Key Energy-Efficient Features for Today’s Boomer Buyer
Craig Havenner, president of Christopher Companies — one of a trio of developers building out the active-adult community The Crest of Alexandria — understands the benefits a high-performance building provides his customers. Therefore, his company has made a commitment to building green and certifying to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) and ENERGY STAR program. The company looks at a variety of design and construction elements, from insulation and windows to interior features, to build homes that are efficient and comfortable.
Baby boomers moving into communities like The Crest desire energy-efficient features, especially windows and appliances, and in addition, 84% of potential home buyers recently surveyed favor whole-home energy certification. One of the main strategies for providing the efficient homes boomers want is to minimize air leaks, also known as reducing infiltration.
[caption id="attachment_15300" align="alignright" width="225"] Brendon Roark, NGBS verifier with Nations Capital Energy Solution, points out the mastic, which looks like dark-gray paint, used for the ductwork. The metal bars are used to minimize vibrations from the unit above to reduce overhead noise.[/caption]
“One area that has evolved over the past 20 years is infiltration," Havenner noted during a recent property tour with NAHB staff. "People began to realize infiltration is a big deal, especially when unintended. It adds to owners' energy bills because, in addition to heating and cooling the home, you are heating and cooling outside air as well."
Christopher Companies and its teams minimize infiltration by achieving a tight building envelope as part of their certification strategy through multiple design practices, including:
- Insulation:
- 5-inch-thick open cell spray foam in the upper sections of the exterior walls
- batt insulation enclosed on six sides in the exterior and party walls
- Windows:
- ultra-low U-factor windows (ranging from 0.26-0.30 vs. standard of 0.35)
- solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) ranging from 0.18-0.21
- Sealing:
- building envelope — including the top and bottom plates and around all windows
- ductwork with a combination of tape (fiberglass or foil, not ‘duct tape’) and mastic
- Low or no VOC paints, adhesives and sealants;
- Non-emitting hard surface flooring;
- Ventilating bathrooms, clothes dryers and kitchen range hoods directly to the outdoors; and
- Balanced ventilation to ensure proper conditioned fresh air supply.