Home energy efficiency

Standard Code Home Energy Efficient Home... 

Nevin, R. and Watson, G. (1998). Evidence of Rational Market Valuations lor Home Energy Efficiency. The Appraisal Journal (October) 4U1-4U9. 

Home 1,500 sq. ft. apartment or condominium in a city high-rise. 5,000 sq. ft. energy-efficient home in the suburbs. 5,000 sq. ft., nonenergy-efficient home in the suburbs. 

Aesthetics is often more important than energy efficiency to home buyers. Energy efficiency that is... 

From early cave dwellings to the well-appointed suburban homes of today, the most fundamental reason for shelter remains to provide protection from weather and other possible dangers. Beyond this most basic purpose, modern culture has forged a number of other expectations for homes, including affordability, comfort, health, durability, and peace of mind. This article explains the concepts behind energy-efficient homes—how they meet our basic needs... 

If outdoor air can easily leak into and through homes, both comfort and energy-efficient performance will be difficult to maintain. Today, off-the-shelf technologies that contribute to airtight construction include a variety of house wraps, sealants, foams, and tapes. In energy-efficient homes, builders use these tools to seal the myriad of cracks... 

A home must be correctly insulated to be energy-efficient. Table 1 shows U.S. Department ofEnergy (DOE) recommended minimum insulation values for different climates throughout the country. The R-value is a measure of insulation effectiveness— the higher the R-value, the more insulation is pro-... 

The impact of incorrect equipment sizing practices is magnified in an energy-efficient home that has dramatically reduced heating and cooling loads. 

Cost Advantage of Energy Efficient Homes Cash flow example for an average" home. 

Drafts, condensation on windows, ice damming, excessive noise from outdoors or equipment operation, and rooms that are cold in winter and hot in summer will diminish comfort in a home. Air-sealed construction, improved insulation, high-performance windows, right-sized, efficient hcating/cooling distribution systems, and mechanical ventilation commonly found in energy-efficient homes all work together to effectively eliminate these problems. 

The average American home is responsible for more annual pollution than the average car. This often comes as a surprise because the pollution attributed to homes is produced miles away at a power plant or out-of-sight from roof exhaust flues. However, eveiy time someone flips a switch, activates the air conditioning, or takes a shower, pollution is being produced. There will be growing appreciation for energy efficient homes that help prevent pollution. 

Energy- Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) Home Page. Washington DC U.S. Department of... 

Consumers buy homes with windows for the aesthetics, daylighting, and improved view of windows, yet they don t want to sacrifice comfort, that condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the environment. Energy efficient windows transfer less... 

Energy-efficient houses have been shown to have higher radon concentrations than others. In the Netherlands, for example, rooms with double-glazed windows were found to have radon concentrations twice as high as those in rooms with single-pane windows (Wolfs et al, 1984). New York energy-efficient houses with heat storage masses had radon concentrations 1.6 times those for conventional homes (Fleischer and Turner, 1984) and in Sweden the same enhancement in radon concentration is found (Nyblom, 1980). 

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