Floor plans and furnishings aside, the average person would be hard-pressed to see the differences between an updated mid-century home and a state-of-the-art, new-construction home–after all, walls are walls. Right?
Not exactly.
Technological advancements are radically reshaping every industry in America, and housing is no exception.
Advances in insulation-material sciences, home conditioning equipment performance, and even property landscaping approaches have allowed for substantial gains in energy efficiency in new construction homes.
While adopting the latest in energy conservation products and techniques might increase a property’s initial price tag, it will translate into lower energy costs well into the future. Keep in mind heating is the largest energy expense for the average American home, accounting for about 45 percent of energy bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, so reducing heating costs can be a significant savings.
Today’s homes are built with advanced framing techniques that require less wood. Builders take advantage of that extra space by filling it with high-density insulation.
Modern floor plans are designed to incorporate heating and cooling ducts into the conditioned space, where any leaks will be a benefit, rather than wasted in a crawl space or attic.
New homes also use multistage heat pumps, which work only as hard as needed to heat a home; and treated interior air with heat recovery ventilation systems, which efficiently mix fresh air with interior air before cycling. New homes are also often equipped with heat-pump water heaters, which can use as much as 63 percent less energy than a traditional water heater, according to the Department of Energy.
Outside, homes are fitted with Energy Star-certified appliances and LED lighting, to drive costs down further.
Outside, shrubs and trees are strategically placed around a home to reduce heating and cooling demands.
Clark Public Utilities has a long history of supporting green building, often ranking highest in the state for energy-saving new construction. Seeing continued potential for conservation in new construction but recognizing the many different ways increased efficiency can be achieved, Clark Public Utilities launched the New Homes Performance Program to provide flexible incentives to local homebuilders who exceed the already strict Washington energy code.
“The utility has been running energy conservation programs for nearly 40 years; and because we’ve previously captured the easy-to-get savings we are always looking for new and improved programs and opportunities,” said Matt Babbitts, energy services project manager at Clark Public Utilities. “This new program provides builders with a financial incentive to encourage energy efficient construction in Clark County.”
The utility’s New Homes Performance Program frees up developers to apply their own techniques to maximize efficiency rather than following a checklist of requirements. The more efficient they are, the higher the incentives are under the program.
“At the end of the process the homes are third-party certified by rater/verifiers,” said DuWayne Dunham, energy services supervisor with Clark Public Utilities. “These energy professionals not only qualify the home for the program after construction, but also assist the contractor through the building process, to assure the home meets the program requirements.”
Participating builders have embraced the New Homes Performance Program. In the first year, the utility certified more than 300 homes as exceeding the state energy code by 10 percent or more.
“The top-performing home did so by more than 40 percent,” Babbitts said.
Of course, owners of older homes can also make many of these upgrades as well to improve their energy savings. Caulking windows, doors and baseboards is easy. Extra insulation and heat pumps are often worthy investments.
But some things, such as reframing the walls, just aren’t worth the cost and builders and buyers are finding it makes sense to invest in efficiency from the foundation up.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
