High Performance Tour Guide Book
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Many members of the Home Builders Associations have incorporated advanced building science and ecofriendly products into their homes, providing healthy living environments in functional living spaces. So, what’s in it for you?
The homes you will see on the 18th Annual Green Home Tour benefit you in many ways, in your costs to operate your home, in your family’s improved healthiness and comfort. These green homes are designed and constructed to be more durable and require less maintenance, have lower monthly operating costs — 30% lower on average — help you breathe and sleep better, and are more environmentally friendly than a home that is built to code-minimum standards.
Refer to this handy chart when checking out the homes. See how many of the features you can find, and talk with Tour builders about the features that make their home certified.
NGBS – The National Green Building Standard is the only green building rating system for homes and apartments approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as an American National Standard. NGBS consists of four certification performance levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Emerald. Requires increasingly higher point thresholds in all categories for a home to reach the next level of certification. Program available nationally. Learn more about NGBS at www.NGBS.com.
ecoSelect – Straightforward standards designed to measurably improve energy efficiency. ecoSelect establishes a solid foundation and works toward reducing the home’s energy use while incorporating and promoting the integration of indoor air quality and water efficiency features. Program available nationally. Learn more about ecoSelect at https://southern-energy.com/ecoselect.
ENERGY STAR® – Checklist and inspections, testing and verifications that meet the strict requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These homes earn the ENERGY STAR® label by delivering better quality, better comfort and better durability when compared to typical new homes. Program available nationally. Learn more about ENERGY STAR at www.energystar.gov.
DUKE HERO – A program through Duke Energy, the Duke HERO program makes it easier than ever to build energy-efficient homes. Their Residential New Construction Program provides generous cash incentives to builders and developers who build new energy-efficient homes and multi-family residences in our service territory. Learn more about Duke Hero at www.duke-energy.com.
Phius is the only passive building certification that combines a thorough passive house design verification protocol with a stringent Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program performed onsite by Phius Raters and Verifiers. For more information, visit https://www.phius.org/passive-building/passive-building.
A high-performance home that is so energy efficient that a renewable energy system could offset most or all the home’s annual energy use. Each DOE Zero Energy Ready Home meets rigorous efficiency and performance criteria found in the DOE Zero
Energy Ready Home National Program requirements. Most types of new homes in the U.S. are eligible to participate in the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program, and the homes are verified by a qualified third party as part of the certification process. Visit www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home-program for more information.
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. Learn more about HERS ratings. Learn more about HERS at ww.hersindex.com.
