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ENERGY STAR
Home Features Overview
What is an ENERGY STAR Home?
Builders who choose
to build ENERGY STAR® homes use the
“house as a system” approach. The
interaction of all systems in the
home is considered during planning
and construction, including heating
and cooling, windows, doors,
insulation, appliances and lighting,
resulting in a high quality home
that will save energy and money.
The following
technical information explains the
key components that make a home an
ENERGY STAR Home.
Sealed Duct
System
Did you know up to 30% of energy
loss in the average code-built new
home is attributed to leaky duct
systems? Poorly installed ductwork
increases a home's energy use,
causes discomfort and may compromise
indoor air quality. ENERGY STAR
qualified homes are planned and
built using sealed duct systems, and
then tested to assure optimal
performance.
With Capital Home
Builders ENERGY STAR Homes, duct
sealing during the construction
process will ensure that the air you
pay to be heated or cooled is
delivered to the living areas of
your home. Performance testing of
the duct system provides proof that
the system works as designed.
Duct sealing and
performance testing are required in
every home to meet the Northwest
ENERGY STAR Home certification
requirements to receive the ENERGY
STAR label.
High
Performance Heating & Cooling
Systems
High performance heating and cooling
systems can reduce your heating and
cooling energy costs by up to 30%.
Choosing ENERGY STAR qualified
equipment is just the first step. To
achieve the full value and
efficiency of the heating and
cooling system, all components must
be properly installed and tested.
The distribution of heated and
cooled air through the duct system
must be addressed, as well as the
equipment.
Correct design and
sizing of heating and cooling
systems is important for achieving
maximum comfort and energy savings.
An oversized system results in poor
equipment performance with frequent
stops and starts.
In every ENERGY STAR qualified home,
the components of the heating and
cooling system are tested by
certified technicians for assured
performance. This includes
performance testing of duct systems
and heat pumps.
Efficient
Appliances & Lighting
ENERGY STAR qualified products
deliver performance and the newest
technology, resulting in significant
energy savings. Qualified appliances
and lighting reduce energy bills
without sacrificing features, style
or comfort. New homes that have
earned the ENERGY STAR label feature
qualified dishwashers, clothes
washers, and ENERGY STAR compact
fluorescent bulbs (CFL) and fixtures
in at least half the sockets.
Appliances
Every ENERGY STAR home will include
an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher,
reducing your water heating costs by
up to 20%. Additionally, every
ENERGY STAR home will also include
an ENERGY STAR qualified clothes
washer, saving you up to 25 gallons
of water per load and using 50% less
energy than standard washers. For
even more savings, upgrade to other
ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.
Lighting
More than 20% of the electricity
generated in the U.S. is used for
lighting. Approximately half of this
energy is wasted by lighting empty
rooms or as heat produced by
inefficient lamps. But it's easy to
save money and energy with ENERGY
STAR qualified light bulbs and
fixtures. They meet strict energy
efficiency and quality
specifications, using up to 75% less
energy and lasting up to 10 times
longer than standard incandescent
bulbs
Make your home even
more energy efficient by looking for
the ENERGY STAR label when shopping
for home electronics, office
equipment, and heating and cooling
products such as programmable
thermostats.
Better
Insulation, Windows & Doors
The thermal shell of a house, also
referred to as the building
envelope, is the barrier created
with windows, doors, insulated
walls, ceilings, and floors. The
thermal shell separates our living
spaces from the cold of winter and
the heat of summer, enclosing the
"conditioned space" where we spend
our time.
Insulation
Capital Home Builders ENERGY STAR
Homes use high efficiency insulation
to maximize your comfort and save on
energy costs.
A variety of
insulation products are available,
including fiberglass batts, blown or
damp-spray cellulose, and insulation
that is integrated with the wall
structure such as Insulated Concrete
Forms (ICF) and Structural Insulated
Panels (SIP) Regardless of
insulation type, increased
efficiency levels of insulation,
when properly installed, will save
money and provide a more comfortable
living space. Along with more
comfortable temperatures, insulation
provides a quieter space for
improved quality of life.
Windows and
Doors
ENERGY STAR qualified windows and
high-performance doors meet the
standard that discriminating
homebuyers expect. Some of the
benefits of high-performance windows
and doors include:
- Increased
comfort
- Reduced
condensation
- Lower utility
costs
Look for the ENERGY
STAR label to identify the most
efficient windows, skylights and
doors. Also, try to buy products
with the lowest "Res" U-factor.
Energy Star
WHAT IS AN ENERGY STAR HOME:
In 1992 the Environmental Protection
Agency established the Energy Star program to label energy efficient products
and reduce energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions across America. Today, the
Energy Star program encompasses 40 product categories and is widely recognized
as the mark of energy efficiency for electronics, appliances, and even homes.
The Energy Star for Homes program aims
to reduce the energy consumption of one of America’s largest energy uses.
According to the EPA, homes account for 15% of energy consumption nationwide.
New homes that demonstrate a certain level energy saving improvements earn the
Energy Star label.
Energy Star homes save homeowners
money in utility bills. In addition, Energy Star homes:
-
Have higher appraised value
-
Qualify for Energy Efficient Mortgages
and Tax Credits
-
Are more durable and comfortable
Using structural insulated panels (SIPs)
in residential building can easily qualify a home as Energy Star. A SIP building
envelope has an extremely high whole wall R-Value and low levels of air
infiltration, reducing the overall loads for heating or air conditioning
equipment in the home.
WHAT MAKES A HOME ENERGY STAR:
For a home to earn Energy Star certification it must be tested for energy
efficiency using a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index. A HERS index is an
objective and standardized measurement of how much energy a home uses.
HERS raters calculate the HERS index through an onsite home inspection and
using computerized energy modeling software. The HERS rater will perform a
visual inspection and then a few tests on the home. A blower door test is used
to determine the airtightness of a home by using a computer controlled fan to
depressurize the home and measure the amount of air leaking out. A duct blaster
test is also performed to measure the amount of leakage in forced air ducts
through a similar process. Homes built with a complete structural insulated
panel building envelope are so airtight that neither of these air leakage tests
are required to achieve an Energy Star rating.
The HERS rater will use the data from these tests and his onsite inspection
to help him calculate the HERS index through energy modeling software. The
software will take into account the kind of appliances, heating and cooling
equipment, levels and quality of insulation, and other factors, to calculate the
projected energy use of the home. The house is scored in reference to a
theoretical house designed by the software to the specifications of the 2004
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
A home built to 2004 IECC standards has a HERS index of 100. The other end of
the spectrum is a Zero Energy Building (ZEB) with an index of 0. ZEBs use net
zero energy by producing as much energy as they
consume.
A HERS index is accompanied by a HERS report. The report includes the
projected energy costs for the home. Every 1 point decrease in HERS index
equates to a 1% reduction in annual energy costs compared to the IECC reference
home.
For a home to be rated Energy Star in the central northern portion of the
United States, it must have a HERS index of 80. Homes in the south and costal
areas must have a HERS index of 85. For a map of HERS requirements by climate
zones, visit
www.energystar.gov/homes.
In addition to achieving the required HERS index, Energy Star homes must pass
a sixteen point Thermal Bypass Checklist. The checklist insures that the home
receives the full R-Value of the insulation used in the home by inspecting for
gaps, voids, and potential areas of insulation compression. The primary item on
the checklist is that a whole house air barrier be installed such that it will,
“provide continuous alignment of the insulation with the air barrier,” something
that is almost automatic with structural insulated panels.
To learn more about the HERS index or to find a HERS rater in your area,
visit
www.natresnet.org
Building with structural insulated panels (SIPs) can cut home energy
consumption by up to 50%, making it easy to reach Energy Star qualifications
with SIP homes.
SIPs provide high density foam insulation consistently and flawlessly,
without the voids, gaps, and compression of insulation in stud walls. Studies
done by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) show that when whole wall R-Value
is measured, SIPs far outperform wood framed walls. By eliminating the loss of
heating and cooling energy through gaps in the insulation, SIPs dramatically
reduce the amount of energy used to heat and cool a home.
In addition to providing a high level of insulation, SIP homes are
significantly more airtight than conventionally wood frame construction. The
foam core of a SIP panel functions as a complete air barrier, and working with
large panels means there are fewer joints to seal. ORNL evaluations of a SIP
test room revealed the SIP room to be 14 times more airtight than an equivalent
room with 2x6 construction, sheathing, insulation and drywall. For this reason,
the EPA does not require a blower door test for homes built with SIP walls and a
SIP roof.
Air tightness is extremely important when reducing a home’s energy usage. As
much as 40 % of a home’s heating and cooling loss is due to air leakage.
Passing the required Thermal Bypass Checklist is practically automatic when
building with SIPs. Properly installed SIPs provide the whole house air barrier
that the checklist requires, and if a SIP roof is used as well, many potential
problem areas of air leakage are already inside the conditioned space.
SIPs can also help Energy Star builders save money. EPA National Director for
Energy Star for Homes Sam Rashkin estimates the additional costs of materials
necessary for a stick built home to meet the new Energy Star standards between
$600 and $1,200, for materials only. Properly installed SIPs do not require
additional envelope improvements to meet Energy Star insulation requirements.
Builders using a SIP roof will not need to perform a blower door test or a duct
blaster test, meaning that the overall rating cost can be reduced.
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