FORT LAUDERDALE — Habitat for Humanity of Broward announced it has become the first builder in the county to be awarded the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification – the second highest level of the certification.
It got the award for three homes constructed off Davie Boulevard, behind the headquarters of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
The homes are now owned by the Jean-Louis, Graham and Hardy families.
Employees of JM Family Enterprise worked alongside the homeowners and their families to build homes that met the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) standards for high performance “green” buildings in design, construction and operations.
Florida Power & Light also certified each home with a Building Energy Rating System classification through its BuildSmart and ENERGY STAR programs that ensure that new buildings meet specific energy-efficient performance guidelines.
Based on USGBC requirements, LEED rating systems offer four certification levels for new construction: certified, silver, gold and the highest level, platinum.
Additionally, LEED green certification promotes sustainable building and development practices by providing building owners and operators and industry professionals with the measures for identifying and implementing practical and measurable performance standards, as well as recognizes them for environmentally superior accomplishments.
“Socially responsible corporations, such as JM Family, recognize that, by incorporating green design and construction practices into our communities, we are able to promote environmental awareness, as well as meet the needs of the families we support,” Susan DeYoung, executive director of Habitat Broward, said in a statement announcing the award.
“With the help of JM Family’s associates, we built LEED gold-certified homes that will significantly reduce our carbon footprint while creating a cost-effective and safe environment for the families who will live in them,” DeYoung said.
An FPL BuildSmart representative provided energy efficiency calculations to assist in achieving the energy cost savings to meet the LEED requirements. FPL also certified the energy efficiency of the home based on the state’s energy code.
As gold-level LEED certificated builders, Habitat Broward joins a select group of industry leaders for successful performance in five key areas: sustainable site development, water conservation, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality.
The organization, known for building affordable homes across the nation and internationally, has existed in Broward County for nearly 30 years and has so far constructed more than 300 homes.
Habitat for Humanity describes its mission as “dedicated to eradicating substandard housing by building simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with low and very-low income families in need.”
For more information, visit www.habitatbroward.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
Green-Certified: The Hardy family home was built by Habitat for Humanity.
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