 percent more efficient than those built under the state code.
"The rollback of the Albuquerque energy code benefits a few at the expense of residents and small business owners," said Cricket Appel, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council's New Mexico Chapter. "The impact of increased energy costs will particularly burden low and moderate income families and small businesses who are likely to occupy older housing or newer structures built at the lower standard."
The council's action comes about six months after Gov. Susana Martinez's administration rolled back stricter state building codes than had been adopted under former governor Democrat Bill Richardson and touted as some of the greenest in the country.
Supporters of the city's new code contend its strikes a balance between making buildings efficient and encouraging development.
"Adopting this new energy conservation code gives Albuquerque an updated code and permits homes, offices, stores and warehouses to be built more cost effectively and energy efficiently," Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry said in a statement.
The mayor said the new code also puts Albuquerque on a level playing field with other cities and puts the city on track for adopting future standardized codes.
The city has also hired a new green building code manager who will start in January.
Councilors who voted in favor of the measure argued during Monday's meeting that the code simply sets minimum requirements and that builders and homebuyers who want to pay for more efficiency can still do so.
Supporters of the previous code said more efficient buildings and homes, while marginally more expensive to build, would lead to immediate savings for owners when it comes to heating and cooling expenses. They also argued it would reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants and other generating sources.
"The city code was developed in 2009 and at that time we were planning for and preparing for the future. That future was one in which energy efficient buildings and energy efficient building codes would be the norm," said Shrayas Jatkar of the Sierra Club. "That future is here, but the city is now taking a step backward."
Supporters of the old code said they are hoping the efficiency trend will not lose steam with the council's vote and that the retrofitting of existing buildings to be more efficient will continue to be encouraged. They said that work could even produce more work for the city's electricians, plumbers and other trades workers.