Curb appeal and gorgeous granite kitchen countertops are certainly compelling, but first-time homebuyers are wise to prioritize the importance of an energy-efficient home when looking for a builder who can deliver.
Energy efficiency should be built into the home’s design and includes everything from passive solar design and paying attention to sun/shade exposure to ensuring your home’s envelope is adequately sealed and insulated for our more humid Florida climate. An energy-efficient home requires the implementation of a whole-home system and the building’s design should reflect that.
Here at Atlas Homes, we believe that the value of an energy-efficient home is actually invaluable. All of the money you invest in an energy-efficient system is paid back to you via exponential energy savings over the lifetime of the home, adding up to tens of thousands of dollars saved. An added bonus is that the more energy-efficient the home, the less impact it has on our planet and the environment.
Prioritize Energy Efficiency Before Breaking Ground
While any home can be retrofitted, it is far wiser to prioritize energy efficiency before breaking ground. When speaking to prospective builders, look specifically for builders who state their commitment to energy efficiency or sustainability.
Here are the things you’ll want to learn more about on their website or via the design consultations to ensure they’ll honor your interests in building an energy-efficient home from the ground up.
Passive Solar Design
The smartest design is one that minimizes the need for energy to heat or cool a home altogether. This means creating a home with respect to its property features and orientation in addition to utilizing specific passive solar design elements.
With a passive solar design, we aim to minimize the amount of heat gain from the sun during the warm/hot months and then optimize solar heat gain during the cooler months. When you achieve that, your HVAC works far less to cool and heat your home and that means exponentially reduced energy bills.
The basic tenets of a passive dollar design include:
- Orienting a home on the lot (when possible) to minimize direct west/south sun exposure
- Providing overhangs or shade options to block the sun’s rays during the late spring through early fall
- Using deciduous trees that allow the sun to shine on exterior walls and windows during the winter months so the home benefits from the same solar heat gain it worked to minimize during the warm season(s). According to My Florida Home Energy, “Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of the energy a typical household uses for cooling.”
- Installing adequate ventilation to release heat and humidity during the warm months
If we can accomplish all that, you will significantly minimize HVAC system running time, wear and tear on the HVAC unit, and all related energy expenses.
Adequate Sealing & Ventilation
We can’t tell you how important it is for your Florida home to be adequately sealed and ventilated. That powerful combination has multiple benefits for both minimizing energy consumption and improving whole-home comfort and air quality. Visit energy.gov to read a detailed explanation of why air sealing and ventilation matter.
Here are the basics:
Air sealing
The combination of weather stripping and caulking is effective at keeping outside air from creeping into your home. Even the smallest of leaks around a plumbing or electrical penetration or along the roof/attic joints can have a dramatic impact on your interior temperatures.
The areas that are the most deserving of weather stripping and caulking are:
- Door frames
- Window frames
- Any penetrations from the exterior to the interior (including the roof)
- Chimney
- Vents
- Roof/attic lines
If you have aftermarket work done on your home, make sure the subcontractors adequately seal any new/utilized penetrations before they leave.
Air leakage is also a key player in moisture issues, especially in a wetter and humid climate like ours, and that is where ventilation comes into play.
Ventilation
Well-designed ventilation ensures the airflow into and out of your house is controlled. Ventilation works to provide fresh air into the home, which improves indoor air quality (did you know that interior air quality in the average American home is typically far worse than the polluted air outside?).
Ventilation also helps to moderate moisture control in a house, minimizing the risk of condensation, mold, and mildew growth, as well as moderating humidity levels in the home.
Your home builder should aim to achieve the perfect relationship between air sealing and ventilation to support your energy-efficient home goals.
An Energy Efficient Home Optimizes Insulation
Attic, crawl space, and exterior wall insulation are vital to the energy-efficient home equation. Insulation serves multiple purposes. It acts as a buffer, minimizing temperature transfer between spaces and it also helps with moisture control. During the summer, this means keeping cool, air-conditioned air inside and preventing any unavoidable solar heat gain from transferring between the attic space into adjacent living spaces. In the winter, the reverse is true.
Homebuilders should adhere to the latest energy-efficient home recommendations as per energy.gov and the EPA. For our area, that means installing:
R-30 Ceiling Insulation
R-30 ceiling insulation adheres to the highest quality standards to deliver excellent thermal properties. It is formulated for outstanding stability and long-term performance. It resists issues such as rot and mildew that are common in traditional homes and safeguards structural elements against moisture damage and corrosion.
R-13 Wall Insulation (On Wood Frame Homes)
Wood frame homes benefit from an extra boost when it comes to energy efficiency. Our R-13 wall insulation is soft to the touch and free of harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde that can break down over time while the material ages. It will last and last no matter what the sometimes harsh Florida climate throws at it.
Energy Star HVAC System
In a climate like ours, 50% or more of the average homeowner’s energy spending is dedicated towards heating and cooling the home. Things like passive solar design, adequate air sealing and ventilation, and optimized insulation certainly help to reduce that amount. However, an energy star-rated HVAC system is essential.
There are three things you’ll want to prioritize when choosing from your home builder’s HVAC options. The first is the Energy Star symbol, the second is the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio), and the third is the EER (energy efficiency ratio). With both the SEER and the EER (the latter of which is specific to the unit’s efficiency during hotter months), the higher the rating the more efficient the unit.
It is worth the investment to spend more for a higher-quality and more efficient HVAC system as those dollars are paid back in energy savings and lower repair and replacement costs over the lifetime of the unit.
Get Started on Your Energy Efficient Home Design
Ready to work with an Orlando-area home builder who prioritizes the tenets of energy-efficient home building for each and every client? Contact us here at Atlas Homes. We look forward to making your energy-efficient home dreams come to life.