ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR. It’s the little label with the big message: Better is Better.

Wright Builders is proud to offer new homes that have earned the ENERGY STAR® label. The ENERGY STAR label means that your new home has been designed and built to standards well above other homes in the market today. It means better quality, better comfort, and better durability. It also means that your new home is a better value for today, and a better investment for tomorrow. The ENERGY STAR label gives you the peace of mind that your home has undergone a better process for inspections, testing, and verification to ensure that it meets strict requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ENERGY STAR certified homes are better because they are designed and built to provide homeowners:

Peace of Mind. The result of a home that’s built better.

With the ENERGY STAR label on your new home, you can be confident that it will deliver. When ENERGY STAR requirements are applied to new home construction, an integrated approach to design combined with tried-and-true best building practices adds up to a durable, comfortable home with reduced utility and maintenance costs. Our ENERGY STAR certified homes have undergone more inspections and testing than typical homes to ensure that your new home was built to higher standards.

Enduring Quality. Better systems make all the difference.

Purchasing a new home is a big investment, so it’s important to be sure that it’s built to last. We design all of our new ENERGY STAR certified homes to include value-adding energy efficiency features, and a combination of materials and equipment that will deliver better performance.

Indoor airPlus

Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program which Wright Builders participates in. Indoor air quality is improved by us being required to abide by certain construction practices and product specifications that then minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants.  Clean air is good for everyone’s health, but it can be especially important to those that have chronic respiratory conditions.

Benefits of Indoor airPLUS Homes

Healthier Homes by Design

Indoor airPLUS qualified homes have numerous advantages.

Improve Indoor Air Quality

Indoor airPLUS is a companion label to ENERGY STAR. Together, these programs provide comprehensive health protections. Homes built to earn the Indoor airPLUS label include features to reduce contaminants that can lead to poor indoor air quality, including mold, moisture, radon, carbon monoxide, toxic chemicals and more.

Minimize Pollutants

Moisture and pest control, among other things, can help protect your family by eliminating common allergens from entering the home, such as mold and pest residue. Your builder will provide a first line of defense against pests like cockroaches and rodents by fully sealing, caulking, or screening where pests enter your home.

Improve Comfort

Your ENERGY STAR and Indoor airPLUS home can provide a more comfortable living environment because it includes properly engineered HVAC system sizing, improved duct and equipment installation, improved filtration and whole-house and spot ventilation to dilute and remove indoor pollutants.

Protect Against Combustion Pollutants

The home provides protection from potential exposure to combustion pollutants by the installation of heating equipment that cannot spill combustion gases inside the home and preventing pollutants in the garage from entering your house. Also, carbon monoxide alarms are in all sleeping areas.

Home Maintenance Manual

After purchasing a home with EPA Indoor airPLUS qualification, you’ll receive a manual explaining your home’s indoor air quality features and how to operate your home to continue minimizing the risk of indoor air quality problems. In addition, your home will have a label as proof that it was built to the high indoor air quality specifications if you resell the home.

Energy Efficiency

All Indoor airPLUS homes must first earn ENERGY STAR certification. ENERGY STAR certified new homes are designed and built to standards well above most other homes on the market today, delivering energy efficiency savings of up to 30 percent when compared to typical new homes. A new home that has earned the ENERGY STAR label has undergone a process of inspections, testing and verification to meet strict requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), delivering better quality, better comfort and better durability.

LEED Certified

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ was developed by the US Green Building Council to encourage sustainable green building and development practices. We are enthusiastic USGBC members and sponsors and strive to achieve a minimum standard of Silver LEED Certified on our new construction homes and offices.

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance. HERS® index functions as sort of energy efficiency version of a MPG (miles-per-gallon) sticker for houses, and informs home-owners about how their homes compare to other similar ones in terms of energy usage. All of Wright Builders’ homes are assessed by a local, reputable third party rater. In fact, this rating, as of January 2017, is a Massachusetts building code requirement. Wright Builders has been doing these ratings for over 10 years.

Take a look here at many of Wright Builders’ LEED and ENERGY STAR Certified homes!

If you’re into the green lifestyle and looking for an energy-efficient home built with a maximum of recycled materials, call us today.

Visit the US Green Building Council website for more information.

Download the LEED for Homes Rating System Card

SAM_0917What does ‘green’ really mean?

Looking at two seemingly identical houses, one ENERGY STAR/LEED Certified and the other minimally code compliant, you won’t notice much on the surface that seems to be different.

The code minimum house will be a little cheaper. Money’s tight, and you want to get the most for your money. So…don’t buy the cheaper house! Spending a little more on the energy-efficient home will save you money in the long run because of these differences in the construction:

  • Higher standards of insulation installation, leading to a more weather-tight house.
  • Prescribed detailing to virtually eliminate wind infiltration.
  • Minimal usage of low performance insulation products such as fiberglass.
  • Class 1 Cellulose insulation, a locally recycled product that is sustainable.
  • More efficient heating systems and sealed ductwork to reduce air leakage.
  • Floor system air sealing for greater comfort.
  • Efficient doors and windows.
  • Low E glass.
  • Sealing around doors and windows with high performance materials.
  • Sealed combustion direct vent heating equipment.
  • No fuel smell from oil heating equipment.
  • Attics and knee walls sealed from living spaces as if they were outdoors (which they are).
  • Up to 35% heating cost savings.
  • Minimum SEER 14 cooling equipment.
  • Indoor comfort at lower temperatures because of reduced drafts.
  • High efficiency lighting reduces lighting costs by 75%.
  • Higher humidity levels are achievable without damage to house – approximately 40% for greater health and comfort indoors.
  • Constant/periodic ventilation to refresh interior air.
  • Gas stove hoods vent outdoors for fumes and cooking odors.

Bewildered by the buzzwords? Check out our Vocabulary page for all the definitions!