Mountain Realty Builders, Asheville, NC builds Craftsman-inspired mountain homes in Western North Carolina

In August, 2009, Jim joined the Department of Energy's Building America program and became a certified builder in the Builder's Challenge program. The Department of Energy's program is designed to encourage energy efficiency, superior quality, durability, and a healthy indoor environment. Builders that accept the Builders Challenge agree to build houses that achieve at least a 70 score on the Energy Smart E-Scale, to post the E-Scale on the inside of the electrical panel, and to report the number of homes built to this program through 2012.Builders participating in the program achieve enhanced access to research produced by research teams such as IBACOS, Building Science Corporation (Joe Lsiturburek), Steven Winter and Associates, Davis Energy Group (all nationally-known pre-eminent building science firms) as well as the national laboratories run by the Department of Energy, which include such notable institutions as Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Research goals include producing homes on a community scale that use on average 40% to 100% less source energy, integrating onsite power systems to achieve zero-energy homes by 2020, improving IAQ and comfort, helping builders achieve reduced construction time and waste, and dramatically increasing the energy efficiency of existing homes.Far less than 1% of existing builders in the United States are members of the Builder's Challenge program.