Maracay Homes continued to expand its commitment to sustainability and environmental design in 2017 with the design and development of nearly 300 Phoenix-area homes that either are or will be registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) with the goal of earning LEED® certification.
The demand for green homes has continued to grow year after year. In fact, 91% of buyers in the 2013 National Association of Homebuyers (NAHB) study, “What Home Buyers Really Want,” listed Energy Star® -rated homes as their most-desired feature. However, in 2016, only 10% of new homes built were Energy Star® rated, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And, in 2014, just 1% of single-family homes were certified with LEED®, the industry standard for green development.
“Our road toward sustainable building practices began more than a decade ago when we committed to building only homes that were Energy Star® -rated,” said Andy Warren, Maracay Homes President. “To date, all of our homes are Energy Star® certified, and building LEED® is just the next step in our journey to become the most sustainable home builder in Arizona.”
In 2017, Maracay introduced three neighborhoods containing homes with the opportunity for LEED® certification, including The Preserve at Adora Trails in Gilbert, Hawthorn Manor in Chandler and Cottages at Rio Paseo in Goodyear. The Vista at Granite Crossing and Villages at Rio Paseo, two additional LEED® communities, are scheduled to open in January of early next year.
LEED® Certified homes are designed to use 30% to 50% less energy than typical homes and include sustainability design elements such as water-efficient fixtures, LED lighting, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, wi-fi enabled, programmable thermostats and more. Additionally, Maracay plans to build over 600 homes this year that are Energy Star® certified and include Maracay Homes’ LivingSmart® program for high performance and cost efficiency.
