Energy Efficient Homes

Build An Energy Efficient Home With A Certified Green Professional Builder

It’s no secret that energy prices are going up. It’s also no secret that they’re probably going to keep on doing so for the foreseeable future. However, by building an energy efficient home with built-in energy saving features, you can not only reduce your energy costs and make your home more comfortable, but also minimize your impact on the environment.

Fact: 16% of all greenhouse gases produced in the U.S. come from homes

In fact, as awareness grows in America about the value of owning an energy efficient home, builders are flocking to meet the demand by constructing houses that encompass energy efficient features. The question is: how can home buyers judge just how energy efficient a home is?

Thus the HERS Index

The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET for short) created the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) to address exactly this problem. The HERS Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured.

A standard new American home (construction) that meets current industry standards for energy efficiency is given a HERS Index score of 100. This is the benchmark against which all other homes are measured. A lower the score means a more energy efficient home, while a higher score denotes the opposite. For example, a home scoring 140 on the HERS Index is 40% less energy efficient than a new home; one that scores 80 is 20% more efficient. A typical resale home is rated at 130.

For a home to earn a HERS Index score, an energy rating needs to be carried out by a certified RESNET Home Energy Rater, such as Colorado Energy Analysts.

The HERS Index Score – a home’s version of a miles-per-gallon sticker

The great advantage of a HERS Index score is that it brings a form of transparency to the real estate market. Homebuyers can use HERS Index scores to do comparison-shopping of homes based on their energy efficiency. This gives them a better idea of the actual potential cost of homeownership (factoring in utility costs in addition to mortgage).

There’s also a key benefit for homebuilders, who can market their homes more effectively by using HERS Index scores as major selling points. Add on to that the fact that many utility companies are now offering builders rebates based on their homes’ HERS Index scores (the lower the score, the higher the rebate) and you’ve got a solid argument for building an energy efficient home.