Community Energy Opportunity Finder : Residential Energy Efficiency

Energy efficient new building construction can achieve the most cost savings through integrated design—that is, considering a number of energy efficiency measures as part of a whole system of building improvements, and accounting for their positive, additive effects. For example, if heating and cooling loads are kept low through careful building envelope design, window glazing selection, and lighting design, heating and cooling equipment can be significantly downsized or, in some cases, even eliminated. This can make the building cheaper to build or, at a minimum, offset any price increases that the additional energy-saving equipment may impose. Indeed, integrated efficient building design can result in substantial savings at little cost—or possibly even less cost than traditional design.

Integrated building design requires paying extra attention up front in the initial building design. If designers are typically paid a commission on the building price tag, it may not be in their best interest to spend that extra time. A municipality or utility can encourage them in a number of ways:

Start a building rating program;
Provide educational programs and facilities, and provide direct design support;
Provide incentives based on total energy use reduction rather than simply for incremental upgrades or efficient equipment;
Make sure incentives target the design

One of the best ways to lower average energy use in new homes is to adopt and enforce, or provide incentives for achieving, energy efficient building standards. New homes are generally required to meet the 1993 energy standards of the International Code Council’s Model Energy Code (MEC). The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) developed by DOE and the HERS Council is a rating system based on the MEC. Houses that meet the 1993 MEC standards receive the lowest one star rating whereas houses that are 30 percent better than the MEC standards receive the highest five star rating.

EPA has also developed an Energy Star Homes program to help homebuilders and developers achieve the five star HERS rating. Homes that receive high HERS ratings generally incorporate many efficient building features including advanced insulation, tighter construction, efficient windows, and upgraded HVAC systems. Since the start of the HERS program, the EPA has published a list of 2000 Energy Star Homes that save an average of 40 percent in energy cost as compared to the standard home built to meet MEC’s 1993 building codes.

California's strict 2001 Title 24 Energy Efficiency standards go even further than the MEC codes. They are considered to be the toughest energy code in force today. Some communities adopt or modify the California Title 24 standard for their energy efficient residential building code.

Even if your community has an energy efficient building code in place, it needs to be well enforced in order to be effective. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy found in their 2003 report, America's Best: Profiles of America's Leading Energy Efficiency Programs, that in most cases, a 100 percent compliance with energy codes is very rare. The ACEEE report cites a California Energy Commission study of 63 homes, which found that over half did not meet their Title 24 Energy budgets. Why? Some of the reasons include: a lack of informed builders and subcontractors; complex building standards; lack of educational materials/software; insufficient training of code officials and design professionals; and overworked code officials. The study recommended improved training for code officials and design professionals, circuit rider educational programs, and distribution of code compliance materials.

Some communities, such as the County of Santa Barbara, provide incentives for green buildings that exceed required energy standards, in this case California Energy Standard Title 24. Santa Barbara County has a Building Design review Committee that offers fast track building plan approval for green structures, awards, design assistance, and local tax relief.

More information on green building code programs can be found through DOE's Smart Communities Network.

www.rmi.org/HEB