Jackson EMC (JEMC) recently celebrated local builders and industry partners who are raising the standard for energy-efficient homes built through the electric co-op’s Right Choice homes program. This year’s honorees are from Hall, Athens-Clare, Jackson, and Barrow counties.
“Every Right Choice home represents a partnership,” said Nelson McGinnis, Jackson EMC’s manager of residential new development. “Together with our dedicated homebuilders and trade partners, Jackson EMC is helping to ensure homeowners experience greater energy efficiency from day one and improved indoor comfort.”
New homes built through the Right Choice program meet higher construction and energy efficiency performance standards. Each home undergoes inspections and testing to verify that heating and cooling systems, insulation levels and overall air sealing in the home meets program requirements. Right Choice homes also receive Jackson EMC’s lowest residential electric rate, which provides long-term energy savings for members.
Each year, Jackson EMC recognizes homebuilders with best-in-class awards and several Community Spotlight awards in each of four categories based on the number of Right Choice homes completed in a year:
- Diamond Class: 100+ Right Choice homes built
- Platinum Class: 26-99 Right Choice homes built
- Gold Class: Fewer than 26 Right Choice homes built
- Multi-Family Class: Apartment projects of any size meeting Right Choice energy-efficiency standards
The following list of winners includes the location where they are currently building Right Choice homes. The Builder of the Year award recognizes the effort and excellence of a company and its team. Builder of the Year awards went to:
- McKinley Homes (Hall County), diamond class;
- Southern Heritage Homes (Clarke and Jackson counties), platinum class;
- Sterling Residential (Jackson County), gold class;
- Westplan Investors (Barrow County), multi-family class.