What is an energy efficient home?

A comfortable home is a high performing home, and in today’s world, that means being energy efficient. Since the early 2000’s, SunRiver Construction has made energy efficiency a top priority in every home they build.

HERS Rating

In order to build energy efficient homes, SunRiver has incorporated the Home Energy Rating System Index, or HERS rating, into every home built in the community. This index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured; the lower the HERS rating, the more energy efficient the home.

Thorough Home Testing

Kim Ewers is a Home Energy Rater who consults with homebuilders on how to improve the overall performance of the homes they build. “My job is to ascertain how well a home is built,” he said. “For example, I perform both blower door and duct leakage tests to determine how airtight the construction is. Because if air can leak out of a house, it has to be replaced by air leaking in, which then has to be reconditioned using an A/C unit. One of the biggest energy wasters in a home is lost A/C air.”

Better Built Homes

“SunRiver typically builds better than other builders,” Ewers said. “They’re one of the few homebuilders in the area to recognize that attention to detail in building a high-performing home pays off in the long run, both for the builder and the buyer.”