Building Energy Efficient Homes

In the home building industry there are constantly changing trends. Items like the hottest new paint color, flooring material, open concept building and so on. We use the classification of trends because they seem to have a limited lifespan until the next hot thing comes in style. What we are more focused on is the direction of the home building industry, which is going to have more staying power. This is where things like building energy efficient homes come into play. Homes continue to be built to higher and higher efficiency levels. Some of this is directed by local and national codes but it is also driven by consumer demand as buyers become more educated on the efficiency of their homes.

More and more of the nation’s leading builders are now making a commitment to building energy efficient homes through the ENERGY STAR® home program. In order to certify a home as ENERGY STAR® there is a stringent list of requirements the builder must meet. This includes almost every aspect of the building process including things that probably won’t surprise you such as windows, doors, insulation, appliances and the HVAC system. What you might not know is that it also includes items such as the ducting, air filtration and ventilation fans of the home. All of these requirements must be confirmed through an independent rater/inspector for the home to receive the final sign off. This is comforting to the homebuyer, as they will have peace of mind that the home is going to perform as advertised.

So why is this a direction and not just a trend. We will get right to it – money. While there are a lot of extra benefits to using less energy (reducing our carbon footprint, using less resources…), the big one from a homeowner’s standpoint is a reduced utility bill. An energy efficient home can reduce the monthly utility bills considerably. According to ENERGY STAR®, a certified home will use up to 30% more energy than a traditionally built home. To put that in perspective, if your utility bills are $300 a month, a certified home would reduce that to $210. That is a saving of $1,080 per year. According to the Redfin the typical US homeowner stays in their home for about 12 years, meaning a savings of about $13,000. Additionally, the home will have better resale value.

Another aspect of building energy efficient homes is there is a movement that is gaining support that in order to qualify for a FHA mortgage, the home must be ENERGY STAR® certified. ENERGY STAR® already has a program called Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) that helps homebuyers qualify for purchasing a home as it considers that the monthly cost to maintain the home will be less, allowing more to be used to pay off the loan. While these programs are not yet mandatory, the direction they are going looks as if they will be in the near future. The good news is the major builders are already identifying this and are getting ahead of the game, committing to building certified homes.

To learn more about building trends/directions or other industry news, makes sure to read Air King’s other blog posts. To learn more about Air King’s ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation and fresh air intake solutions and how they can be implemented into building energy efficient homes visit airkinglimited.com

Saving Energy During a Pandemic

As working from home and schooling from home continues to be the norm, a side effect can be higher energy usage and bills. Having two, three, ten computers running, every light in the home plus increased pressure on the HVAC system can quickly add up. Here are a few tips to keep the energy usage down.

Use LED Lights

With an increased need for lighting, it is even more critical that the most energy efficient types of bulbs be used. LED bulbs are over 75% more efficient than standard bulbs. Stop and think how many and how long your lights are on during a day, then think about how much you can save if they were LEDs. While switching to LED bulbs is a huge savings, turning off lights is even better.

Location, Location, Location

Typically you hear this term in the real estate business, but it holds very true when working and schooling from home. If possible choose a location in your home that has plenty of natural light. This will allow you to turn off the lights as we mentioned above. Another consideration is with many families converting spaces into offices or schoolrooms, it is important to be strategic on placement. Make sure not to cover up HVAC vents or returns that would cause the system to have to work harder. Shared spaces can be difficult, especially if interactive meetings are taking place. If possible, having everyone in one room can save energy by only needing to condition and light one room rather that multiple rooms throughout the home.

Use Portable Fans

In many cases, all that is needed to keep the room comfortable is either a portable fan in the warmer months or a portable heater in the cooler months. These use a fraction of the electricity that your HVAC unit needs. Air King and Lasko offer a wide range of residential and light commercial options.

Turn Items Off

If you have children, then you have probably at one point in your life (or every 10 minutes) walked into an empty room that has every light in that room turned on. No matter how many times you tell them to turn the lights off when they leave the room, there it is – every light still turned on. For sanity sake, just accept the fact that your job as a parent is to follow them around and turn the lights off. Turing lights off however are just one way to keep the energy usage down. Turning off other items such as computer and monitors when not in use can have a positive effect also. Most electronics nowadays have some sort of energy savings mode (sleep mode) but even in these modes, they are still using energy. Turing electronics completely off when not in use is the best way to save. Another consideration is once the workday or school day is complete, turn everything off and get away from them. This will save energy and give your eyes and body a break. How many times have you or your children finished a full day of online school or work meetings just to leave the computer and go right to the TV to binge watch the new series. Try going for a walk or having a cup of coffee outside (making sure to turn the lights off before you leave).

Washing

Being home most of the day can lead to some habits that could be costing you in energy usage. Things like doing laundry can have a large effect. There might be the temptation to do a small load of laundry each day instead of waiting for a full load. We absolutely get it that doing laundry for most people is not on the top ten list of enjoyable activities in the home. Doing smaller loads throughout the week instead of one big laundry day might be preferred but it will more than likely come at a cost of using a noticeably more amount of energy. Air-drying clothes will save a significant amount of energy. It will also get you out of the house and away from the screen. If you turn off the lights when you leave, you now have hit on multiple energy saving tips with one activity! Washing dishes is similar to clothes. A dishwasher’s energy efficiency is predicated on running full loads. Avoiding the temptation of running the dishwasher after every meal will save energy.

For more tips on how to save energy within the home visit www.airkinglimited.com or the ENERGY STAR® website at www.energystar.gov