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Building an Energy Star Certified Home
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Building an Energy Star Certified Home
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" Let's meet John Livermore from energy star about how are you what's with the red door. Well this is a blower door and this is a requirement for any energy star home that becomes certified. The energy star homes program is. A program that was started by the US Environmental Protection Agency to certify homes that are 30% more energy efficient. Than model energy code and what are the advantages of getting that certification. Well here in Massachusetts the program is sponsored by consortium of electric and gas utilities. And energy service providers here nasty. That is cape light compact right and he's been energy. They provide a package of services and rebates. That are available to builders and homebuyers who build to the energy star home standard rebates we like that board -- what are some of the other features that have to be included in the house. Well. Air sealing is is the very critical component of any energy star home what we've learned is from thirty years of building science is that you want to build tight. And -- right. So building tight involves doing air sealing this is a this is pur fill. Low expansion foam and along with the terrorists foam gun this is an excellent tool for going and sealing all the cracks and leaks around windows doors and penetration in the -- in this case and this is something it's done in the construction or remodeling process that's correct what about building house so tight that it doesn't have healthy air. Well healthy air is absolutely critical Bob and to ensure that in these homes we are using Panasonic whisper lite. -- fan combinations. In conjunction with the grassland. 24 hour pin timer so this is what goes in the bathroom ceiling that's correct I -- so this will be not just exhausting humidity and odors but. And any. Humidity odors. Gases that are created it's as part of providing air changes in the whole house exactly it's bringing in fresh air from the outside at a controlled ventilation rate that ensures healthy indoor air quality --"
" What are some of these other components this isn't programmable thermostat. And what this allows the homeowner to do is to. Schedule the temperature in their home so okay typically you can save about 1% for every. Degree you set back over an eight hour period so if you set your thermostat back from seventy to sixty at night for an eight hour period to save 10% of your heating -- the smartest things that any homeowner can do whether you're in an energy star rated homer. You know big you know gas guzzler or whatever. Just to control the amount of energy used to keep the heat on during those hours that you're not in the home. That's absolutely right and then of course there's light bulbs. These are fantastic. These are compact fluorescent bulbs use 70% less electricity than. That's standard incandescent well they put out a lot less heat they last about ten times as long. And so we put as many of these in each energy star home that we certify as we possibly can. Fabulous they're a little bit more expensive up front aren't they. They they are a little bit of -- the price has been coming down consistently over the past few years so that. They're they're not really much more and they save 70% of payback is definitely there if it's a great payback thank you giant -- it's a great program."
