Austin Home Builder - 3rd Party Verification

The Verification stage is part of the final phase in the construction process.

As Green Builders here in Central Texas, we benefit from Austin Energy's Green Building Program.  It is the first Green Building rating system of its kind and serves as a model for progressive cities and utility companies looking to encourage renewables and smart building systems.  At GreenTex Builders, we attend numerous hours of continuing education every year in order to stay up to speed with the latest green building standards. This Verification stage really hold us accountable for our process. 

One of our owners, Cameron Ponsford, is a LEED Green Associate with the United States Green Building Council LEED Programs and is working toward his AP designation.   LEED is an internationally recognized certification system, sponsored by the USGBC,  providing third-party verification that a building was designed and built using green building methods to maximize energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and improved indoor environmental quality.  

Another green building stardard that we adhere to is Energy Star.  ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.  All of these programs are great tools for all homeowners and homebuilders to verify that the home is built right.  

Additional Resources for 3rd Party Verification

NAHB Green Building Program - NAHBGreen offers builders, remodelers, developers, and other home building professionals a variety of services to learn, incorporate, and market green building.

City of Austin Water Conservation Programs - Information on conserving water in the Hill Country.

Oncor Energy Efficiency Incentives (Bastrop, Williamson, and Burnet counties) - Oncor is committed to helping Texans become more energy-efficient. As part of that commitment, Oncor operates some of the leading energy efficiency programs in the state. Oncor offers a variety of incentive programs for homes, businesses, government, schools and nonprofits. Consumers can reduce their energy usage by implementing the measures recommended through these programs.

WaterSense - WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored partnership program that seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices.

Residential Energy Service Network (RESNET) - Easy to understand guide to federal energy efficiency tax credits for home energy efficiency improvements.

ReGreen Program - Published by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation, the guidelines address the major elements of any green renovation project, including the site of the home, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources, and indoor environmental quality. You can download highly-recommended reading, the guidelines’ first chapter, titled “Green From the Start” here.

Builder’s Challenge - A program of U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technology, the Builder’s Challenge is based on HERS ratings – a projected and verified standard for energy efficiency.  The Challenge requires that homes achieve a score of HERS 70 or below. Our homes are built to these standards and regularly score HERS 20 or below.

ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes - A program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this program provides guidelines to build homes that are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.