I'm sure you're aware of Energy Star appliances and light fixtures but did you know that an entire house can also be Energy Star certified? That's right, and guess what? Our house passed the test!
In order to be Energy Star certified, our home had to pass a number of tests and be issued a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index number. The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (ie a "standard" new home) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home's score, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home. Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient. Our home achieved a HERS Index number of 48 which means it is 52% more energy efficient than the Reference Home and up to 90% more efficient than existing homes. We'll save over $1000 a year in energy costs compared to existing homes and because we qualified under various state and federal incentive programs, we'll also get a couple big chucks of change back on some of the energy saving investments we made during the construction of the house. Sweet deal!
We worked with a local HERS rater from the very early stages of planning through the building stages and the finishing details to ensure our home met all of the standards and criteria. Some of the major factors that influence a home's energy rating include:
- Effective Insulation Systems (remember the spray foam?)
- High–Performance Windows (remember the low E Anderson windows)
- Tight Construction and Ducts (see the super-highway of ductwork here)
- Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment (remember we went geothermal)
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Lighting and Appliances (well, that's just a given).
Summit checking out the blower door test and the ductwork test
Our official badge of honor
May 1st 2012 is when the minimum energy efficiency star rating required for residential projects will be increased to 6 stars.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of work going into investigating the effects that these new energy rating requirements will have on the building industry
This is to ensure the changes required to building processes can be met without disruption or excessive cost.
However there is more to complying with the new energy efficiency regulations than just getting a 6 star rating from the House Energy Rating Software(HERS). The BCA has included other clauses which must be complied with, in addition to the energy assessment performed by your energy rating assessor.
Super, thanks for that extra bit of info. I was aware that the system was changing this year. We started this process back in 2010 when we developed our building plans. The info you provided is helpful for new home builders though, 2012-beyond.
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