ENERGY STAR Homes Consume 20-30% Less Energy than a Standard Home

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These days, the whole world is gearing up to go green in order to save the earth. Even, the home builders are coming up with new home designs that are more energy efficient than the traditional homes. The new Energy Star homes are designed in such a way that the energy consumption per house will be 20-30% lesser than a regular home. An Energy Star home also meets certain guidelines for energy effectiveness standard, set by the officials of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

With the increasingly high demand of homebuyers for green building and energy efficient houses, there are several builders in this country who are trying to come up with new ideas to build better energy efficient homes. These Energy Star homes not only save energy but also help in the improvement of the environment by avoiding the excess usage of the non-renewable energy and the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel combustion in turn causes the air pollution and other environmental pollution that contributes to the serious environmental issues such as the global warming, smog, and acid rain. Of course, by choosing the Energy Star homes, you use less energy and avoid causing excess air pollution. To ensure that a new home is energy efficient, you need to look for the blue Energy Star mark, which is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

A wide variety of homes can earn the Energy Star label if they are verified and confirmed that they meet the EPA’s guidelines. Energy Star homes include attached and low-rise single family homes, multi-family homes, log homes, manufactured concrete homes and systems-built homes such as the ICF, SIP, or modular construction home. Energy Star qualified homes also include an array of advanced ‘tried-and-true’ energy-efficient features in order to improve the home quality and also to lower the overall energy consumption and air pollution.

Energy Star homes are effectively insulating with advanced insulating systems installed in various parts of the house. Hence, these houses maintain the same level of temperature throughout the house while using less energy than regular houses. These houses also have high-performance windows that contribute to more energy savings. These energy-efficient windows have the protective coatings and newly improved frames that help to keep the house warm during cold days and dissipate it out during the summer time. Not just that, these windows also block the harmful UV rays that result in the discoloration of various in-room furnishings.

In addition, these Energy Star home have duct systems to seal the house and protect it from dust, pollen, noise and also cold during the winter time. These tightly-sealed homes not only improve comfort but also reduces the utility and maintenance expenses. Again, these houses also have energy-efficient heating/cooling equipment to help in reducing indoor humidity and consuming less energy.

These Energy Star qualified homes also come with Energy Star qualified products such as fluorescent bulbs, lighting fixtures, appliances, and ventilation fans in order to save more energy. To ensure that these houses are truly energy efficient, third-party verification is done with the help of home energy raters. These raters conduct inspections and onsite testing to verify all the energy efficiency measures, including duct sealing, air tightness, safety and insulation details.

In general, this Energy Star home is a great option for those looking forward to buying or building a new home. These homes meet strict Energy Star regulations and help you in protecting the environment by saving more energy. With so many energy efficient systems, there is no doubt that these homes really do consume 20-30 % less energy than regular homes.

About the Author: Shannon M. Combs is a freelance green building bloggers. She blogs for the 12 volt deep cycle battery and aqua kleen filters blogs. She has over 10 years of small green business consulting and help small business owner to plan an energy efficient business.

Distribution Info: This content has been distributed by Nathan Brown. He’s seeking individuals who want careers in sustainable building in an Ecovillage or gardening work in a commune.

Photo Credits: Shannon Combs


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