Southern Energy Management (SEM), the company that audits homes built in Briar Chapel to determine if they meet or exceed a minimum Bronze rating in the GHBT Certification Program, has been named a 2010 National Energy Star Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).SEM is being honored for its work in qualifying new homes to earn Energy Star certification, including those built in Briar Chapel. The company also received the award in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and joins just three other companies in the U.S. that have received this award four times.
SEM recently certified its 5,000th Energy Star home, and serves more than 300 builders across the state. In fact, there are just over 10,000 Energy Star qualified homes in North Carolina, and SEM has verified almost half of those. Since SEM began inspecting and verifying Energy Star new homes, the company has helped offset about 1.9 million pounds of carbon emissions through its Energy Star services alone, saving North Carolina homeowners a total of $2.2 million on utility bills.
SEM will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 18, 2010. To hear the team react to news of the award, watch the following video:
