As Chatham Park furthers its plans for expansion in Pittsboro, North Carolina, the quality standards remain a high priority for the development team. One area of focus is clean technology. Chatham Park seeks to attract people and businesses who are committed to conserving resources and gaining a cleaner, greener lifestyle.  To help accomplish this, Chatham Park has partnered with Southern Energy Management to ensure the best quality of its homes by implementing ecoSelect® Plus, a program that focuses on increasing energy efficiency, provides support, and assures quality control and consumer confidence.

Southern Energy Management, a six-time Energy Star Partner of the Year, is on a mission to improve the way people make and use energy. The company is committed to high-performance utilities and building methods through the ecoSelect® program.

What makes ecoSelect® Plus stand apart from ecoSelect®? Chatham Park’s ecoSelect® Plus, developed by Southern Energy Management, is a customized version of the ecoSelect® program that has extra requirements specific to Chatham Park. 

Southern Energy Management explained several components of the ecoSelect® certification process: 

• Quality assurance from third party inspections
• High-performance building envelope that allows the insulation to better keep in heat during the winter and out during the warmer months
• Programmable thermostats to keep buyers comfortable remotely
• Energy-efficient lighting that provides 75%-80% energy saving and longer life than traditional lightbulbs
• High-efficiency HVAC units that are tested after installation to ensure quiet and efficient operation
• Reduced water usage from ecoSelect® fixtures that save water without sacrificing performance
• Solar evaluation that helps the buyer take his or her next steps toward energy independence
• Fresh air ventilation that removes stale air and introduces new air through a controlled system

Once a home has been tested by a Southern Energy Management energy rater and has completed the certification process, the home will receive a performance label including the energy efficiency features, the average estimated monthly energy cost, and The HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index.  

“The HERS index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance,” according to RESNET. 

A low HERS Index score assures your home is using less energy and is more affordable.   To date, the homes constructed at Chatham Park are 34% more energy efficient than code homes because of the ecoSelectÆ Plus program implemented.

Another benefit to the ecoSelectÆ program is that it helps ensure the builders can participate in local initiatives with Duke Energy Progress such as DEP HERO.  These efforts raise the standards even more with regards to addressing water efficiency and indoor air quality of the home. 

As Southern Energy Management seeks to improve its customer satisfaction, changes are regularly made to the ecoSelect® program. Changes to the ecoSelect® program within the last year include advanced framing and insulated corners, lowered duct leakage maximum, simplified Energy Star appliance requirement, and efficient lighting requirement increase.

The many elements of the ecoSelect® Plus program are significant draws to Chatham Park homes. A one-page qualification checklist and minimum administrative work required by homebuilders give buyers peace of mind, as well as confidence in the high-quality safety standards of their Chatham Park home.  To show the overall impact of this program at Chatham Park, neighborhood results including the average community HERS index score and the average household savings, will be measured and shared on a regular basis.  

While Chatham Park advances in its plans for home development, Southern Energy Management is giving the homes of Chatham Park a refined quality standard that will leave buyers craving an ecoSelect® Plus certified home.