Northwest Energy Star standards save cash

March 23, 2008

What energy features should I consider when building a new home? I’ve always purchased pre-owned houses, so this is a first. I’d appreciate any suggestions you might have.

The simple answer is to build a Northwest Energy Star-rated home. You’ll get a house that will use at least 15 percent less energy than a house built to the current Washington building code. It will be more comfortable and give you an ongoing payback in lower energy bills each month.

An increasing of number of Clark County builders are using these specs and that’s primarily because consumers are becoming more conscious of energy use and their impact on the environment — especially in this area. Last year, 7 percent of the homes built in Clark County were Northwest Energy Star homes, compared with 4.5 percent of the homes built in the combined area of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

The specifications for a Northwest Energy Star home are not super sophisticated, nor do they increase the price of construction significantly. Home builder Steve Tapio, of New Tradition Homes, said his houses are priced the same as non-Energy Star homes.

“We build only to Northwest Energy Star and Earth Advantage specifications, so we’ve been able to gain some efficiencies,” he said. “We’re building homes to perform to higher standards than existing homes. It’s a no-brainer. You’ll see savings from day one.”

Home builders can meet specifications in a couple of ways, but essentially these homes will meet the following criteria:

• Heating and cooling: Northwest Energy Star homes will have high efficiency heating systems, such as 90 percent efficient gas furnaces and air conditioners with at least a 13 SEER rating (seasonal energy efficiency rating). Heat pumps must be rated at least 8.5 HSPF (heating season performance factor) and 13 SEER.
• Appliances: Water heaters are 10 percent more efficient in a Northwest Energy Star home and dishwashers must be Energy Star rated.
• Windows: Energy-efficient windows are double-paned, typically with air or inert gas between the panes as insulation and have a clear, low-e coating to block harmful sun rays. Window frames are vinyl, wood or fiberglass to reduce the transfer of conditioned air.
• Insulation and sealing: Northwest Energy Star homes are required to have insulation levels of R38 in attics and R21 in wall cavities. The real payoff , however, is in how the insulation is installed. Rather than simply stuffing batts into wall cavities, insulation must fit around obstructions to minimize gaps and heat loss from the interior. Some builders use sprayed-in foams to fully penetrate the cavity. 
  “We require installers to split a batt to fit around a wire or an outlet,” Tapio said. “It has to touch all six surfaces when installed in a wall bay.”
• Ductwork: All ductwork must be sealed with mastic and tested. A typical new home can have as much as a 15 percent leakage in the ductwork, while a Northwest Energy Star house can have no more than 6 percent. Any openings, cracks or gaps into the house must be sealed to prevent conditioned air being wasted to the outdoors.
• Lighting: Fifty percent of the sockets in the home must be Energy Star-rated bulbs, fixtures or both. This typically is compact fluorescent lighting or other high efficiency lamps.
• Verification: To make sure the home qualifies as a Northwest Energy Star home it must be verified, which includes conducting a test of how tight the house is using a blower door test. In that test, a large fan pulls air out of the house, forcing outside air to penetrate any holes, cracks or openings. These cracks must be sealed for the house to be verified. (More information on air sealing is in our March 2 column, available on the Web site listed below.)
   

Next week we’ll cover what to consider when shopping for a previously owned home.