SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Ivory Homes, Utah's Number One Homebuilder, was recognized by Utah Business Magazine with the Green Building Award for leading the local homebuilding market with greener homes and the company’s overall commitment to improving air quality and promoting water conservation. The Utah Business Green Business Awards are for companies who are leading the way toward a better, brighter, greener future. Ivory Homes received the Green Business Leadership Award by the publication in 2018.
"We are very proud of our efforts to build greener homes and promote greater sustainability. These initiatives are good for our community and good for our homebuyers," said Clark Ivory, CEO, Ivory Homes. "We know that it is our responsibility to make the world a better place and appreciate the many partners, the broader Ivory team, and our homebuyers helping make that a reality."
This year, Ivory Homes made strides in two critical areas to promote environmentally friendly homes and communities. Both efforts have included partnerships that have crossed the public, private and non-profit sectors that will lead to lasting change to improve our air quality and conserve water. These efforts build on Ivory Homes’ exceptional efforts to build and promote energy-efficiency in new construction. With an average Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 53, new Ivory Homes are 25% more efficient than code requires and more than 50% more efficient than a home built ten years ago.
Starting earlier this year, Ivory Homes launched EV Ready Homes, a new initiative to encourage electric vehicle adoption by adding a standard outlet for electric vehicles in the garage. EV Ready Homes is the latest innovation by Ivory Homes to improve sustainability and reduce a home's air quality impacts. Research shows that eliminating range anxiety through home charging is a key factor to expanding the use of electric vehicles. EV Ready Homes empowers current electrical vehicles owners and encourages future homeowners to be part of the solution to reduce vehicle emissions, which are a significant part of Utah's air quality challenges.
Homeowners in the Rocky Mountain Power service area can also purchase a discounted electric vehicle charger thanks to a collaboration with Rocky Mountain Power, Leaders for Clean Air, and UCAIR. Just this year, more than 800 EV Ready Homes have been built and nearly 50 chargers have been purchased through the partnership. In addition to EV Ready Homes, Ivory Homes has begun to install electric vehicle charging stations at community amenities in select communities.
"This is well-deserved recognition as our homes and commercial buildings soon overtake mobile sources in terms of their impacts on air quality. To have Ivory Homes, as the state's top homebuilder, leading the charge to address this challenge is tremendous,” said Thom Carter, executive director of the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR). "I applaud their collaborative efforts to engage with homebuyers, partner organizations, other homebuilders, and the broader community to have a significant impact on clearing our air."
In addition to efforts to promote electric vehicles and home charging, Ivory Homes announced an effort during National Water Week to help their homebuyers save money and promote sustainability with water-efficient landscaping. The new initiative promotes Localscapes® in several communities across the state and encourages all new homebuyers to design their yards in this water-wise way through partnerships with Jordan Valley and Weber Basin Water Conservancy Districts. More than 250 homes will have had Localscapes® installed by end of the year.
"Ivory Homes' leadership and forward thinking on sustainability and specifically the water demands of Utah landscapes is a huge step forward in the right direction," said Tage Flint, General Manager and CEO of Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. "Utah and its residents have always demonstrated a unique desire to build for the future and ensure a better tomorrow for future generations. This program demonstrates this continued mindset. Utah is different—our weather, precipitation, climate, and even culture are unique from other parts of the country. So, it only makes sense that our landscapes reflect these attributes. The incorporation of attractive, low maintenance, water-wise landscapes, designed to thrive in Utah’s unique climate, will have significant and meaningful impacts to Utah’s future water supplies and demands."
In addition to installing Localscapes® in many of its new locations, Ivory Homes provides each new homebuyer with a water-wise landscaping guide and in partnership with local water districts is supporting free classes to guide homeowners through the water-wise landscaping process. These classes provide ideas to create a custom yard makeover that boosts curb appeal, reflects individual styles, and increases the usability of a home's landscape – all while reducing water use.
Ivory Homes also continues to progress on the 30,000-tree initiative in partnership with the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, TreeUtah, and UCAIR. This fall, the initiative celebrated planting more than 10,000 trees in nearly 60 parks, schools, and community planting across Utah after just two years. Tree plantings have ranged from single homes to large restoration projects from Carbon County, to providing Salt Lake City families trees in partnership with Mayor Erin Mendenhall during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Ivory Homes: Ivory Homes is Utah’s Number One Homebuilder® and has been Growing and Changing with Utah™ since 1983, helping more than 20,000 families and individuals achieve homeownership. Today, Ivory Homes provides new homes for every stage of life, offering floor plans and designs, from affordable to fully custom, that fit every lifestyle including luxury apartments, active adult communities, townhomes, small lot cottages, condominiums, and single-family homes. Ivory Homes has led the Utah market for 32 consecutive years, focusing on the company's mission to build quality homes with lasting value year after year in more than 70 active communities and 35 model home locations across the state of Utah. Learn more at www.ivoryhomes.com.
About Utah Business Green Business Awards: Every year, Utah Business awards those businesses who have worked to improve the state of Utah’s environment. From reducing water waste to improving the air, we still have a long way to go to be a truly sustainable state, but every step towards sustainability is a step in the right direction. These are the companies who are leading the way toward a better, brighter, greener future.
