Floor plans aside, spotting the differences between a newly built house and one that’s older, but freshly remodeled, can be difficult for the average person.
They both could have equally appealing countertops, modern appliances and the most stylish plumbing fixtures available; but the features beneath the surface could mean the difference of thousands of dollars in utility bills over the lifetime of the property.
“Energy savings goes beyond efficient light bulbs and smart thermostats. Those products do make a difference, but homes are most efficient when energy savings is central to their design,” said Clark Public Utilities Energy Services Supervisor DuWayne Dunham. “Many efficiencies can be achieved during a remodel, but others — like advanced wall framing, which allows more insulation and less thermal bridging — have to be incorporated from the very beginning.”
Today’s average new construction home is more efficient than ever, due to high standards set by the Washington State Energy Code. Since the 1990s, the residential energy code has been revised several times to become one of the strictest in the nation.
The code pushes builders to combine high-efficiency materials and with conservation-minded designs to produce energy-saving homes that wouldn’t have been financially feasible even a decade ago. Every year, consumers benefit by having a growing array of efficient, comfortable and healthier homes available on the market. But meeting code standards can be a challenge for builders, so the state offers some flexibility via the Energy Credits Options table.
Under that system, homes must meet an energy-efficiency baseline then builders emphasize the energy saving features of their choosing from the energy credits table to achieve a higher score. In practice that may mean a builder constructs 6-inch-thick outside walls — a code requirement — then insulates them with spray foam or high-density insulation batting, which exceeds the code requirement.
‘Great deal of effort’
Through its New Homes Performance program, Clark Public Utilities works with local builders who lean into those already high standards. The utility offers incentives to builders who increase the energy efficiency of new homes at least 10 percent above current energy code requirements, as verified by a third-party rater.
“Although 10 percent doesn’t sound like a lot, but, given that the state’s standards are already very high, it demands a great deal of effort,” Dunham said. “Nonetheless, some of the builders in our program are achieving efficiencies as much as 30 percent higher than code.”
High-performance homes are slightly more expensive than their typical counterparts, but they deliver considerable energy savings, greater comfort and reduced energy waste throughout their lifetimes.
Homeowners may also enjoy a higher resale value when it comes time to sell. Evidence gathered by Elevate Energy and the Building Performance Association shows that buyers are willing to spend more on a high-performance home when they understand the benefits and features.
The public can experience a high-performance home firsthand during the NW Natural Parade of Homes through Sept. 22.
Two of the homes were built to meet the efficiency standards set by Clark Public Utilities’ New Homes Performance program, those set by NW Natural’s Energy Performance Score program and the National Green Building Standard.
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.
