Energy Star Homes Raleigh NC
ENERGY STAR Homes Continue to Increase in Raleigh
Buying a Home Without ENERGY STAR May Make Future Resale Tougher
ENERGY STAR continues to quietly transform the way new homes are built.
Percentage of ENERGY STAR Homes Increasing
The number of homes built to exacting ENERGY STAR standards in the Raleigh area INCREASED in 2008 (versus 2007), by 66%!
Even more significantly - overall construction decreased in 2008. The number of permits issued in Wake County Jan-July 2008 was down 24%. And yet the number of fully certified ENERGY STAR homes came close to doubling!
Here's the trend in ENERGY STAR homes over the past five years:
Only 42 homes were ENERGY STAR certified in Raleigh in 2004. In 2008, a total of 1233 new homes were built to standards that exceed the building code by at least 15%, lowering utility costs and helping protect the environment.
That's a 29 times increase in just 5 short years!
The big question - if you choose to purchase a home today that is NOT ENERGY STAR certified, will your home have a tougher time selling in 5 years?
Consider:
Over 90% of consumers who have purchased ENERGY STAR say they'll do so again, one of the highest satisfaction ratings.
Local Raleigh area utility companies are offering incentives for builders and homebuyers of ENERGY STAR homes, in order to reduce future dependence on power supplies.
Homebuyers are more and more often considering both the environment and future energy costs when purchasing a home, and an ENERGY STAR home is a "greener" home.
What Does ENERGY STAR Mean?
- Air Sealing
- Tighter Ducts
- Advanced Windows
- Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
- Field Verified
- Correctly Installed Insulation
- Complete Air Barrier
- "Right Sized" HVAC Systems
- 5% Progress Energy/Duke Energy Monthly Discounts
- 15-20% Reduced Heating and Cooling Costs
You may also be interested in these Green Building topics:
Bayer MaterialScience High Performance Residential Program - Guaranteed Savings
Green Building - What's in a Green Home?
What Is Geothermal? Homes with Geothermal Heating and Cooling
Green Home Features Available in Raleigh
Finding Your New Home in the Raleigh Area
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Call 919-278-8070 or visit www.StantonHomes.com to find out more about new homes in the Raleigh area today.
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Articles copyright Stanton Homes 2006-2011. Unauthorized use is not permitted. Provided for informational purposes only, no claims are made by Stanton Homes regarding the validity of any statements. Please note: all listing information per MLS, and current as of posting date. Information subject to change. Stanton Homes does not make claims to ownership of any lot listings, but can work with homebuyers to purchase available lots and build. Home plans to be approved on an individual basis, subject to neighborhood restrictive covenants and lot restrictions. Ask for further information regarding any community, lot or floor plan. Photos represent typical homes and details of each neighborhood, to help highlight different options available in the Raleigh/Triangle area. No claim of ownership is made to homes or land pictured.
This is starting to happen more and more here too. Every builder is advertising something GREEN. The resale homes are being renovated/insulated, triple pane windows, etc. It's everywhere.
This is a huge expense, and a lot of people (the elderly, on a small pension, for example), won't be able to afford it.
And hopefully, with some government incentives, or tax credits, maybe everyone will be able to do it.
Sylvie - Fortunately the cost of ENERGY STAR is decreasing. It's now about 1% of the total cost of the home.
Not only that, the monthly savings in energy costs more than makes up for the difference in the slightly higher mortgage payment. The average overall savings in this area is about $25 per month, even after factoring the difference in mortgage payment. Then you get to add the 5% Progress Energy discount too!
I would agree that there are green features that shouldn't be expected in everyone's budget - it's surprising to some that recycled pressed paper countertops cost more than granite, for instance. But ENERGY STAR is one choice that makes sense for almost everyone.
great article for your local buyers and sellers. Energy star homes are also becoming more popular in the Colorado Springs area
Energy Star makes sense in so many areas - here, for the warm, humid summers, and Colorado for the long cold winters!
Penny , I think your right on track ! Builders who build to Code are building to the bare minimum standards which I equate to a "D" in school - you passed , I give the Energy Star minimum 15% better than code threshold a "C" grade , as you & I know it's fairly easy to acheive ! I would say if you build a home that's 30% better than you get a "B" , 40% better you get an "A" & 50% or more you get Advanced Placement Credits ! Why would some one buy a car that gets 12 MPG if they could get one that gets 60 MPG ? Try selling a used SUV when gas was over $4.00 per gallon ! Eventually homes will be looked at the same way ! Keepin' it Green !
Ed - It's likely that Energy Star will become standard sometime in the next 5-10 years. Anyone who buys Energy Star today will be a step ahead.