EPA gives Lennar Energy Star award

Lennar has recently have been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a 2011 Energy Star Leadership in Housing Award.

This award recognizes the important contribution Lennar has made to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection by building more than 362 Energy Star-qualified homes last year.

The environmental benefits of these homes are equal to the equivalent of:

• Eliminating the emissions from 177.38 vehicles.

• Saving 1,072,968 pounds of coal.

• Planting 293.22 acres of trees.

To be Energy Star certified, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

These homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code, and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20--30 percent more efficient than standard homes.

Each home is given a Home Energy Rating System score, established by the Residential Energy Services Network.

New code standards require homes to have a score of 100; the lower the score the more energy efficient the home is.

The typical home built in 1985-2005 usually has a HERS score between 120 and 160.

Lennar Energy Star-qualified homes have an average score of 67, making them even more energy efficient than code standards and saving homebuyers even more on their energy bills.

"Lennar prides itself on being an industry leader in energy-efficient homes," said Wayne Shumsker, vice president of operations. "We are committed to giving our homebuyers the very best home value, which is why we include Energy Star-qualified features in our homes."

Lennar Energy Star-qualified homes offer homebuyers all the features they want in a new home, plus energy-saving features like efficient insulation systems, low-energy dual-pane vinyl windows, tight construction and ducts, dual-flush toilets, and home automation.

All Lennar homes are also certified and inspected by a third party professional.

Last year alone, with the help of Energy Star and partners, Americans saved about $18 billion on their utility bills and avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 33 million vehicles.

Nearly 1.2 million Energy Star homes have been built in the United States since the program first began labeling homes in 1995.

Lennar has 15 communities across the greater Las Vegas area.

Homes range from about 1,200 to 5,000 square feet, have as many as six bedrooms and are priced from the $100,000s to the $400,000s.

For more information about Lennar communities, or a complete list of communities in Las Vegas, call 877-204-4411 or visit Lennar.com.

With hundreds of communities nationwide, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation's leading and most respected homebuilders.

The national homebuilder has a longstanding history of building homes of enduring quality in only the most well-planned and desirable locations throughout the country.