Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGY STAR label if it has been verified to meet EPA's guidelines. Energy Star Homes are typically 20-30% more energy efficient than standard homes – why? Energy Star homes incorporate these eco friendly features:1. Effective Insulation2. High-Performance Windows3. Tight Construction and Ducts4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment5. Efficient Products6. Third-Party VerificationThe benefits of building an energy efficient home are plenty:LOWER OWNERSHIP COSTCompared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR 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.BETTER PERFORMANCEProperly 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.SMART INVESTMENTTo date, more than 8,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct more than 1 million 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.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONDid you know that your home can be a greater source of pollution than your car? In fact, 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the energy used in houses nationwide.Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate.Source: energystar.gov
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
building a green home,
energy efficient home,
Energy star home
