Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is often a top performance attribute desired in innovative building technologies. An energy-efficient building or system offers both the qualitative benefit of comfort and the quantitative benefit of dollar savings. With unpredictable and fluctuating energy prices—usually in the “UP” direction—an efficient building envelope and efficient equipment will help insulate (literally) you and the building residents from rising utility bills. Top energy-efficiency considerations include—

The short answer is, “As efficient as your budget permits.” The ENERGY STAR label for new homes and the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR for existing homes can provide guidance about measures you can incorporate into your project. A new ENERGY STAR home is about 15 to 20 percent more efficient than the same home built to code minimum standards.

Under the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Program, builders have routinely constructed homes to achieve performance 30 percent, 40 percent, and greater above code. Net Zero homes that produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year are certainly not unheard of, although they do require some type of renewable energy on site, such as solar or wind power.

Both the ENERGY STAR and Zero Energy Ready home programs offer certification to lowrise (three stories or lower) and some midrise (four or five stories) multifamily buildings. ENERGY STAR also has a certification for highrise buildings. Although certification under these programs is not necessary to achieve an energy efficient home or building, certifications do provide a level of assurance that the designed efficiency has had some verification, and, in the programs described previously, the efficiency level is set by a federal agency, adding credibility to any claims of energy efficiency.

Although a whole building label may not be a realistic option if you are making improvements to an existing building or replacing a piece of equipment or an appliance, remember that many products carry energy-efficiency labels. For example, look for the yellow Energy Guide label that you will find on many types of equipment and appliances. This label will show you the energy performance of the particular model compared with the highest and lowest performing similar products on the market.

These products may or may not be ENERGY STAR-labeled, but the label does provide a snapshot of the energy ranking of the product you are considering. ENERGY STAR also provides labels for many classes of products that will indicate a high level of performance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR Products Program was developed as a way to make it easier for consumers to identify and purchase more energy-efficient products to save energy and in the process, save money. In addition to being available for many electronic products, the ENERGY STAR label is available for much of the equipment and appliances in buildings, including—

• Furnaces, boilers, and air-conditioners.
• Refrigerators and freezers.
• Dishwashers.
• Clothes washers.
• Water heaters.
• Windows, doors, and skylights.
• Light fixtures and bulbs.