1. LEED for Home Green Rater Certification ( Luis Imery, LEED Green Rater in training)

2. EarthCraft House, Multifamily & Renovation

3. EarthCents certification for single family, multifamily and renovation

4. HERS rating services for new and existing dwellings

5. Energy Star version 3 qualifications

6. Green Consultation

We look forward to continue to build on our business relationship, and exceed your expectations.

As with the other lunch and learn session and seminars that I have done in the past such as what are green building programs, how can real estate agents benefit from selling green homes, on others I am making available to seminar that I had for this expo called ” Do you know your Home’s MPG “. I thought it was a fun way to introduce consumer to the future of home energy label – The HERS INDEX

I had prepared this video a while back but for some reason never made it to the website. Cleaning up my desktop I came across it and felt compeled to share it with everyone. This is a short version of the other videos I posted while these award winning homes were being built. Enjoy…

Lunch & Learn – Behind the Walls of a Green Home2.1
Lunch & Learn – Behind the Walls of a Green Home2.2

Each of Imery Group’s business division have improved from 2010.

The construction division has received two awards:
1. 2011 National Association of Home Builder “ Green Building Project of the Year, Small Volume Single Family”
2. 2010 EarthCraft House Platinum Project of the Year

Imery Group was also the first company in the State of Georgia to commit to displaying the HERS index on all our new homes and to commit to following the new Energy Star version 3 standards.
The third party green program certification division has grown exponentially in 2011. From certifying 9 green homes in 2010, this year alone, the Imery Group has under contract the certification of 160 condominium units and 50 single family homes.

Our Real Estate division, for which Luis is an associate broker to Chastain, Jenkins and Leathers, has teamed up with Veronica and grown the property management portfolio for CJ&L by 5% this year, and Veronica’s sales transactions have doubled from last year.

Consulting and Real Estate Development are not far behind. We have been hired by multi-national companies and foreign investors to assist them in due diligence and project management for developments in the State of Georgia.

Lastly, our home Energy Audit division has now become an approved Georgia Power Contractor for which we are qualified to perform Energy Audits and general contracting energy improvement activities.

We look forward to growing all our divisions so don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any of our services!

Luis and Veronica Imery

As many of you know the Imery Group was the first in the State of Georgia to commit to such noble cause, so here is the definition straight out from RESNET:

 ”A scoring system established by RESNET in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home. Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15 percent more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20 percent more energy efficient.”

In short, a HERS index is the measuring stick for which all new homes will be rated by.

In this particular series we cover the basics of what makes green home green or eco-friendly, we discussed the core and common pillars of green building programs, and then dove a bit into recognizing the most popular programs in our area such as ENERGY STAR, EarthCraft House and LEED for Homes.

In an effort to continue to promote sustainability and that is embraced by a larger group of people I am also making the presentation (Lunch & Learn – X-ray on Green Building Programs Part 1 & Lunch & Learn – X-ray on Green Building Programs Part 2 and Lunch & Learn – X-ray on Green Building Programs Part 3) available for those that attended or happen to visit this blog section. Feel free to use at your discretion, and of course I will be happy to answer any questions or serve you if you have any custom home construction needs, green program certifications or any of the other services that we offer.

To start with, I’d like to go on record that I prefer any of these two options as oppose to building a home just meeting the minimum energy code requirements. Both approaches are at least trying to deliver a home that is sensible to the environment, that will be respectful to the use of manufacture materials and natural resources, and that will ultimate produce a home that will perform better than your average new home.

The difference between the two approaches is that a Certified Green Home is third-party verified by a qualify individual during the construction process. While, and Eco-Friendly home depends on the knowledge of the builder about green building, and that will vary greatly depending on the training that it has.

Typically, a certified green home will at least undergo what is call a pre-drywall inspection whose purpose is to check for proper alignment of the home’s building envelope to assure an air tight and properly insulated home, and a final inspection that will include an infiltration test that consist of testing the air leakage of a home with a blower door and a duct blaster, now required in Georgia by the new Energy Code. This qualified individual or rater as it’s called by the industry, works as well as the “Green Consultant” for the builder. Before the home is build, the Rater will meet with the builder or property owner and gather a wide variety of information from the stake holders in order to reproduce the home’s energy model. This model will generate a HERS index, which is the measuring stick for how efficient a home is.

Energy Efficiency is just one part of sustainability, but is the core of any green building program. After the energy model is done, then a rater will focus, depending on the chosen green building program, on other areas such as water conservation (indoor/outdoor), indoor air quality, lighting efficiency and more.

The importance here is that by certifying a green home, you are working hand by hand with someone who has gone through  intensive and multiple training and have gain many credentials that make them an expert in their field. More importantly, they view a home as a system and understand the building science behind it, and the interaction between each component.

So, if you are undecided on what to do. I first encourage you to find a HERS rater that can put you in touch with a builder that at least has gone some “green training”, and get your green team up and running. As an alternative, you can work with organization such as the Imery Group, where we have undergone the intensive training of a HERS rater since we provide third party verification services for Energy Star and EarthCraft House but also have an award winning green construction division.

In a nutshell, a certified green home, is the only way you can know how sustainable your new home is, the rest is just a guessing game.

Although they are many green building programs, their intention and areas of focus are similar across the board. For this blog entry, I will use the LEED green building program categories, since they do a nice job on breaking them out. Again, very similar approach is taken for other programs such as EarthCraft House. So here we go, everything that we look for can be grouped into… CLICK HERE

“EarthCraft certifications demonstrate a true commitment to high standards of quality and efficiency” said Tyler Jones, EarthCraft Program Manager.  “We applaud Veronica Imery’s dedication to innovative, sustainable building practices”

EarthCraft projects have met an extensive list of energy-efficient criteria and use resources stipulated to have minimal impact on the environment to provide a homebuyer with a high-quality home that is incredibly efficient. Using a Realtor certified in these practices provides a buyer with an exceptional level of expertise in purchasing a high-quality home. Additionally, sellers can be effectively guided how to make improvements in their own home’s efficiency to give them a cutting edge in today’s increasingly competitive market. With today’s current economic climate, energy savings can make a huge difference for someone when purchasing a home. Having an Earthcraft and GREEN designated Realtor like Veronica Imery will certainly provide buyers and sellers with cost-saving information.

This designation couple with the Imery Group’s expertise in green building definitely makes them the best choice when it comes on building your next eco-friendly home

By petition of the agents that attended the Lunch & Learn, I am including the presentation” Make More Green by Selling Green ” that I used which contains much more detailed information.

“We’re proud to be making a commitment to continue building ENERGY STAR qualified homes in 2012, said Luis Imery “By stepping up to the new requirements, we’re going to be offering customers state-of-the-art performance in our homes with a comprehensive package of features that deliver greater value, quality, and comfort than ever before.”

Homes built to the new, more rigorous requirements (referred to as “Version 3”) will be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and will include additional features to give them a performance edge of 20-30% compared to typical new homes and even more when measured against most re-sale homes on the market today.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes that earn the label in 2012 will be built with a comprehensive, building science-based approach that features:

• A detailed package of home envelope air sealing, properly installed insulation, and high-performance windows to deliver comfort, durability, and lower utility bills.
• A high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation system designed and installed for optimal performance.
• A complete water and moisture management package to protect roofs, walls, and foundations.
• ENERGY STAR certified lighting and appliances that help reduce monthly utility bills.
• Third-party verification, with independent inspections and testing by a certified Home Energy Rater.

“EPA has raised the bar for what families can expect when they buy a new home that has earned the ENERGY STAR,” said Jonathan Passe, Acting Chief of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch. “Builders who meet the new ENERGY STAR requirements are making a strong statement about their leadership and commitment to providing American homebuyers with truly energy-efficient homes that offer lower utility bills and greater benefits for the environment.”

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, save money, and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners, committed to improving energy efficiency in homes, products, and businesses.

About Imery Group

We are a full-service construction, home energy performance, green building program certification and real estate group specializing in infusing sustainability in every facet of the real estate cycle.  We belief, that for the sake of future generation, we need to be mindful of the impact that our actions have on a social, ecological and financial level.

Most recently, the Imery Group has received the 2011 Green Building Project of the Year from the National Association of Home Builders, and the 2010 Platinum EarthCraft House Project of the year.

For more information visit www.imerygroup.com

The intent of the MOU is to raise consumers knowledge of new home energy performance by using RESNET’s HERS Index. This will clearly differentiate homes built by Lifestyle Homes and put competitive pressure on the new home industry in the Georgia market to follow suit. It is expected that this agreement will serve as a model to other local and regional builders that would have positive outcomes for consumers, RESNET and the new home industry.

The Georgia based Imery Group is a full-service construction, home performance, and real estate group specializing in infusing sustainability in every facet of the real estate cycle. The company received the 2011 NAHB “Green Building Project of the Year, Small Volume Single Family”. For more information visit their web site at http://www.imeryandcompany.com/ 

RESNET is interested in entering into similar agreements with other regional and local builders. Energy raters who have builder clients who would be interested in entering into an agreement with RESNET should contact Steve Baden at sbaden@resnet.us  

Wow… So, what now for 2012? I am stunned by the fact that in just 1 ½ years in operation the Imery Group’s construction division has received a National and Regional Green Building award. In my business plan I intended to hopefully achieve these goals in 3 and 5 years respectively. As I said in my previous blog entry, it is very rewarding for us to receive all this recognition and we hope to serve as inspiration for many others…

This particular award is from the Greater Atlanta Homebuilder’s Association and Southface Energy Institute of Atlanta for the “2010 EarthCraft House Platinum Project of the Year.” EarthCraft House, is one of the many green building programs in existing today. Building homes under these standards provide home owners with a more energy efficient, durable, comfortable, and environmentally sensible dwelling when compare to homes built to meet code.

Remember the Imery Group provides other services specifically tailored for homeowners and builders