Source: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.
The largest builder of single-family LEED for Homes-certified properties in Texas and throughout the industry, McGuyer Homebuilders Inc. plans LEED certification for all properties delivered under its Wilshire Homes brand in the San Antonio market.
The certification drive is an extension of the Wilshire EcoSmart program, under which home exteriors incorporate fiber-cement siding or masonry. The engagement with LEED in San Antonio is McGuyer Homebuilders’ second such commitment in Texas; in 2011 it pledged LEED certification for all new properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth market under its Plantation Homes, Coventry Homes and Carmel Builders brands.
San Antonio market projects will be part of the Energy Guarantee Program, whereby Wilshire properties are 30 percent more efficient than equivalent, non-LEED-certified homes. “With independent inspections to verify energy and water savings for every residence, homebuyers can be confident that Wilshire Homes are the highest-quality, most energy efficient production houses on the market in the San Antonio area,” says Wilshire Homes Division Sales Manager Ken Gazella. “LEED certification is the universal mark of superior building performance, and our commitment to LEED reflects our efforts to ensure the lowest possible heating and cooling costs in every house we build.”
The builder projects 200–250 LEED-certified jobs in the San Antonio market over the next 12 months, and 400–500 annually by 2017.