subject: Meritage Homes Goes Greener in Dallas and San Antonio [print this page] Meritage Homes Goes Greener in Dallas and San Antonio
Meritage Homes announced its expansion of eco-friendly green homes to markets served in Texas.
The homebuilder is debuting two green home communities in the Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio areas. Meritage Homes' eco-friendly homes are revolutionizing new housing construction, while at the same time, saving homeowners an estimated 60 percent on electricity costs. Furthermore, the houses are as much as two to three times more efficient than standard put in place by Energy Star.
"We are the only top-10 homebuilder in Texas offering an energy efficient home of this caliber at no additional cost to homeowners," said Steve Hilton, President and CEO of Meritage Homes. "We've changed how we build homes and we expect it is going to change the industry. Our goal is to pioneer a new standard, building family communities with extremely energy efficient homes. The result is a design that delivers a significant savings without sacrificing comfort, function or style."
Homebuyers can see Meritage's "Learning Houses" at Rolling Creek in San Antonio and The Lakes of River Trails in Fort Worth, which are model homes that showcase open walls and ceilings of the home to feature its energy saving components.
"You will be able to see how different this home construction is from its windows and wall systems to its lighting, thermostats, appliances and dual-flush toilets," said C.R. Herro, Vice President, Environmental Affairs for Meritage Homes. "When all of these components work together, it creates a home that is more sustainable, cleaner and quieter."
Every green home built by Meritage includes the following energy saving features:
Spray Foam Insulation this product creates a seamless and thermally efficient insulation blanket that entirely stops air from leaking in and out, while offering three times the R-value of the standard fiberglass insulation.
Double Low-E Vinyl Windows dual pane windows are capable of reduce a home's energy loss by an estimated 50 percent.
Energy Efficient CFL Lighting compact florescent lighting typically reduces a home's energy usage by around 75 percent.
Weather Sensing Irrigation System save money on your water bill with this irrigation system that enables landscaping to uphold the standards put in place by the EPA WaterSense program. (*not standard in San Antonio)
High Performance Water Saving Plumbing Fixtures controlling water usage with dual-flush toilets will reduce water costs and water heating expenses by an estimated 50 percent.
Meritage is the recipient of the 2011 Energy Value Housing Award from the National Association of Homebuilders for its Lyon's Gate neighborhood in Gilbert, Arizona the first extreme energy efficiency community built by the company as well as the 2011 People's Choice Award recognizing Meritage for voluntarily incorporating energy efficiency in the design, construction, and marketing of its new houses.
