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ENERGY STAR

GWS has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the ENERGY STAR Program for almost seven years. Since the beginning, our business model has been built around helping builders and homeowners achieve a higher standard of energy efficiency through the ENERGY STAR Program.

As the first Provider in the states of Oklahoma and Texas, GWS is proud to have been instrumental in building two of the largest ENERGY STAR markets in the country- Houston and Dallas. We are now positioning our firm to build upon the success of the ENERGY STAR New Homes Program by expanding into other markets, most notably, San Antonio where we are rating more than 500 homes per year.

GWS is a National Provider for the ENERGY STAR Homes Program. As a testament to our commitment, GWS has been honored with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED provides building owners and operators with the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. USGBC is composed of more than 15,000 organizations from across the building industry that are working to advance structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Members includes building owners and end-users, real estate developers, facility managers, architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, product and building system manufacturers, government agencies, and nonprofits. For more information about LEED or USGBC click here.

LEED for Homes is the latest, most comprehensive green building rating system for residential construction. The program is being developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and leading industry experts across the nation. The goal of the LEED for Homes program is the transformation of the mainstream homebuilding industry toward more sustainable practices.

GWS certified the very first LEED Home in the United States. GWS has been designated to provide all of LEED for homes services and will work closely with each homebuilder to achieve the desired rating. We are working toward a bright green future, please join us!

Click here to watch a video on the LEED for Homes: Certification Process

NAHB Research Center's National Green Building Standard

The ANSI approved National Green Building Standard defines green building for single and multifamily homes, residential remodeling projects and site development projects while still allowing for the flexibility required for regionally-appropriate best green practices.

A builder, remodeler or developer must incorporate a minimum number of features in the following areas: energy, water, and resource efficiency, lot and site development, indoor environmental quality, and home owner education.

GWS is a certified verifier for this program. Our staff can help builders meet the requirements to meet this new and exciting standard. For more information about this standard click here.

DOE Builder's Challenge

You know you build outstanding homes, but do the homebuyers in your market know it? When it comes to energy performance, the Builders Challenge is your path to a distinct competitive advantage. At last, you have a clear way to highlight your top performers in energy efficiency.

The Builders Challenge Quality Criteria are designed to promote continuous improvement while ensuring construction quality and efficiency so builders and homeowners alike benefit from reduced callbacks and increased comfort, health and durability.

To qualify for the Builders Challenge all homes, regardless of compliance pathway, must comply with the Quality Criteria and the Energy Performance threshold, as well as meet all applicable codes.

GWS has the knowledge and experience to get your building projects qualified for the Builder's Challenge.
For more information about the Builders Challenge or the DOE Building America program click here

CODES

IRC stands for International Residential Code, which is a standard provided by the International Code Council.

The International Code Council (ICC) was established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI). Since the early part of the last century, these nonprofit organizations developed the three separate sets of model codes used throughout the United States. Although regional code development has been effective and responsive to our country’s needs, the time came for a single set of codes. The nation’s three model code groups responded by creating the International Code Council and by developing codes without regional limitations the International Codes.

The Model Energy Code (MEC), published and maintained by the International Code Council (ICC) as the "International Energy Conservation Code" (IECC), contains energy efficiency criteria for new residential and commercial buildings and additions to existing buildings. It covers the building's ceilings, walls, and floors/foundations; and the mechanical, lighting, and power systems.