By 
Jacksonville area home builder Providence Homes was recently awarded the ENERGY STAR partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the seventh time.
Back in 2016, we spoke with Providence Homes’ President and Chief Operating Officer, Sean Junker, about the draw of energy-efficient homes for buyers. Junker noted then that the appeal for home buyers couldn’t just be “energy efficient” but had to be emotional. That’s why the company chose to focus on the emotional connection between the homeowner and comfort. In taking an unprecedented seventh consecutive win for sustained excellence, Providence is demonstrating that high-performance building enjoys broad appeal with homeowners at a time when energy efficiency is top of mind for most home buyers.
“We’re so proud of our ongoing commitment to continued growth as a 100-percent ENERGY STAR Certified home builder,” Junker said upon winning the award. “Today as we are designing and building the highest quality and most efficient homes we have ever built at Providence Homes.”
The Highest Award Category
The Sustained Excellence Award is the highest honor among the ENERGY STAR Awards. EPA presents the award to partners that have already received ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years and have gone above and beyond the criteria to qualify for recognition.
Providence Homes pledges to build every home with the same detail and commitment to excellence they would bring to their own home. Since 2009, the company has built more than 2,000 ENERGY STAR homes, helping Jacksonville families save an estimated $8.5 million on energy bills, according to the company website.
In the process, the builder has earned an impressive list of awards from an equally impressive list of organizations, including the National Association of Home Builders (best green detached home 2021) and the Southeastern Building Conference Aura Award for Design and Energy Efficiency (2019).
Requirements of ENERGY STAR Certified Homes in Florida
ENERGY STAR’s residential new construction program requirements for the state of Florida currently include having a thermal envelope that has:
- A radiant barrier modeled
- Air infiltration rate not to exceed 5 ACH50
- Insulation levels to Grade I per ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301
- Ceiling insulation levels of R-30
- Wall insulation at R-13
- Floor insulation over condition space at R-13
Other design requirements are listed for heating and cooling equipment, windows and doors, water heater, thermostat and thermal duct work, and lighting and appliances. Single-family residential ENERGY STAR Homes require an energy rater complete a review of mandatory elements per program guidelines.
ENERGY STAR’S website also highlights the Section 45L tax credit for energy-efficient homes, which allows builders to claim a $2,500 credit for single-family or manufactured homes, and a $500 credit for multifamily homes (that credit increases to $2,500 when prevailing wage requirements are met).
Other Home Builder Recognized
Providence is among several home builders to receive the Sustained Excellence Award. Other awardees for 2023 include KB Homes, Beazer Homes, Fulton Homes, Chinburg Builders, and Mandalay Homes.