Lee Wetherington Companies leads in environmental awareness:
completes 250th Green-Built Home; builds Green and Energy Star features into every home
Summerpointe in Rye Wilderness Estates showcases environment-sparing features
SARASOTA, FL—Lee Wetherington Companies is the area’s leader in environmentally aware building practices, based on comments by two third-party companies that rate a builder’s compliance with established, stringent standards. The locally based custom home builder—an official Energy Star Partner—has employed Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Green Building Standards for every home contracted after March 1, 2005 and, as part of the certification process, also receives the Energy Star rating for every contract accepted after November 1, 2007, according to Lee Wetherington, president.
Last summer, the company completed its 250th FGBC Green Home Standard Certification, the Summerpointe model in Rye Wilderness Estates, Parrish. “It isn’t difficult to do Green building and earn the combined FGBC Green Home Certification/Energy Star,” Wetherington says. “In fact, the requirements are practices we’ve used for years. We built these features into our Summerpointe model just as we do with every home.”
Green and ENERGY STAR across-the-board
“Lee Wetherington Companies was the first builder to go Green across-the-board in Sarasota and Manatee Counties,” says Drew Smith, LEED, AP, CHIEQP. Smith is the president of Two Trails, Inc., an outside certifying agent that evaluates buildings for their compliance with Green Building standards. He says that although a number of builders observe Green Building standards in select homes, few have matched Wetherington’s commitment to include every home his company builds. “His decision is important because Green Certified Homes are energy-efficient, healthy, resource-conserving, sustainable, and less costly to operate.”
The same is true of the builder’s decision to follow Energy Star guidelines. “Lee Wetherington Companies is the area’s first builder that’s made the commitment to provide only homes that have earned the Energy Star,” says Salena Wilson. She is Energy Rater Division Manager for Florida-based Calcs-Plus, which evaluates homes for Energy Star specifications. “Energy Star-qualified homes consume 15 percent less energy than a code-only home,” she says. “They absolutely lower energy bills. Governor Charlie Crist is calling for a 15 percent energy reduction in the future; Lee Wetherington Companies is already there.” In fact, some of the Wetherington homes reduce energy usage by over 20 percent, Wetherington says.
The ready embrace of stringent FGBC Green Home Standard and Energy Star specifications was a logical progression for the builder that for years has exceeded hurricane safety standards and incorporated FPL BuildSmart features, Energy Star guidelines and Florida Yards and Neighborhoods landscaping practices into its homes. Named as America’s Best Builder by the National Association of Home Builders and Builder magazine, Lee Wetherington Companies has accumulated a long list of awards for environmental awareness over the years (attached) and currently offers a free CD-Rom, “The Lee Wetherington Green Difference,” which can be obtained by calling 941-922-3480.
According to Debbie Smith, vice president of Two Trails, the FGBC Green Certified Homes built by Lee Wetherington Companies save natural resources, energy and money. “These homes are built to a higher-than-traditional standard, which Two Trails monitors throughout construction, ”she says, noting that an average Green Certified Home saves from 25 to 50 percent on utility bills (depending on the features chosen) and therefore uses fewer natural resources, reducing dependence on foreign countries. “Green” features include such common-sense measures as proper orientation of the home on the homesite and light-colored exterior walls to reflect heat, along with numerous technical requirements. “A FGBC Green Certificate and checklist of standards increase the value of the home at resale,” Smith adds.
ENERGY STAR
Wilson is equally high on Energy Star-qualified homes, which rely on appliances that perform to a specified standard—especially dishwashers, refrigerators and clothes washers—as well as building practices that “seal the envelope” of the home. “These homes are not only better-built; they’re more durable because they have fewer moisture issues. This is important in Florida’s hot, humid climate. A home that has earned the Energy Star takes less energy to run.” After completing its inspection, Calcs-Plus provides a certificate attesting that ENERGY STAR performance levels were successfully met.
Standards
The Florida Green Building Coalition established the Green Home Standard to increase a home’s sustainability while decreasing the burden on the environment; Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, developed to help consumers protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Both programs also save the home buyer money without adding significantly to construction costs, Wetherington says. “It took us no time at all to decide on Green Building and Energy Star. The benefits are enormous while the cost is under one percent of the home’s price. When a family chooses a FGBC Green Certified, Energy Star-qualified home, they don’t just reduce the burden on our environment; they save money on operating costs, enhance their indoor air quality and add value to their home.”
As all homes in Rye Wilderness Estates, the 2,713-square-foot Summerpointe model features a tile roof and side-opening garage with courtyard entry on an oversized homesite. The model has a large master suite with three walk-in closets and a diagonal layout that creates an out-of-the-ordinary flow. It includes separate living and dining rooms, three bedrooms, a den/bedroom and a gathering room with a disappearing corner that opens to a heated, self-cleaning pool with brick paver deck and spa. FGBC Green Residential features and Energy Star specifications permeate all aspects of the model’s construction. The Summerpointe is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Directions: From I-75 exit 220B/SR 64, drive east on SR 64 for 4 miles to Rye Road, then head north on Rye Road for 2.4 miles. For further information, please call 941-745-2138.
