Green Legacy Through Its Leed Certification Program at Harbour Isle

COMBINING SCENIC VISTAS WITH A HEALTHIER LIVING ENVIRONMENT, MINTO CONTINUES ITS GREEN LEGACY THROUGH ITS LEED CERTIFICATION PROGRAM AT HARBOUR ISLE

ANNA MARIA SOUND, Fla.  – May 9, 2011 – While many businesses initiate “green” policies for their individual office, others take the initiative and implement it into everything they do. On the heels of being named one of Canada’s Top 30 Greenest Employers* in one recent study and Ontario (Canada) GREEN Builder of the Year by the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, Minto is pleased to announce its LEED Certification Program for its community at Harbour Isle on Anna Maria Sound.

“Today’s buyer wants more than just a great location at a reasonable price, they want a home that efficiently saves them money, is healthy to live in and reduces the impact to the World around them,” states William Bullock, Minto vice president. “As Minto has successfully completed in Canada and Florida, Harbour Isle will deliver on what our customers demand in their next home through our LEED Certification program.”

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies intended to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

In addition to improving the quality of life for the homeowner, LEED certified homes also have a positive economic impact. Results from a February 2011 Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (AES) research project suggest that LEED-certified homes are substantially more energy efficient than their traditional counterparts. In its report, AES found that the homes averaged 40 percent less energy use and utility costs per year when compared to conventional home.

“To be LEED certified, home like the ones in Harbour Isle are built to a higher standard of energy and resource efficiency that adds up to incredible monthly electric savings for the homeowner,” states Bullock.

Minto’s LEED certified homes feature:

  • Impact resistant, energy efficient, double paned Argon insulated low emissivity windows, sliders and glass doors for improved energy performance, comfort and savings
  • High efficiency central air conditioning and heating with environmentally safe R410A refrigerant 
  • Use of Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) carpet and paints
  • Energy Star® appliances & bathroom exhaust fans.
  • Compact fluorescent light bulbs.
  • Low flow plumbing fixtures and water saving water closets
  • Automated drip irrigation system with rain sensor providing reduced consumption and savings

Each residence will be issued the actual LEED Certification issued by US Green Building Council. 

About Harbour Isle on Anna Maria Sound

Located on a private 220-acre island at the entrance to both Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Harbour Isle is a gated 686 home community that features a Southern coastal resort living architectural style. Starting in the $320s for incredible resort style and waterfront living, Minto offers 96 two- and three-story homes as part of its first village – Mangrove Walk on Harbour Isle.

For complete information on Minto Communities, please visit www.mintofla.com or call toll-free at 1-877-816-4626.

* About The Green 30

The Green 30 is based on employee opinion data collected as part of Aon Hewitt’s annual Best Employers in Canada study and Best Small & Medium Employers study. More than 134,000 employees and 2,500 leaders at over 250 organizations participated in the 2011 edition of these studies. To be eligible, organizations must be in business for at least three years and have 50 or more employees. Media Source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/04/28/looking-good-in-green/ 

About Minto Communities

Launched in 1955, Minto is a family-owned business that has built more than 70,000 homes – 20,000 in Florida – and holds more than two million square feet of commercial space as part of its integrated real estate development, construction and management operations in Ottawa, Toronto and Florida.

Minto creates a wide array of award-winning new homes and resort-style master-planned communities, in addition to low, mid and high-rise condominiums to meet every lifestyle. The company has earned national awards and recognition by J.D. Power and Associates and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

 

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