You may know the U.S. government's ENERGY STAR rating system. You've seen ENERGY STAR labels on appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators. ENERGY STAR is your assurance that an appliance meets stringent standards for low energy consumption.

But did you know that an entire house can receive an ENERGY STAR certification?

Building to strict ENERGY STAR compliance ensures your home is at least 15 percent more energy efficient than state code. Not only will this save you thousands of dollars in lifetime energy costs compared with building a noncompliant home, but your initial investment in ENERGY STAR certification increases in value over time. Should you choose to sell your ENERGY STAR home later, you'll enjoy peace of mind knowing that smart buyers choose energy-efficient homes above all others.

Home Energy Checkup is the number one promoter and qualifier of ENERGY STAR new homes in the tri-state. For this reason, a family building a dream home, a savvy homebuilder, or a government agency building hundreds of units on one site all agree: Home Energy Checkup is the smart choice. It's the reason our company won the prestigious ENERGY STAR Leadership Award in 2008.

Benefits of an ENERGY STAR home:

For homeowners:

• Peace of mind
• Accurate estimates of future energy bills before the build
• Good for the environment
• Increased resale value for your home
• Special financing options

For professional builders:

• Increased sales
• Reduced costs (tax credits, smaller HVAC equipment, faster sales, etc.)
• Increased customer satisfaction

How Home Energy Checkup helps you build an ENERGY STAR home:

1. Share your plans blueprints, specifications and utility bill goals with us. We then work with you to find the optimal balance between plans, needs, and goals and provide extensive feedback that ensures the best return on investment.
2. Once construction starts, we perform two site inspections: before drywall installation and before closing.
3. With your home's construction complete, we provide the following:
   • Registration with the EPA
   • A label with your home's energy score for the breaker box
   • A professionally bound homeowner welcome and technical report
   • An ENERGY STAR certificate for your home

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Building an environmentally-friendly home can be confusing. There are many different green certification programs all claiming to be the best. Sadly, many are little more than schemes from so-called experts to sell products or expensive certifications.

NAHB Green from the National Association of Homebuilders is different. It ensures that your entire investment in building green goes into your new home. And it keeps you fully informed and involved throughout the green building process.

Home Energy Checkup was the first NAHB Green verifier in the tri-state. Reducing site impact and water, energy, and building material resource consumption, monitoring indoor air quality and HVAC efficiency, and renewable energy systems—Home Energy Checkup is your NAHB Green expert. Our experience and knowledge are why both professional homebuilders crafting single-family homes and government agencies building multiple units on one site choose us first. If the professionals do, shouldn't you?

Benefits of NAHB Green:

For homeowners:

• Lowest investment costs required to meet green goals
• Highest quality program-meets ANSI standards
• Peace of mind from building with safer, environmentally-friendly products
• Good for the environment
• Increased resale value for your home

For professional builders:

• Lowest investment costs required to meet green goals
• Product differentiation
• Increased customer satisfaction
• NAHB—it's your program

How Home Energy Checkup helps you build an NAHB Green home:

1. Register at NAHBgreen.org
2. Input your project at the site
3. Contact us. We perform two site inspections: before drywall installation and before closing.
4. With your home's construction complete, you receive your NAHB Green certification from the NAHB Research Council.

Building a Green Home-Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a green home?
   A green home seeks to maximize the quality of the indoor environment while saving energy and resources. For example, the size of the home and the number of occupants, the types of materials used for building, the availability of building materials from local sources, and the home's proximity to neighborhood services are just a few of the considerations that go into building a green home.
2. How many homes today are truly green?
   Less than 1 percent.
3. How does building a green home differ from building a regular home?
   More thought is put into the site, the orientation of the home on the lot, the incorporation of passive solar design techniques, and the type of materials that go into the home, to name a few of the many distinctives.
4. Does a green home have to meet ENERGY STAR New Home requirements?
   No. But we recommend qualifying the home as an ENERGY STAR home as this additional investment ensures your home's sustainability now and in the future.

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Building a new home, replacing major systems (windows, heating and cooling, insulation, etc.) or considering an addition? Don't go into a project alone. If you are unsure how components work together as a system or which ones bring the best performance and return on investment, Home Energy Checkup has the answers.

Designing energy efficiency into your home or addition is the key to lower utility bills and lasting comfort. From basic ENERGY STAR designs to zero energy homes, we have the experience, knowledge, and industry accreditation you need.

Our three-step process assures you an energy-efficient design for your new home, renovation, or addition:

1. Customer Needs Analysis
   
   We examine your project's details and clarify the desired outcome for the design. (For existing homes, we begin with My Energy Plan, which includes a multipoint energy use analysis of your home.) We also prioritize design characteristics and agree on project deliverables.
2. Detailed Data Analysis
   
   We create a customized energy model using computer simulation for your specific project. We use as many as seven advanced software tools to predict if your home will meet your energy performance goals.
3. Customer Review and Design Finalization
   
   With the preliminary design complete, we verify project deliverables have been met then hand off the final documents. In addition, you may elect to further enhance your project with one of our additional services: an Energy Makeover, ENERGY STAR new home qualification, or NAHB Green certification.

Benefits of an energy-efficient home design:

• Sources of energy loss and waste eliminated
• Maximized return on investment
• Improved home comfort
• Reduced toxic indoor air pollutants
• Increased home safety
• Decreased dependence on nonrenewable energy sources
• Increased resale value for your home

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Ductwork often leaks at the perforations, seams, and gaps into the unconditioned spaces (attic and garage) of a home. Leaving these leaks unsealed is like driving with a hole in your gas tank. Why install costly, high-SEER heating and cooling equipment only to waste that advantage through leaky ductwork? Builders, have your ductwork smoke tested before it becomes inaccessible. At Home Energy Checkup, we blow theatrical fog through ductwork at low pressure to visually identify duct leaks. HVAC technicians then seal the leaks prior to drywall installation. Your cost is minimal compared to the energy savings and health benefits your clients will enjoy.

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