If you are building a new home, you know that
it is a large investment. A Home Performance Consultant
can work with you and your builder to verify that
the home is built to the highest standards to
provide a comfortable, safe, durable, and energy
efficient home. This is done in a series of start-to-finish
inspections.
- Building Plan Review: The consultant
will review the building plans before any
construction is done. This portion includes
an analysis of solar orientation, a Home Energy
Rating score and an opportunity to determine
how the building is to be constructed before
a single nail is hammered.
- Framing Inspection: An on-site inspection
when the building has been framed but not
yet insulated. This allows the Home Performance Consultant to determine any opportunities to
avoid framing and insulation related problems.
- Insulation Inspection: An on-site inspection
of the building after the insulation portion
of the construction has been completed.
- Final Inspection: The last on-site inspection
which includes a blower door test to measure
the air tightness of the home.
Many programs, such as participation
in the Energy Star Program and an Energy
Efficient Mortgage, require a HERS score
to qualify for the benefits of those programs.
A HERS score can also verify compliance
with energy codes. This comprehensive
series of inspections will determine if
the home qualifies for an Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star rating.
To qualify for the Energy Star label,
strict energy efficiency guidelines set
by the Environmental Protection Agency
must be followed. Homes that earn the
ENERGY STAR must be at least 30 percent
more efficient for heating, cooling, and
water heating than homes built to the
Model Energy Code, or 15 percent more
efficient than the state energy code,
whichever is more rigorous.
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