Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 17, 1991 TAG: 9103190054
SECTION: TODAY'S HOME PAGE: TH-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And not just because of the Middle East conflict, although that certainly will heightened awareness of our need to become more energy conscious.
As a reflection of this attitude, the National Association of Home Builders announced a National Environmental Energy Efficient Home Program that is designed to encourage builders, utilities, scientists and product suppliers to work together toward building more environmentally conservative homes.
Jim Smith, energy program manager for NAHB, said this comprehensive program is just getting started, having been launched as the result of a May 10, 1990, planning document.
Since last summer, a business plan has been developed to address all possible questions NAHB might encounter in executing the program. The long-term, specific goal is to make new homes, by the year 2000, at least 50 percent more energy efficient than 1980 standards.
Developing appliance performance standards, a training and education system for builders and subcontractors, a certification standard, a marketing program and a research and monitoring program are all elements that will be used to implement the energy conservation effort.
Although this program specifically addresses the way new homes should be built, the NAHB plans to expand guidelines to include updating energy efficiency in existing homes, multifamily dwellings and light commercial buildings.
A homeowner hardly needs to be persuaded to spend less money heating and cooling his or her home. However, the plan does provide a bonus: it calls for preferential mortgages for buyers of homes built under this program.
"It comes right down to builders that buy into the program," Smith said. "They can certify the homes they build as NAHB energy efficient houses to allow purchasers to qualify for a larger home loan." He said the reasoning for this is that buyers will have more money to put on mortgage payment, since their energy bills will be much smaller.
There are several factors in a home that contribute to loss of energy, but can be remedied. "The whole secret to saving energy is to cut down on air infiltration," Smith said. Caulking and adding a vapor barrier to new homes can help. New, higher-performance windows also reduce the amount of air infiltration.
Leading window manufacturers all produce high-performance windows that cut down on heat and cooled-air loss. Smith said he understands that one leading manufacturer - Andersen - is producing nothing but Low-E windows.
He also cautioned homeowners to beware of advertised "R-ratings," because they can be misleading. He said a window system, which includes every part of that window, should be analyzed - how it's put together, the spacers, the sash - for the rating. When manufacturers claim their windows have an R-8 rating, for example, Smith said more than likely they've just tested the center of the glass. This will not provide a true reading, he said, because heat is also lost through the sash.
Smith said he recently had 14 windows replaced in his home and insisted the installers put insulation in the cracks and caulk before and after they were installed.
But an energy efficient plan doesn't end with windows. When purchasing major home appliances, home owners should notice the efficiency ratings posted on the product. This figure compares the approximate cost of operating the appliance, and often compares the cost of electricity versus gas.
"There's one thing, too, that a person should be aware of, and that's the point of diminishing return," Smith said. An example, he said, is an air conditioner that is so efficient it doesn't do a sufficient job with dehumidification.
If using passive solar sources, the house will have to be oriented to take advantage of the southern exposure. The majority of windows must be placed on that side, while the northern side will have minimal windows.
Creating a thermal mass also helps. A sun room with block or brick can retain the heat during the day and emit it at night.
He advised using a complete strategy - not just focusing on windows, or insulation, or a good heating system. It's a matter of good planning - use the right combination of energy efficient products and solar heating, Smith said, to achieve the lowest possible energy use.
by CNB