SMECO Honors ENERGY STAR Participants

HUGHESVILLE, Md. (July 28, 2017)—Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) recently presented awards to three companies to highlight the outstanding achievements of the many businesses that built hundreds of ENERGY STAR® certified new homes in Southern Maryland last year.

"SMECO has created a network of partnerships with local businesses that include cost-effective and reliable methods of reducing energy use in the homes they build. Builders who construct ENERGY STAR certified new homes and heating and cooling contractors that install upgraded systems provide our customer-members with improved efficiency and comfort," stated Jennifer Raley, an energy and technology programs manager at SMECO. She added, "SMECO has presented these awards to three companies that have helped to make the co-op's partnership initiatives with the community successful."

American Dreams, Inc. received the SMECO award for Most Energy Efficient Home of the Year. The home, which was built in Newburg, will save 8.11 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year compared to a home built to standard construction building codes, according to a certified ENERGY STAR rater. Those energy savings translate to more than $650 in annual cost savings.

SMECO recognized Quality Built Homes (QBH) as the New Homes Program Builder Partner of the Year for the second year in a row. According to Raley, "QBH completed more than 140 homes in 2016, saving SMECO more than 408 MWh. As a participant of the New Homes Program since its launch, QBH is a strong advocate for energy-saving programs. QBH is one of the largest regional builders in Southern Maryland, and SMECO appreciates its leadership in energy efficiency initiatives."

The award for New Homes Program Rating Partner of the Year was presented to Nation's Capital Energy Solutions, which has been active in SMECO energy efficiency programs since 2011. Raley said, "They submitted 22 homes with an average energy savings of 6.6 MWh-that's nearly triple the year's average energy savings for the program. SMECO recognizes Nation's Capital Energy Solutions as a valued rating partner."

"A new home is a significant long-term investment, and our customer-members deserve comfort and value that last," Raley said. She added, "In today's economy, energy efficiency is important to homebuyers. Using less energy means saving money every month. Ultimately, ENERGY STAR certified new homes offer more comfort and savings per square foot."

ENERGY STAR certified new homes can have all the features buyers want in their dream home, plus energy-efficient upgrades that deliver better performance and year-round energy savings. By offering financial incentives, training, marketing, and technical support, the SMECO ENERGY STAR for New Homes Program encourages builders to construct high-performance homes that are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than those built to Maryland code. In fact, they typically include energy-saving features that make them 20 to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes. Last year, more than 650 ENERGY STAR certified new homes were built in SMECO's service area, saving more than 1,500 MWh of electricity.