What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes?
All ENERGY STAR qualified new homes are certified to meet EPA's strict guidelines for energy efficiency and certification is verified by an independent third party. All ENERGY STAR qualified new homes receive the ENERGY STAR label, indicating to consumers that these energy-efficient homes are more comfortable, more durable, cost less to own, and are good for the environment.
What are ENERGY STAR's energy efficiency guidelines for new homes?
To earn the ENERGY STAR label, a home must be verified to be at least 30% more energy-efficient in its heating, cooling and water heating than a comparable home built to the 1993 Model Energy Code (MEC), and 15% more efficient than the state energy code. The ENERGY STAR label is earned only after the home's energy efficiency is verified, either by an independent third-party such as an accredited home energy rater or Builder Option Package (BOP) verifier, or by adhering to the quality control procedures established for HUD-code manufactured homes .
What types of homes can earn the ENERGY STAR label? Any single-family or multi-family residential home that is three stories or less in height can qualify to receive the ENERGY STAR label. This includes traditional site-constructed homes as well as modular, systems-built (e.g., insulated concrete forms, structurally insulated panels), and HUD-code manufactured homes.
Do energy-efficient homes look different?
No, builders and developers constructing ENERGY STAR qualified new homes do not have to alter their architectural designs. An ENERGY STAR qualified new home can be built in whatever style the consumer prefers or is most popular in a particular geographic region.
Does an energy-efficient home cost more?
Yes the initial cost to build, but in the long run you save. Beacause an ENERGY STAR qualified new home actually costs less because you will spend less on your new home's utility bill each month. These energy savings can more than offset any increase in mortgage payments needed for the improved energy features and can result in a positive monthly cash flow. Further, ENERGY STAR financing partners offer special mortgage packages for buyers of ENERGY STAR qualified new homes.
How will I know if a home is labeled ENERGY STAR?
Look for the ENERGY STAR label, which should be prominently displayed on the circuit breaker box. You can also ask your builder for the home's ENERGY STAR certificate. This optional certificate indicates that the home has been verified to meet EPA's ENERGY STAR qualified new homes performance guidelines.
Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes
ENERGY STAR qualified new homes achieve their energy savings through a variety of reliable and established technologies and building practices. Builders are free to select the energy efficiency features used in their new qualified homes, tour the home below to learn more about the technologies and practices that are typically included.
Tight Construction
Reduced Air Infiltration
Many ENERGY STAR qualified new homes feature tighter construction than that of homes built to the Model Energy Code. Tighter house construction can improve the energy efficiency, air quality, and comfort of your home by eliminating unwanted drafts.
Tighter home construction can offer you:
Improved comfort - reduces drafts, noise, and moisture.
Improved indoor air quality - keeps dust, pollen, car exhaust, and insects out of the home.
Lower costs - reduces escape of conditioned air.
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of penetrations through a typical home's exterior. These gaps and holes are often incurred during framing, and from penetrations for wiring, plumbing, and ducts. Air sealing the house's envelope combined with proper ventilation, can reduce your energy bills and eliminate unwanted drafts and pollutants.
Reduced air infiltration combined with proper ventilation can not only reduces your energy bills but it can also improve the quality of your indoor air. Outdoor air that leaks indoor makes it difficult to maintain comfort and energy efficiency. In addition, air leakage accounts for 25-40% of the energy used for heating and cooling in a typical home.
Today, off-the-shelf technologies such as house wraps, sealants, foams, and tapes reduce air infiltration. In energy-efficient homes, builders use these tools to seal the myriad of cracks and gaps in framing along with hundreds of holes for plumbing, mechanical equipment, and electrical wiring.
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Many ENERGY STAR qualified new homes feature improved insulation from that of a home built to the Model Energy Code. Improved insulation not only keeps out excessive outside heat or cold, but also maintains even temperatures between and across rooms inside the home.
In most climates it is easy and cost-effective to increase insulation levels beyond those required by state building codes. This increase helps a home maintain a comfortable inside temperature while using less energy. For a home to maintain temperature efficiently, a continuous boundary of insulation is necessary between the inside and outside. Insulation must be installed carefully with no gaps, crimping, or compression, as these can allow unwanted air and heat exchange between the outside and inside. Careful attention must be paid in areas where the insulation has to fit around obstacles such as pipes, electrical wiring, and outlets.
Improved insulation can offer you:
Improved comfort - maintains a constant temperature in the house and between and across rooms. Lower utility bills - proper HVAC equipment compensates for heat loss in winter and heat gain in summerWindow technologies have advanced dramatically and prices for these windows have dropped significantly. Look for windows with the ENERGY STAR label. Heat gain and loss through windows accounts for up to 50% of a home's heating and cooling needs. Many technological improvements have been made in recent years that have advanced the insulating quality of windows including:
Improved Window Materials
Advances in window technology such as double glazing and low-e coatings substantially reduce heat loss and gains. Look for ENERGY STAR or National Fenestration Roofing Council (NFRC) labels to be sure you are getting high-efficiency windows.
Improved Framing Materials
Low conductance materials, such as wood, vinyl, and fiberglass perform better than aluminum. Look for "thermal breaks" where aluminum frames are used in heating-dominated climates to avoid condensation. Insulated frames, including insulating spacers between glazings, also perform better than uninsulated frames.
Air Tightness
High-performance or advanced windows need to be sealed around framing and other gaps that may exist. Caulks, foams, and weather-stripping work well to keep drafts out.
High-performance, energy-efficient windows can offer you:
Quieter home interior - multiple panes and insulated frames block outside noise. Reduced fading of curtains, furniture, and flooring - low-emissivity (solar window) coatings can block up to 98% of UV rays. Reduced utility bills - houses lose less heat in winter and absorb less heat in summer. Improved quality windows are made from better-quality materials easier to operate and carry extended warranties.
Windows typically comprise 10-25% of a home's exterior wall area, and account for 25-50% of the heating and cooling needs, depending on the climate. Thus, it is critical to consider high-performance, energy-efficient windows when constructing a new home.
Save Energy, Save Money
Heating and cooling a home costs the average homeowner about $600 a year - nearly half of the home's total energy costs. However, you can easily cut those costs by increasing the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Using an efficient system not only increases comfort for you and your family, but it also represents a significant way to help protect our environment by using less energy.
Help Protect the Environment
Heating and cooling equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR is 10-30% more energy-efficient than conventional equipment, while using ENERGY STAR home sealing, duct sealing, and insulation provide additional ways to save.
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