Improvements on the Energy Star Home-New Construction

[Billy123]

The Energy Star home-new home construction, are the guidelines enough or is there some simple improvements that can make a big difference? How about cost vs payback?

 

[peakbagger]

These guys have some great ideas

Pretty Good House 2.0 - GreenBuildingAdvisor

You may already know about the Pretty Good House concept, the result of a question that moderator Dan Kolbert asked back in 2011, partly as a joke, at the long-running […]

www.greenbuildingadvisor.com

 

[Billy123]

These guys have some great ideas

Pretty Good House 2.0 - GreenBuildingAdvisor

You may already know about the Pretty Good House concept, the result of a question that moderator Dan Kolbert asked back in 2011, partly as a joke, at the long-running […]

www.greenbuildingadvisor.com

R-40 walls? Who has that?

 

[peakbagger]

I know a few folks with R40 , they a have darn close to zero heat and cooling expenses even up on northern VT NH. The houses are so tight they need to mechanically ventilate them with air to air heat exchangers. Instead of letting the air leak in where it does the least good they reintroduce outside air in the areas where it will so the best good. The homes also ca be quieter, although frequently the glass still allows a lot of sound in.

I am a fan of 2x6 walls with 1/2" of isoboard on the interior under the sheetrock. It cuts way down on thermal bridging. The are also an advocate of rightsizing the structural elements. A lot of builders go overboard on framing and thermal bridging is made worse than it already has to be by extra framing.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

R-40 walls? Who has that?

Only pays to do the walls and ceiling so much as all you heat is then going out the doors and windows and dont forget those extremely leaky dryer, bathroom and kitchen hood vents.