Why It Pays to Build Efficiently

• Save money every month.

  Energy-efficient features will lower your utility bill each month and improve building durability.

• Some energy-saving features can reduce construction costs.

  Increasing insulation and sealing air leaks reduce heating and cooling needs, enabling you to reduce or eliminate the need for large cooling and heating equipment and ductwork.

• Increase a home's resale value.

  Buyers pay more for a home that has a proven track record of low energy bills.

• Protect your health.

  Tighter construction means your indoor air is cleaner and your exposure to mold, pollen, dust mites and other contaminants is reduced.

• Enjoy a more comfortable home.

  Better windows, proper insulation and airtight construction reduce noise, floor squeaking, drywall cracks and cold drafts.

• Protect the environment.

  An energy-efficient home requires less energy and therefore, reduces the amount of electricity needed to be generated. Burning fossil fuels to generate electricity releases sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide, primary contributors to smog, and carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy Technology Fact Sheet: "Energy Efficiency Pays," March 1999.

Step 1: Understand how high-efficiency homes save energy and money

A new home is most energy efficient if treated as a single energy-consuming system, rather than an unrelated collection of doors, walls, windows, ducts, lighting, appliances and heating and cooling equipment.

For example, while high-efficiency air conditioning equipment can reduce cooling costs by up to 20% each year and high-efficiency heating equipment can reduce heating costs by up to 35% each year, the ability to reach these savings depends on the structure of your home. The following measures will ensure that the features of your home work together to keep heating and cooling costs low:

• Seal and adequately insulate ductwork. Poorly sealed ducts can leak up to 30% of heated or cooled air, requiring that much more energy to bring your home to the desired comfort level. Proper duct sealing can eliminate or significantly reduce this air loss.
• Seal the ceiling, outer walls, windows and floors and properly install insulation in walls, foundation and roof to reduce air leakages. The savings? Heating and cooling bill reductions of up to 10%.
• Properly install windows with insulating and low-emittance (low-E) glass to prevent heat gain during the summer and leat loss during the winter. These windows can help reduce heating and cooling bills by up to 15%, depending on the climate.

Other ideas to keep total energy costs low for new homes or additions include:

• Install interior lighting with efficient compact or tubular fluorescent bulbs.
• Install exterior lighting with compact fluorescent or high-pressure sodium fixtures.
• Install motion sensors or photocells to operate lights automatically and prevent energy use in rooms or areas that are unoccupied.
• Install energy- and water-efficient appliances and plumbing fixtures.

Step 2: Do not just comply with building standards. Exceed them!

The Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings, or Title 24, were established in part to reduce California's energy consumption. Title 24 (along with standards for energy-efficient appliances) has saved Californians more than $20 billion in electricity and natural gas costs. By 2011, Californians will have saved an estimated $57 billion!

Many homes across California have proven the benefits of going beyond Title 24. Nearly 10% of the 192,000 new homes built in California in 2003 (19,000) qualified as ENERGY STAR homes by surpassing the state's energy efficiency building code by at least 15%.

Step 3: Take advantage of Flex Your Power resources

Whether you are a homeowner, builder, subcontractor or home inspector, you can find free Rebates, Incentives & Services offered by utilities and companies to help you build and design energy-efficient homes, and exceed Title 24.