To Earn the ENERGY STAR, a Home Must Meet Strict Guidelines For Energy Efficiency
conditioning equipment used in the building to optimize its performance and prolong its life, Howard said. The Housing Center's continued ENERGY STAR designations save money and energy while they also send a strong signal regarding housing industry support for voluntary energy guidelines, he added.
NAHB has also made landscaping improvements around the building, adding more plants and greenery to help absorb storm water runoff and keep it out of the city's drainage system - not an ENERGY STAR requirement, but another way to reduce the environmental impact of the National Housing Center. "Many of our members build homes with appliances, windows and doors, and heating and cooling systems that meet the ENERGY STAR guidelines. In fact, 840,000 ENERGY STAR-rated homes have been constructed in the past 15 years," Howard noted. "These home builders' business practices show how NAHB members are at the forefront of green building - and that's reflected in how we operate our national headquarters."ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. The mark identifies new homes, buildings, and more than 60 types of products that are energy efficient and offer the features, quality, and performance that today's consumers expect.
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more efficient than standard homes.
According to the EPA, who introduced the program in 1992 as a voluntary partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency, the benefits to owning an ENERGY STAR home are many.
Home buying is complex enough without having to know all the details of energy-efficient construction. Instead, look for the government-backed ENERGY STAR label to easily identify homes that are truly energy efficient. Find the house of your dreams and enjoy peace of mind knowing that it also meets strict energy efficiency guidelines.
Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating-delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings. Over the average 7 to 8 years you may live in your home, this adds up to thousands of dollars saved on utility bills. Additional savings on maintenance can also be substantial. Financing your home purchase using an energy efficient mortgage can also lead to savings.
Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution, and noise. An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.
To date, more than 6,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct nearly 940,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.
Visit www.energystar.gov to find home builders and developers that build ENERGY STAR qualified new homes, lenders that offer energy efficient mortgages, utilities that offer special incentives to buyers, and home energy raters that can verify the energy efficiency of a home.
When it comes to saving the planet, or just saving a few bucks on your energy bill, remember, "Just Ask a Builder."
For more information about ENERGY STAR homes e-mail joel@goldenrulebuilders.com or write to "Ask a Builder" at P.O. box 294, Catlett, VA 20119.
Barkman is president of the Fauquier Chapter of The Northern Virginia Building Industry Association.
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