Energy Efficient Homes Pay Off for the Environment

New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes Program exceeds 10K homes

    ALBANY, N.Y., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- New York residents and builders
 have significantly reduced the state's overall energy use and greenhouse
 gas emissions over the last six years simply by investing in homes that
 have earned the ENERGY STAR(R) Label.
 
     Since 2001, more than 10,800 New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes have
 been built in New York, saving nearly 14 million kilowatt-hours of
 electricity and 603 billion BTUs of fossil fuel to date. The collective
 energy savings from these homes means that more than 44,000 metric tons of
 carbon dioxide is kept out of the atmosphere every year; the same as taking
 nearly 9,000 cars off the road for a year.
 
     Sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development
 Authority (NYSERDA) and in coordination with the Environmental Protection
 Agency (EPA), the New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes Program offers
 consumers the choice to purchase a home that uses approximately 30 percent
 less energy than conventionally built new homes.
 
     "The typical home adds more greenhouse gas pollution to the atmosphere
 each year than the average car," said Paul Tonko, President and CEO of
 NYSERDA. "The New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes Program is committed to
 providing customers with dependable, affordable power while lessening the
 impact of electric generation on the environment. This milestone shows how
 passionate New Yorkers are about energy efficiency."
 
     New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes achieve energy savings and climate
 benefits through improved air sealing and insulation techniques, high
 quality windows and doors, high efficiency heating and cooling systems,
 well-sealed duct systems and ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and lighting.
 New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes can be built in any price range without
 sacrificing style or comfort. That means customers benefit from reduced
 energy use and lower monthly energy costs, lower operating and maintenance
 costs, increased health and safety benefits, greater durability and a
 quieter, more comfortable living environment.
 
     "Purchasing a New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Home was one of the best
 decisions we made with our new house. We take comfort in knowing that we
 live in a quality built and energy-efficient home," said Jim Stewart of
 Wilton.
 
     With New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes making up nearly 14 percent of
 the state's new construction market, builders cite them as a symbol of
 quality building and say that offering energy efficient features to
 customers is a significant differentiator in the increasingly competitive
 home building industry. More than 430 builders statewide participate in the
 program.
 
     DeGraff Bloom Builders in Charleton, NY has been part of the New York
 ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes program since 2002. Just this year, they made the
 decision to build 100 percent of their homes to ENERGY STAR standards,
 rather than offering it as an option.
 
     "We've seen a shift in our customers' attitudes over the past three
 years," says Anne Rockwood, production manager for DeGraff Bloom Builders.
 "When gas prices started to skyrocket, people became much more interested
 in the program. In the past year or so, concerns about global warming have
 become a motivating factor as well."
 
     While many builders claim to build energy efficient homes, only New
 York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes pass a stringent evaluation that involves a
 computer-based energy analysis, inspections of systems and the way they
 work together as a whole, and certification testing. This advanced
 whole-house performance testing helps ensure that the home is properly
 insulated, doors and windows are installed correctly, cracks and gaps in a
 home are sealed, and carbon monoxide gases from appliances and heating and
 cooling systems are vented properly.
 
     For more information about New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes and a
 list of ENERGY STAR builders, visit http://www.getenergysmart.org or call
 toll-free 1-877-NY-SMART.
 
     The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
 uses innovation and technology to solve some of New York's most difficult
 energy and environmental problems in ways that improve the State's economy.
 
 
 

SOURCE New York State Energy Research and Development Authority