In 2019, the Palmetto, Florida sustainable housing developer became the world’s first to receive LEED Zero Certification for a residential project. That project, The Pearl Concept Home, paved the way for other builders to pursue and achieve LEED certification, which rates houses on how they emphasize environmental health—particularly decarbonization; quality of life; and ecological conservation and restoration.
As of 2024, more than 46,000 residential projects worldwide have received some form of LEED certification, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which oversees the LEED program. LEED now has four residential net zero classifications: Carbon, Water, Waste and Energy. By today’s standards, the concept home falls into the last category.
The various sustainable and environmentally friendly aspects of the concept model home might seem tame today because they are largely expected by buyers. But six years ago, combining these features was groundbreaking: Google Home Smart Home Technology (such as Nest cameras and thermostats), rooftop solar arrays paired with a sonnen intelligent residential energy management system, a TOTO smart toilet and shower, GE ENERGY STAR appliances, Moen WaterSense high-efficiency fixtures, smart irrigation, and more. The home was built with sustainable materials, including steel, aluminum, timber, precast concrete, and carbon filter structure, and could function on its own power grid thanks to 16 kilowatts of backup power.
Pearl Homes, which launched in 2015, spent its first few years building a reputation as a premier sustainable housing builder in Manatee County, Florida. It was closing out Mirabella, a 160-home, active adult, single-family subdivision—which became the nation’s largest all-LEED Platinum-certified residential community—when the company decided to take the next step: an entirely LEED Zero Energy subdivision.
At the time, there was no guarantee it would work—not even a single LEED Zero home had been built in the U.S., let alone a several-dozen-home subdivision. The company built a 540-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bath concept home in a warehouse. It then spent 18 months testing ways to make the dwelling at least net zero, where the energy produced by the home through solar or other means matches the amount needed to operate it, if not net zero plus, where energy production surpasses usage.
Spending almost $2 million on research was quite a gamble. “It was just an idea,” Gobuty remarked in a USGBC+ report in 2023. “But I had to prove that the home would perform before I said the words ‘net zero.’”
Once there was enough hard data to prove that the concept home was indeed net zero plus, Gobuty submitted the home for LEED consideration. The rest is history.
In 2021, the concept home was donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County for a fundraiser auction. “If our investment in developing the next generation of housing for Manatee County’s residents can help further the Boys & Girls Clubs’ mission to mentor, guide and support the youth in our community, then it’s well worth it,” Gobuty noted.
Fast-forward to 2024. Pearl Homes has become Florida’s most successful and most honored sustainable homes developer. The company is a multi-time awards recipient, such as from USGBC, NAHB, and Fast Company—which includes “World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2024—and it is the Grand Winner of Green Builder Media’s 2025 Home of the Year competition. Gobuty has been named as "Power Builder of the Year" multiple times by the U.S. Green Building Council and "LEED Visionary of the Year," among other accolades.
After the concept home’s successful demo, Pearl Homes in 2022 went ahead with its all-LEED Zero Energy project, Hunter’s Point Resort & Marina in Cortez, Florida. It has since become the world’s first LEED Zero Energy certified residential development, and it functions completely off-grid from the state’s electric power. Aside from ensuring that resident utility bills are ultra low—a Hunter’s Point homeowner saves about $1,800 per year, for example—the community also has enough excess solar energy to run for up to two weeks in the event of persistent bad weather, according to Gobuty.
Given the number of hurricanes and other violent storms to hit Florida each year—resulting in 50-100 multi-day power outages, according to the Florida Power Outage Tracker—an independent grid sounds very worthwhile, USGBC notes.
On top of that, the houses generate 35 percent more power and consume 25 percent less energy than Pearl Homes initially aimed for. This is in part due to features such as Energy Star-certified appliances, six inches of foam insulation throughout the walls, and dual-pane windows.
The project’s overall Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index rating is minus 13—a light year below the typical score of 80 for a new home built to code. And, overall carbon emissions are declining by 8 tons per year.
Gobuty hopes that other builders will use Pearl Homes’ success as an example of what can be done when a real emphasis is placed on sustainability. His vision of the future includes communities that “work together in harmony with nature and technology to create sustainable living for all people.” That effort means focusing on sustainable materials and practices that ensure a future for the next generation.
“We like to think of it as ‘generational sustainability,’ because without a healthy planet, generational wealth is useless,” Gobuty says. “We plan to grow with the technological advancements as they improve, and continue to build upon the betterment of the way people live and communicate within their community.”