New Home Construction
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.
