energy efficiency Continued from page 07. We are all familiar with what a conventionally framed house looks like under construction, those intricately laced wood skeletons marching street to street in new subdivisions. Ken Thurston Homes does not use the common framing system of 2x4-inch studs, set 16 inches apart and then ordinary batt insulation. Innovative design technology shows it’s not an efficient way to build a house. Building America teams like Ken Thurston Homes use 2x6-inch studs set 24 inches apart, with blown-in insulation. This framing technique allows more room for thicker insulation, enhances the strength of the house and reduces thermal bridging through the studs. It also reduces the overall amount of wood used, thus cutting framing time and labor costs. Savings realized during framing can be reinvested for additional energy-saving features. A tightly sealed house helps reduce heating and cooling loads, which allows builders to install smaller less costly heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Again, these savings can be further allocated to make the home more efficient and comfortable. Ken Thurston Homes seals everything that penetrates the house envelope, “absolutely thoroughly!” Another source of inefficiency is the all too common practice of placing
the heating and cooling system in the attic. This is a “foolish no, no!” says Ken Thurston. Building America builders place the ducts in a “conditioned space” in the hallway. This eliminates heat loss to the exterior and limits the temperature difference at the ducts. This central location also enables builders to use shorter duct runs, a move that can cut material and installation costs by over 50% and again save energy. All homes which bear the Building America Partner Program seal are independently tested to assure compliance with the highest standards of performance set by the program. Nationally, the concept, which grew out of the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico’s Green Builder Program in 2001, has been recognized as one of the best building programs in the country, setting the standard for homebuilding in the 21st Century. And, the first builder to become a Building America Partner in Las Cruces was Ken Thurston.
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Energy Star. Anyone who has recently shopped for appliances should be familiar with the Energy Star label. This assures that the product has met
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strict EPA and US Department of Energy guidelines for energy efficiency. Houses may receive the seal as well as refrigerators. Last year’s statistics suggest that energy efficient choices saved enough energy to power 20 million homes and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 18 million cars – all while saving $8 billion in energy costs. Homeowners can expect to save about $200 to $400 annually on their utility bills. Energy Star qualified new homes have been verified to be at least 30% more energy efficient than homes built to the 1993 national energy code. The savings are based on heating, cooling and hot water energy use and are typically achieved by the following design innovations similar to the Building America Partners Program: