Home Sales Professionals
Energy Efficiency Sells Homes
Everyone likes the benefits of an energy efficient home, like more comfort, durability, affordability and a healthier indoor environment. But how does one measure the energy efficiency and performance of a home? The answer is with a HERS rating.
We are a nationally certified HERS Home Energy Rater, partnered with ENERGY STAR, www.energystar.gov and RESNET, www.resnet.us. We provide home energy inspections and analysis, HERS ratings, LEED and ENERGY STAR certification, and energy efficiency improvements for new and existing homes.
A HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating is the national standard for measuring the energy performance of a home (learn more - see the article in the HBA’s Builder Informer on the HERS rating system). A HERS rating measures a home’s performance, (not occupant behavior) and can diagnose and locate problem areas and analyze the financial and environmental benefits of efficiency improvements on a home’s energy usage.
For buyers and sellers, a HERS rating – a home energy inspection and performance testing with computer reports and narrative summary – adds real value providing documented evidence of the benefits of an energy efficient and high performance home and may also make a home eligible for an EEM (Energy Efficient Mortgage).
Not all homes are energy efficient and comfortable with low utility bills (as we all know). A HERS rating is the best starting point for finding the most cost-effective strategies for saving energy and money, and may help a buyer to get an EIM (Energy Improvement Mortgage), a product for rolling efficiency improvements in with the mortgage.
Along with identifying ways to improve home performance, EverGreen Home Services recommends solutions, provides specification of equipment improvements as well as home improvement services, such as blower door assisted air sealing for proven performance and ventilation improvements.
Green Benefits
* Green Value - An ENERGY STAR home is typically worth an additional $12,000 at time of resale.
* Green Initiatives - Builders of energy efficient homes can get a $2,000 tax CREDIT for EACH qualifying home sold from 2006 through 2008.
* Green Performance - An ENERGY STAR home reduces energy use by hundreds of dollars per year and provides a more comfortable, healthier and easier to maintain home environment for less money.
* Green Growth - Home buyers are recognizing the environmental and personal benefits resulting from greener homes as reflected in their buying practices - and increasing the demand for more energy and resource efficient homes.
* Green Standard - Green is not icing on a cake - it is integral to the building process. GREEN-BUILD and ENERGY STAR performance verified homes provide a credible alternative to undocumented claims of building green.
Homebuilders Services
ENERGY CONSULTING
INDEPENDENT HOME ENERGY RATER PERFORMANCE CONTRACTOR
EverGreen Home Services provides green consulting and support services from planning to completion. As a RESNET certified HERS rater I provide independent consultation, assessment and verification for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR rating, for GREEN-BUILT homes and for the $2,000 EPACT builder’s tax credit.
Consultation services help homebuilders save time and money by reviewing plans with energy analysis software to provide a “projected rating” - an indicator of the homes efficiency. For instance, precise HVAC sizing often calls for smaller equipment leading to builder savings and improved performance and durability for the occupant. A projected rating provides an opportunity to compare the effects of preferred options of the builder or homebuyer, or make changes to hit the target rating.
During construction, I perform field inspections as required for ENERGY STAR certification and can support your company with useful information to achieve performance goals. I also provide a comprehensive air-sealing package - a crucial component in any energy efficient home - which also includes a measurement of “tightness” for determining proper ventilation needs.
As a 3rd party independent HERS rater, I use a blower-door, duct -blower and other diagnostic equipment and software to verify the finished building’s performance and submit the rating for certification. ENERGY STAR and GREEN-BUILT homes create greater comfort, safety and income for homeowners, and are an investment that pays cash returns and environmental dividends for years to come.
