5 Star Energy Homes

Home energy ratings indicate the energy efficiency of a new or existing home on a scale from 500 to 0, where a lower number indicates greater energy efficiency. A home with a zero rating indicates an extremely energy efficient home featuring zero net energy consumption from nonrenewable resources. Having a zero rating in the Upper Peninsula can be a great asset when it comes to little or no energy bills.  A home with a 500 rating would be considered extremely energy inefficient. A home that meets the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) standard would achieve a 100 rating. 1

The Becker Residence Scored a 42 in the Upper Peninsula during February of 2009. 

A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the home’s plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS index.  To learn more about the HERS Index Click Here. 

Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed (if any) to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home. 2

Get more house for the money when you build or buy a five star energy home with a Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). An energy mortgage is a mortgage that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the home loan. For an energy efficient home, for example, it could mean giving the home buyer the ability to buy a higher quality home because of the lower monthly costs of heating and cooling the home. For homes in which the energy efficiency can be improved, this concept allows the money saved in monthly utility bills to finance energy improvements.