Builders Association Recognizes Home in York County as Best Green Home

On July 16, the York Builders Association (YBA) announced the winners of the PEAK Achievement Awards, honoring the top builders in York County. Keystone Custom Homes is this year’s award winner for Best Green Home in the category of Energy Efficiency & Sustainability.

“We build homes standard with a high degree of energy efficiency while still being able to maintain a very affordable price point,” said Ben Rutt, Director of Marketing for Keystone Custom Homes.

This award recognizes the Keystone team’s consistent approach to energy efficiency across their custom-built projects. Keystone’s winning home achieved a low HERS (Home Energy Rating System) score of 51 and will use 49% less energy than a standard home with a HERS score of 100, saving 4,850 kwh annually. The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the industry standard measuring a home’s energy efficiency. The lower the number, the more energy efficient the home. Keystone’s submittal was a 3,600 square-foot home with 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in Manchester, PA. The Keystone team has demonstrated a commitment to advanced framing techniques, high-efficiency insulation, and energy-efficient LED lighting.

“We’re trying to design with energy efficiency in mind, certainly,” said Ben Rutt, Director of Marketing for Keystone Custom Homes. “Ultimately, our goal is to save the customer money.”

The York Builders Association PEAK Achievement Awards was hosted a bit differently than in years past. Amid this year’s coronavirus pandemic, the program was held outdoors at the Historic Shady Lane. The PEAK Achievement Awards showcase the very best home and business projects in York County, judged by a panel of industry experts and the public.

“Congratulations to Keystone Custom Homes on this honor in recognition of their outstanding energy efficiency efforts. Demonstrating their commitment to the environment while also lowering energy costs for homeowners is just one of the ways Keystone Custom Homes show their dedication to the community,” said Nick Sabold, YBA President.

The PEAK Award for Best Green Home in Energy Efficiency & Sustainability is sponsored by FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program.

Features of modern, energy-efficient homes include LED lighting, high-efficiency HVAC, water heating and appliances, mechanical ventilation, advanced framing techniques and tight building envelopes that allow better control over homeowner energy expenses, as well as providing improved comfort and indoor air quality. Representatives from the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program, offered by FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania utilities (Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power), reviewed entries for the Best Green Award in Energy Efficiency & Sustainability.

“This year we had a few great submissions for the energy efficiency category, and it was an extremely tight call, but in the end Keystone Custom Homes had the better HERS score and achieved higher energy savings”, said Zach Ambrose, Program Manager.

Participating builders of the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program qualify to earn hundreds of dollars or more in financial incentives and receive additional program support. For multifamily projects, builders can earn thousands of dollars per building with rebates issued on a per-unit basis.

For information on energy code changes or incentives from the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program, contact Zach Ambrose at coordinator@energysavepa-newhomes.com or call 412-715-2297.