News
ESP Offers Green Verification Program to Home Builders
May 24, 2010
Pensacola, Fl. - Energy Services of Pensacola (ESP), the natural gas company owned by the City of Pensacola, has begun offering National Association of Home Builder (NAHB) Green Verification services to new homebuilders in Escambia County.
The program will be offered at no charge to new homebuilders in Escambia County whose plans incorporate natural gas. The NAHB National Green Certification program is a nationally recognized way of rating buildings based on the green features and energy efficiencies incorporated into the building's design.
"This is a great new program we are offering to builders in Escambia County who want to discover ways to make the homes they build more energy efficient," said Jill Grove, ESP marketing manager. "Home building that has a low environmental impact has moved from a niche idea to the mainstream. We are all looking for ways to lower long-term costs of housing and to make sure we have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. With this verification program, coupled with clean, efficient natural gas and natural gas appliances, we at ESP are at the forefront of the 'green building' movement."
ESP began offering the program after Larry D. Hunter, a senior marketing representative for ESP, recently earned a designation as a "Green Verifier" from the NAHB.
"I have more than 18 years experience in natural gas and residential and commercial building sciences," Hunter said. "This is the next logical direction for builders to be moving. More and more people are aware of the need to make sure their environmental footprint is as small as possible. To achieve that, starting with the new construction planning process and making sure the best materials and methods are in play makes perfect sense."
To achieve a "green" status homes incorporate environmental considerations and highly efficient materials into each step of the building and development process. A NAHB Green Verifier helps designers and builders focus on energy and water efficiency, energy efficient building designs and materials, and indoor environmental quality while considering the builder’s and home buyer’s goals for reducing the home's overall environmental impact.
Hunter is one of only five NAHB Green Verifiers in northwest Florida and one of only 28 in the state.
"At ESP we congratulate Larry on his achievement and encourage our local builders to take advantage of this new program," Grove said. "As we all work to make sure we do everything we can to preserve the environment we all love, this program is a important step forward."
