Wow!! I am trying to remember where it all started. Twenty-one years ago with the construction of my own passive solar (kinda') house? Or 9 years ago when I installed the PV system? I guess the energy saving stuff has always fascinated me, and being an old math major, the numbers of energy saving are really intriguing. But that is old news, ancient history.
So I have been watching the market, patiently waiting for the day when energy efficiency would become important in this area. About four years ago, I heard about Energy Star. What a great idea. But at that time the average consumer was unwilling to spend $800 in their new home to add Low-E glazing to their windows. Now it is happening. The consumers are becoming more energy and environmentally conscious. For several reasons. Energy costs are going up, and are going to continue rising. Resources are costly, and by optimizing their use by planning, recycling and just good construction practice, it is actually possible to construct lower impact homes.
Last year we officially became an Energy Star builder. We committed to the concept to the extent that all Wheatland homes will be Energy Star certified. (The key to the certification is that it is cone by a third party inspector, who does all the testing required to issue the certification.) This has been a good experience, both in the technical aspects of the construction, as well as the discussions we have had with vendors and consumers.
Tune in tomorrow for more!
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