Hamptons Luxury Homes: One of Country’s First Builders to Become Carbon Neutral

BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hamptons Luxury Homes (PINK SHEETS: HLXH) today announced that it has offset 100% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the company and all of its subsidiaries, including Telemark, Inc. The announcement was made by Frank Dalene, Vice President and CFO of Hamptons Luxury Homes.

“It is very important that our company leads by example and becomes carbon neutral”

“We strongly believe that becoming carbon neutral is extremely important for our business and is a step in improving our environment,” said Dalene, who has been a leader in the green building movement in the Hamptons, where his firm is located. Dalene is the co-founder of the Hamptons Green Alliance (www.hamptonsgreenalliance.org) and the developer of a unique methodology, The International Carbon Equivalent Mechanism Attributed to Neutrality (ICEMAN) that can calculate and index the carbon neutrality associated with the production of materials products and buildings by the application of sciences established as a result of the Kyoto Protocol, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and other similar efforts.

Eric Taub, Managing Partner of Verus Carbon Neutral, a firm that conducts the audits and then provides carbon offsets to its clients, said: “Hamptons Luxury Homes is a true environmental leader. Not only have they offset their entire carbon footprint, but they have been able to manage their carbon emissions to levels below that of average businesses of their size and scope.”

Hamptons Luxury Homes retained Verus to conduct an audit of its business and to calculate the Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e) footprint of the company and its subsidiaries. Based on the information that the company provided to Verus Carbon Neutral, the annual CO2e footprint for Hamptons Luxury Homes is 156 metric tons. Forty-seven percent of the emissions came from energy usage, which was 73 metric tons. The electricity contribution of 31 metric tons was below the average for a building the size of Hamptons’ corporate headquarters, however, the heating oil footprint was slightly greater than average at 42 metric tons.

Transportation, at 72 metric tons, was 46 percent of the total Carbon Emissions created. This reflects the demands of Hamptons Luxury Homes’ business and is considered a standard level given the need for larger vehicles in the sector. The Verus report noted that Hamptons Luxury Homes has managed to keep its travel footprint low and that waste is a very reasonable nine metric tones for a business of Hamptons Luxury Homes’ size.

Hamptons Luxury Homes then purchased 156 metric tons of CO2e offsets, through Verus, from the Chicago Climate Exchange, in effect offsetting 100% of their carbon dioxide emissions and becoming carbon neutral. “We elected to do this through the purchase of offsets from an agricultural methane project,” said Dalene. “This project uses methane to produce electricity, which supports an approximately 1,000-head dairy farm. Excess electricity is sold to the local utility.”

Dalene said that methane (CH4) has 21 times the impact than that of CO2 as a greenhouse gas. “We wanted to have the greatest impact by selecting an offset project which reduced one of the worst greenhouse gases and this was a very effective way to do it,” he said.

“It is very important that our company leads by example and becomes carbon neutral,” said Dalene, “Totally offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions directly and scientifically defines our company as being green.” Hamptons Luxury Homes continues to be at the forefront of green building in the New York area. Its subsidiary, Telemark, Inc. is one of the founding companies of the Hamptons Green Alliance.

Verus Carbon Neutral (www.verus-co2.com) enables businesses to become carbon neutral. Verus audits organizations to determine the carbon footprint, provides a simple way to reduce or completely offset the resulting CO2 emissions, and supplies companies with a tangible way to communicate this commitment to the environment. The audit takes roughly five days to calculate and then the carbon footprint is translated into a dollar value, which becomes the total amount of the offset. Verus Carbon Neutral then purchases omission-reducing projects directly from the Chicago Climate Exchange. Typical investments include renewable energy, such as wind farms and biomass energy. Other investments may include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, or reforestation. Essentially, offsets allow companies to contribute to the future of the planet while investing in one’s own business at the same time.

Hamptons Luxury Homes:

Hamptons Luxury Homes, Inc. (www.hlxhomes.com) is a regional construction services company that builds and maintains custom homes, luxury vacation homes and ultra-luxury estate homes throughout the eastern end of Long Island, New York, with its principal offices located in Bridgehampton, New York. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Telemark Inc. is a nationally recognized and award winning ultra-luxury homebuilder. The Company maintains an industry leading reputation for construction of luxury vacation homes from foundation to completion, with values ranging up to $60 million. Hamptons Luxury Homes combines ultra-high quality materials with superb old-world craftsmanship to create the ultimate in luxury homes with outstanding aesthetic appeal. Already a recognized and well-established entity in the exclusive environs of the Hamptons on Long Island, the company intends to expand into similar luxury markets in the United States. The Company's other wholly-owned subsidiaries include: Telemark Service and Maintenance, Inc., which provide ongoing property management, maintenance and service; Bridgehampton Millwork, Inc which manufactures and installs custom millwork, custom cabinetry, custom built-ins and furniture..