To be considered an Energy Star efficient new home, these homes must meet these guidelines set by the government at www.energystar.gov:
1. Effective Insulation 2. High-Performance Windows 3. Air Tight Construction 4. Efficient Cooling and Heating Equipment 5. Energy Efficient Appliances 6. Third-Party Validation
What exactly is an Energy Star rating and how is it the green choice?
We’ll talk about green choices. Regrettably, the concept is thrown around so often that many companies claim many products are “green” just because they do slightly less harm to the ecosystem than other products. When we talk about green, we’re talking a significant impact of contaminants or a positive conservation of energy.
When it comes to houses, the main green impact is energy savings. Electricity and heat can be conserved in a number of ways, reducing the requirements for fossil fuels. Electricity, while clean when used, still needs to be produced. Most often, it is produced by coal or other fossil fuels with massive negative environmental impact. By reducing the electric demand, you can help reduce the amount of fossil fuel that needs to be consumed. By doing certain things in your new house, you can massively reduce your electric demand.
First, you want to use high quality insulation in new homes. Make use of enough insulation to adequately protect your home from the environment. Ideally, you should insulate your walls, attic, floors and basement to help maintain an even inside temperature. The steadier the temperature inside, the less often your heating system needs to go on, using energy to stabilize the temperature.
Next, consider your windows. With new homes, you can use higher efficiency windows that reduce breezes, insulate outside cold air and help block UV light (which can fade fabrics, paint and carpets, requiring you to replace them sooner).
Tight construction is key. Small cracks and holes can create significant drafts that allow heat to get out in the winter and air conditioning to escape in the summer. When this happens, your heating and cooling systems need to work overtime to compensate. Fixing these leaks will significantly reduce your energy costs. With new homes, solid construction, especially around external pipes and duct work, you will have a major impact.
Finally, as you choose a builder, for example www.EmmyHomes.com on Long Island, be sure the new houses have a verification of their Energy Star rating. This helps protect you to make sure that you receive the energy savings that you expect from your new construction.
Craig Axelrod is one of the senior developers with Emmy Homes. Emmy is which is one of Long Island’s top real estate developers. Emmy’s Commack real estate features luxury homes in Commack. Visit EmmyHomes.com for details.
