ecomagination Homebuilder Program

GE has created a whole-home solution that benefits the environment and your wallet. Designed to lower overall household energy consumption, emissions and indoor water consumption, the ecomagination Homebuilder Program combines building science with high performance products to create new homes inspired by ecomagination.

The environmental challenge

Increasing gas prices, the environmental impact of energy production and water scarcity are issues that American consumers are facing today. Not only is the monthly cost of owning a house increasing, but consumers are also becoming more aware of the impact of energy production on the environment and what that means for future generations. Conventional methods of home building strive to deliver a low initial home cost instead of using techniques that could result in an overall lower cost of ownership. A new homebuilding methodology is needed to revolutionize the industry with considerations for both the environment and monthly cost of ownership.

GE's innovative solution

GE has created a whole-home solution that benefits the environment and your wallet. Designed to lower overall household energy consumption, resulting emissions and indoor water consumption, the ecomagination Homebuilder Program combines building science technologies with high-performance products to create new homes inspired by ecomagination.

The program benefits include:

» Advanced building science designed to protect comfort and indoor air quality

» Innovative, efficient products designed to achieve at least 20 percent savings on energy consumption, indoor water usage and household emissions (CO2, SO2 and NOx), while providing features homebuyers want including an energy monitoring platform, an advanced lighting package, ENERGY STAR®-qualified appliances and an optional solar power system

» Significant savings on annual utility bills versus an industry-standard average new home due to energy and water conservation

A home built to ecomagination Homebuilder Program specification is designed to provide improved indoor air quality to its occupants as a result of high-performance air filtration, consistent fresh-air ventilation and a reduction in the infiltration of airborne compounds into the home. This program also incorporates special framing techniques, such as a continuous air barrier to reduce internal drafts, along with features such as return air ducts, transfer grilles or jumper ducts to balance pressure so air circulates easily.

Environmental impact

A 2,500-square-foot house built to ecomagination Homebuilder Program specifications is designed to lower CO2 emissions by approximately 5 tons annually, which is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of driving more than 10,000 miles in an average U.S. car, or to the CO2 absorbed by 1.3 acres of a Southeastern forest each year..

Building homes that preserve the earth's natural resources and control greenhouse gas emissions is simply good business. An ecomagination home is significantly more energy efficient than the minimum levels required to meet ENERGY STAR® home specifications. A home built to ecomagination Homebuilder standards will also be ENERGY STAR®-qualified.

Each home built under this program comes with a limited heating and cooling energy usage guarantee from the Environments for Living® Certified Green program, so buyers have confidence their homes will deliver the savings promised. Also provided is a three-year, limited comfort guarantee certifying that there will be no more than a three degree F temperature differential from the center of any conditioned room within each thermostat zone.

Cutting costs

A 2,500-square-foot home built to the ecomagination Homebuilder Program specification is designed to save the homeowner US$ 600 to upwards of 1,500 USD on annual utility bills versus an industry-standard average new home due to significant energy and water savings.