SCE&G ENERGY STAR New Homes Program

Since April of 2011, SCE&G has been rewarding builders in our electric service territory with rebates for every ENERGY STAR home built and submitted through the program. For those of you who have participated in the past, we are proud to continue supporting you in your efforts. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to take advantage of these rebates, I encourage you to consider joining us in our efforts to promote the construction of ENERGY STAR certified homes in our territory. In preparation for the upcoming 2013 program, we will be hosting Enrollment Meetings in Lexington, Beaufort, and Charleston during the second full week of November. During this meeting we will discuss the following topics:

1. ENERGY STAR Certified Homes
2. SC Adopts 2009 IECC
3. Builder Benefits and Incentives
4. Homeowner Benefits and Value
5. SCE&G Rebate Program and Enrollment

In addition, we will be providing information on how you can receive additional incentives for the installation of non-electric resistance water heaters. We encourage all Builders and HERS Raters, including current participants, to attend one of these meetings. Space is limited so please RSVP by November 9th using the hyperlinks below. Please let us know your company name and the names of those individuals who will be attending. Refreshments will be provided.

Lexington, SC
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
SCE&G Lake Murray Training Center
1888 North Lake Drive
Lexington, SC 29072

RSVP to Bradly McCoy at bradley.mccoy@icfi.com or call (803)794-4959

Electric Yard Equipment Discount for New Homebuyers

To promote the use of environmentally-friendly equipment, the Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia in partnership with S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control are providing HBA members and their new homeowners the opportunity to purchase electric powered lawn and garden equipment at a discounted price (provided by the vendors).

Clean air is important for healthy neighborhoods and communities. This pilot project offers you an opportunity to help make your community a healthier and quieter place to live, work and play. Many people do not realize that gas-powered lawn equipment is the leading source of air pollution from non-road sources.

New home buyers are encouraged to ask their builder how to receive this discount, or contact Bin Wilcenski at the HBA of Greater Columbia at (803) 256-6238 or bin@columbiabuilders.com.

Energy Efficiency Effort Goes National

The State newspaper ran an article today about a program that was tested here in SC that helps people get small USDA loans to make energy-saving improvements to their homes. This program was a success and is going national.

See the full article here.

New CE Class for SC Real Estate Agents and Appraisers

We are pleased to introduce a brand new class for SC Real Estate Agents and Appraisers: Understanding High Performance Homes. This class is approved for 7 Continuing Education Credits for SC Real Estate Agents (elective credits) and Appraisers. The first offering is June 21, 2012 at Greenville Tech in Greenville, SC. We will also offer the class in Lexington, SC on June 26 and in Charleston, SC on June 28. All three classes are sponsored by the SC Energy Office.

Click on the date of the class you are interested in for more information and to register:
- Greenville, SC on Thursday, June 21
Hosted by the HBA of Greenville and Greenville Tech
- Lexington, SC on Tuesday, June 26
Hosted by the HBA of Greater Columbia and SCE&G
- Charleston, SC on Thursday June 28
Hosted by the Charleston HBA and Berkeley Electric Cooperative

You can also register on-line at columbiabuilders.com - select the class you wish to take on the calendar and register from there.

Local Company Awarded Builder Advocate of the Year in the 2012 NAHB Green Building Awards

Eleven builders, remodelers and other home building industry professionals were honored as winners of the National Green Building Awards by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The awards were presented during the 14th annual National Green Building Conference held in Nashville, Tenn.

“These awards recognize the best and most innovative builders and remodelers in green building”, said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “The demand for green building is growing in leaps and bounds, and these winners set a great example of what can be accomplished in terms of sustainable and energy efficient building practices.”

The awards were presented during the Muddy Boots Mixer, a special networking and awards event, and one of the highlights of the three-day conference, which featured educational programs, an exhibition of green products and a tour of local green homes.

Two awards were given to individuals or organizations for their efforts in green building advocacy:

The Mungo Companies of Irmo, S.C. for Builder Advocate of the Year
G STREET of Scottsdale, Ariz., as Remodeler Advocate of the Year

The Mungo Companies are members of the HBA of Greater Columbia, the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia, the Columbia Remodelers council and the Columbia Sales & Marketing Council. They have made a commitment to build all of their new homes, over 800 per year, with high efficiency and performance standards.

Click here to see the complete list of award winners.