Saving Energy:
By Code and By Choice
Since the infamous "energy crisis" in the mid 1970s, homes have steadily become more efficient in how they use energy to power things like appliances, heating and cooling systems, and electronics. It's a good thing, too, because houses use about 35 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States every year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Whatever a builder and a homeowner can do to reduce that use helps our economy and our reliance on limited energy resources.
To some degree, building codes require all builders to construct homes to a basic energy performance standard, requiring such things as minimum levels of insulation in the walls (and perhaps floors and attic spaces) and proper distribution and ventilation of air inside the home. Codes may also require windows that provide better insulating value, building systems or barriers that prevent the infiltration of outside moisture and air, and more efficient heating and cooling equipment.
Meanwhile, building products manufacturers have developed new and improved products and systems that meet more stringent building codes and independent standards for a home's energy consumption. Some advanced products help builders (and thus homeowners) to exceed those measures to save even more energy and further reduce their energy costs. Windows with special coatings and multiple panes of glass, for instance, can save 40 percent or more of a home's energy use. Electronic or programmable thermostats enable homeowners to better control their heating and cooling equipment, and thus their energy use and costs.
In addition, independent groups and public-private programs, most notably the Energy Star label, certify the energy use and cost savings of several products. Thousands of products, ranging from windows and appliances to consumer electronics, have earned the Energy Star label and are used in varying degrees by builders, architects, and homeowners to save energy.
Professional builders employ and offer an increasing variety of energy-efficient building methods, products, and systems to make your home comfortable and help you get the most for your housing dollar. Builders that consider improved energy efficiency in their designs and construction procedures understand how products and systems combine to create a more efficient, better-built, healthier, and more comfortable home.
For instance, a higher level of insulation, both within the structure, around sealed air ducts, and with upgraded windows and doors, can reduce the size and cost of the heating and cooling equipment. Methods to effectively shed water and block moisture away from the foundation and the home's exterior, including drainage systems and the proper sealing of window and door openings, roof vents, and other intrusions, mitigate the potential for moisture-related damage while creating a healthier indoor environment.
Builders, product manufacturers, code agencies, and independent groups are working together to further improve the energy performance of today's new homes. The result is not only a reduction in energy use and costs, but also a more stable economy and healthier and more comfortable living environments. |
