Building a home with the "whole package" not only means building a home that is energy efficient, but is also high performance in the years to come. The goal of these guidelines is to provide a home that not only performance-tests well, but will also be safe, comfortable, and will perform well in the long term. To ensure the total quality of the home, the following guideliness have been established to ensure the home's quality.

1. The home should achieve at least 15% energy savings for heating and cooling over the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) & supplements. This corresponds to a HERS Index of 85 or less (minimum Energy Star requirement).

2. Use radon-resistant construction techniques including passive radon ventilation.

3. Controlled ventilation system plus a fresh air exchanger (HRV or ERV) to maintain indoor air quality.

4. Maximum Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) of .25 for good indoor air control.

5. Maximum ductwork leakage of 5 cfm to outdoors.

6. Manual "J" load calculation must be performed by HVAC provider for correct HVAC system sizing.

7. All HVAC equipment, water heaters, and fireplaces, if fossil-fuel-fired, must be closed combustion units.

8. Windows must have a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of .35 or less and a U-factor of .35 or less. Lower numbers are more energy efficient.

9. Homeowner & builder should attend a minimum of 2 hours of continuing education seminars focused on energy efficiency.

10. Include an energy-efficient lighting package (compact fluourescent or LED) in the home.

Any new home built with a goal of higher-than-normal energy efficiency or sustainability should be performance-tested by a certified energy rater. This testing can help to identify potential "holes" in the thermal envelope of the home and will verify the actual performance of the home. Additionally, having the home tested by an energy rater can help the builder to achieve a $2000 tax credit through the Energy Star program.

O'Daniel, Inc. has built a model home that meets, and even surpasses, the above-listed guidelines. This home utilizes IntegraSpec insulating concrete forms for all of the exterior walls, Icynene spray-foam insulation applied against the bottom of the roof deck, a WaterFurnace geothermal system, a fresh air exchanger, and a CleanSpace crawlspace encapsulation system. The home's certified energy rating resulted in a HERS Index of 53, meaning that this home is 47% more energy efficient than a home built to just meet the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The report also certifies that, at today's utility rates, this home will cost only $1 per day to heat and cool itself.

If you'd like to hear more about this home or have any additional questions, please contact O'Daniel, Inc. at 877-382-8825 or through the "Contact" bar on the left side of the page.