Image Credit: www.connectyourhome.com

Saving money is a top priority for many homeowners. And as more people learn about the money savings benefits of high-performance and energy efficient homes and upgrades, the demand for these improvements is growing.

If you are among the growing number of homeowners who are planning to make major energy efficient upgrades to your existing home, or if you are working with your home builder to incorporate high-performance features into your home you may be wondering what the top energy efficient features and upgrades are.

According to ENERGY STAR studies, the average household’s heating and cooling expenses account for more than half of the energy bills, while about 30% goes to lighting and appliances, with the remainder of energy costs are from heating water (source: Bankrate.com). It is important to note how many factors come into play with the efficiency of a heating and cooling system, however: insulation, windows, thermal envelope, duct work integrity, and the heating and cooling systems themselves.

Suzanne Shelton, CEO of one of the top sustainability marketing research firms, the Shelton Group, says when it comes to what buyers are looking for, 47% look for ENERGY STAR appliances, 44% want high-efficiency windows, and high-efficiency HVAC equipment is important to 30% of customers (source: EcoHome Magazine).

While an efficient HVAC might not be the most glamorous selling point on it’s own, when taken into combination with energy efficient window upgrades that are necessary for better performance and are a top point for home buyers, getting control over your home’s heating and cooling is a top priority for the comfort and value of your home-not to mention your pocketbook. That is not to say that appliances and lighting aren’t important, nor should they be ignored-they make up a sizable chunk of your energy costs and should be made a priority as well.

It is important to approach each home and project on an individual basis, beginning with an energy audit especially if the home was built more than 5-10 years ago. You can also find ENERGY STAR partners in St Louis to help your begin your energy efficient upgrades and construction projects to help clarify the process and what is right for your home by searching the ENERGY STAR website..

A thermal image from an energy audit, credit www.energytribe.com

As the price of energy continues it’s perpetual climb, the only way you can really combat the rising costs is by decreasing your usage. Many St Louis families are trading in their gas guzzling vehicles for better fuel efficiency, and an increasing number of our clients are paying closer attention to the energy efficiency of their new custom homes as well.

While energy efficiency may seem like a  like a nebulous concept, there are tools available to homeowners that measure their home’s energy efficiency and to help determine what steps can be taken in order to reign in their usage. Whether you’re considering a small upgrade or a complete energy efficient renovation, the first step towards improving your home’s energy efficiency is performing an energy audit.

One of the most common energy audits on the market today is the Home Energy Rating System, or HERS. This audit can be completed by an authorized professional and assigns each home a score to determine the it’s efficiency. The HERS score takes into account many energy efficiency factors such as on-site energy production (such as solar panels), and energy usage such as that by lighting and appliances, and the results of a blower door and infrared camera test to evaluate the home’s thermal envelope and how many times the air within the home is exchanged with the outside. You can learn more about what happens during an energy audit by checking out our interview with Marc Bluestone, a registered energy auditor with Home Green Home.

After factoring together the audit results homeowners can determine and prioritize which upgrades and renovations can be done to save hundreds, and even thousands of dollars each year on home energy costs. While most often performed during the construction or renovation of a home, these test are also becoming increasingly common during the inspection phase of a home’s sale so many homeowners are opting to have these test done prior to listing to correct any issues, and even to help aid in the marketing of their homes.

You can find a home energy auditor by contacting the St Louis Home Builder’s Association, or by contacting your local gas or electric utility. It’s perhaps one of the best tools a homeowner has to combat the rising costs of energy.

In this rendering from architect Jeff Day you can see how Active House utilizes natural lighting and energy via windows and lot placement to conserve energy.

We are in the middle of two very exciting and important weeks in the construction of Active House USA. As you can imagine, it takes a team of highly skilled hardworking people to partner together to build a new, custom home. And with all of the industry leading technologies and techniques that are going into Active House USA, the partners involved in the project are as enthusiastic as they are dedicated to making this project successful.

Over the last few months architect Jeff Day has worked closely with the homeowners, as well the Hibbs Homes and Verdatek Solutions crew and project partners, to design an innovative green home that also blends seamlessly with the surrounding, historic neighborhood of Webster Groves, MO. Visually the home is at home with it’s neighbors, however the energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and the attention to the surrounding environment are features that the rest of the block would be hard pressed to keep up with. In fact, the design fits within in the neighborhood so well that Active House project manager Matt Belcher of Verdatek Solutions overheard many people who visited at an Active House Alliance conference booth in Europe commenting on how traditional and all-American the design of the home is compared to the other prototype homes around the world.

Consulting partner & Active House project manager Matt Belcher with homeowners David, Thuy & Cameron Smith.

To make way for Active House USA, the previous house on the lot was torn down yesterday, and the homeowners were there along with friends and family to watch this very important first step towards their new home take place. Homeowner David Smith was even manning the equipment during the first few swipes, taking down the front porch and front facade before turning it over to the pros.

Next week marks another important Active House milestone-groundbreaking! Hibbs Homes, Verdatek Solutions, Active House Alliance members, will be there along with local leaders and the homeowners to mark the official start of construction on May 2 at 10:00am. In the weeks following the ceremony, construction crews will start getting to work, and the goal is to have the home certified, the homeowners moved in, and have Mizzou’s monitoring set and ready to go by this fall.

You can find out more about the project and follow the progress by heading over the the website ActiveHouseUSA.com, and find out more about Active House and the Alliance by heading to ActiveHouse.info.