An energy efficient home has become an important priority for new home buyers today. There are many reasons for wanting to increase the energy efficiency in a home. Not only does it help keep your utility costs down, but an energy efficient home can also earn you more when it comes time to sell. Not to mention, less energy consumption is much better for the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the home’s carbon footprint. Here are six areas that make a real impact on a home’s energy efficiency.
1. Air Sealing
To reduce drafts, you’ll want to ensure a tight seal around all doors, windows, outlets, and vents. Along the same lines, your ductwork may be leaking if you feel that some rooms are too hot or cold compared to others. Keeping these areas sealed up tight saves energy costs and keeps must, mold, and allergens out.
2. Windows
Not only is a tight seal around your windows vital for energy efficiency, the type of windows you purchase can have a big impact as well. Look for double-pane, low-e windows when building your new custom home. They reduce drafts and heating and cooling costs and limit the amount of outside noise.
3. Lighting
Light bulbs are one of history’s greatest inventions, but they haven’t always been very eco-friendly. Instead of choosing traditional incandescent bulbs, opt for more energy efficient CFL bulbs or even LED lighting choices. These can help reduce your new home’s energy use by 50-75% over existing homes.
4. Equipment
One of the most important areas for energy efficiency is the equipment you use every day without even thinking about it. Your furnace and air conditioning system, as well as the water heater, can reduce your monthly utility bills if they are newer, high-performing models. Look for high-efficiency equipment and a thankless water heater.
5. Insulation
Insulation helps to keep the warm or cool air you’re paying for from the HVAC system inside your house, instead of escaping to the outdoors with all your hard-earned cash. It also helps to block excess noise from the street from entering, so you can enjoy a quieter, more comfortable home.
6. Appliances
One of the most common ways to impact a home’s energy efficiency is with your appliances. Look for Energy Star models of washer and dryer combos, refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers when building your new home. These can help reduce your energy use by half, even over models that are only 10 years old.
ENERGY STAR Standards for New Homes
At Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc. we are a builder participant in the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program. This means we must calculate the performance score of each qualifying home. The same ENERGY STAR® label that indicates efficiency for home appliances is also used to certify new homes. A home only receives the ENERGY STAR label after passing a series of stringent inspections and performance testing. Homes built to ENERGY STAR standards typically achieve energy savings of 20-30%.
Ensure your next custom home building project is a success. Contact us online today or call 717-246-5509 to start talking about your custom energy efficient home in York County, PA.
In 2019, the Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc. team won the York Builders Association’s PEAK Achievement Award for Best Green Home in the Energy Efficiency/Sustainability category sponsored by the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program. Learn more about that here.
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