Masco Home Services to Showcase Its Product-Neutral Green Building Program at IBS 2009 The International Builders' Show 2009 Booth C6343 LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Builders Show (IBS) serves as an annual forum for displaying the latest technologies, products and practices in the building industry, and the 2009 show will be no exception. Masco Home Services, Inc., will showcase its green building initiative, the Environments For Living® Certified Green program, in the Masco-sponsored, state-of-the-art green demonstration home featured in the Professional Builder Show Village. Builders attending the IBS show will be able to tour the two-story, 3,300 sq. ft. Show Village Green Home to learn about advanced construction techniques required by the Environments For Living Certified Green program. And, for the first time ever, all builders and consumers can take a virtual tour of the Show Village Green Home at the Web site www.environmentsforliving.com. Visitors can take an interactive, three-dimensional tour of a virtual replica of the Show Village Green Home, and learn about the many features and benefits of the Environments For Living Certified Green program. Developed with the assistance of leading building science experts, the Environments For Living program was launched in 2001 to assist builders in constructing homes that are more energy efficient, comfortable and durable than conventional code-built homes. It is the only national turnkey program offering a comprehensive suite of services to builders, from building science training to marketing tools. Introduced in 2007, the Environments For Living Certified Green program includes additional requirements in areas such as indoor water efficiency and appliance efficiency, resulting in a comprehensive green building solution and even greater benefits for builders and homeowners. The state-of-the-art Show Village Green Home, built to the specifications of the Environments For Living Certified Green program, demonstrates green building techniques and features products that meet various energy-efficient, water-efficient and low-VOC program requirements. Although the program is product neutral and participating builders may choose any products and materials that meet the requirements, the Show Village Green Home illustrates a wide range of products from companies in the Masco family that satisfy the program’s specifications, along with many others that have joined in contributing building materials, appliances, furnishings and other items. The Environments For Living® Certified Green Program The Environments For Living Certified Green program, the flagship level of the Environments For Living program, assists builders in constructing homes that result in at least a 20-percent reduction in energy use (compared with the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code), a 20-percent reduction in internal water consumption, and a 20-percent reduction in CO2 emissions associated with the home – as compared with conventional code-built homes. Applying the principles of building science, the Environments For Living Certified Green program regards a home as a “system of systems” that work together. As with the original Environments For Living program, the process begins with a pre-construction review of the builder’s plans. Participating builders must meet program requirements that range from framing techniques and insulation systems to ductwork and combustion safety features. The Environments For Living Certified Green program has additional requirements pertaining to indoor water efficiency, appliance efficiency and indoor environmental quality – resulting in homes that are both budget friendly and environmentally friendly. “Green building has never been more at the forefront with both builders and consumers,” said Karen Mendelsohn, vice president of sales and marketing for Masco Corporation. “There are different ways to approach green building, but it must begin with energy efficiency and the science of building a home as a system. No one wants a home that may have green features and recycled content but doesn’t perform very well. Efficient performance and durability are central to our program, and to green building, with building science as the path to get there,” said Mendelsohn. According to Mendelsohn, what also sets the Environments For Living Certified Green program apart is that it’s cost-effective for production builders and includes a complete set of services, from training and education to sales and marketing support. Unlike most green building programs that are based on earning points in various categories, it’s prescriptive and performance-based, resulting in tangible and measurable benefits. The Environments For Living Program Difference At all program levels, builders participating in the Environments For Living program are able to offer their homeowners limited guarantees* on comfort and heating and cooling energy use. If the actual energy used to heat and cool the home exceeds the estimated usage amount on the guarantee, the homeowner will be refunded 100 percent of the cost difference. The comfort guarantee provides that the temperature at the location of the thermostat will not vary more than 3 degrees +/-from the center of any conditioned room for that thermostat zone. To date, more than 100,000 homes have been constructed under the Environments For Living banner, with more than 100,000 limited guarantees issued to homeowners. At all levels of the program, homes built to Environments For Living requirements earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR® label, and homes built to the Platinum energy level of the Environments For Living program qualify for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge program. “In addition to environmental responsibility, home buyers today are interested in a wide range of issues, from rising utility costs to indoor environmental quality,” said Mike Humphrey, vice president of operations, David Weekley Homes. “Our participation in the Environments For Living program has reinforced not only our green message but also our quality message. Third-party certification tells the buyer that we’ve gone the extra mile, and the limited guarantees demonstrate this commitment.” The Environments For Living Certified Green Home at the International Builders Show At the 2009 International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, builders, architects and other attendees will have the chance to walk through an Environments For Living Certified Green home and experience the techniques, features and benefits first-hand. As part of the Professional Builder Show Village, the Environments For Living Certified Green home, built by Palm Harbor Homes, will be positioned in the Blue Lot, just outside the Central Hall. Information about the Environments For Living program will also be available in the Masco booth, C6343, or at www.environmentsforliving.com.
