What is Building America?
Building America is an invitation only private/public partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that conducts research to find energy-efficient solutions for new and existing housing that can be implemented on a production basis. Approximately only 100 builders are in partnership with Building America.
Simply put, Tommy Williams Homes, as a Building America partnering builder, is proud to offer some of the most energy efficient and healthiest homes available nationwide.
What Does Building America Do?
Building America conducts systems engineering research to do the following:
Produce homes on a community scale that use 40% to 70% less energy
Produce homes that are more comfortable to enjoy and healthier to live in
Fulfill building recommendations set forth by the US Department of Energy
Help home builders reduce construction time and waste
Improve builder productivity
Provide new product opportunities to manufacturers and suppliers
Each home independently rated to and built to exceed Energy Star standards
Save the home buyer money in reduced energy bills
Provide the home buyer with high quality mechanical systems which promote the healthiest air
By using a systems engineering approach to home building, Building America unites segments of the building industry that traditional work independently of one another. It forms teams of architects, engineers, builders, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, community plan- ners, mortgage lenders, and contractor trades. Currently, there are five Building America teams who have worked with over 471 different industry partners.
Throughout the design and construction process, research participants in Building America projects evaluate the interaction between the building site, envelope, mechanical systems, and energy-use factors. In many uses, cost trade-offs allow the teams to incorporate energy-saving strategies at no extra cost. Building America research participants agree to:
Provide all construction materials and labor for research projects
Evaluate their design, business, and construction practices
Identify cost savings
Re-invest cost savings in improved energy performance and product quality
Extend their efforts from discussion of possibilities to development of solutions
Use a design, test, redesign, and retest process to resolve technical barriers
The research conducted by Building America teams increases the quality and performance of today's homes and provides valuable information for homes of the future. By supporting indus- try-driven systems engineering research, the Building America Program provides the feedback required to develop critical "next generation" building systems.
