Home Owner Benefits

WHY YOU SHOULD INSIST ON A CERTIFIED HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME

DURABLE, COMFORTABLE & HEALTHY, ENERGY EFFICIENT

HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD TRUST ABOVE & BEYOND ENERGY

Experts with Above & Beyond Energy have years of experience identifying common problems in buildings that will adversely affect comfort, energy efficiency, air quality and durability. Our trained and certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) raters, Building Performance Institute (BPI) building analysts and envelope technicians offer valuable guidance to ensure details are handled properly and in the most effective sequence. For example, critical details must be addressed prior to sheetrock installation; otherwise problems leading to significant energy loss will be hidden for decades to come.

You can rest assured that residences that earn Above & Beyond Energy’s High Performance Home designation have been tested and verified to exceed energy code compliance. These homes are going to deliver comfort, energy efficiency, durability and improved air quality long into the future.

BUY SMART NOW; LIVE COMFORTABLY & EFFICIENTLY FOR YEARS TO COME

When buying a home, you are faced with many decisions, from location and price to countertop materials and paint colors. Choosing a High Performance Home can give you peace of mind that your new home will operate at peak performance.
 
High Performance Homes are:

• Comfortable: Built to maintain a comfortable temperature in all seasons, and properly constructed to avoid drafts
• Energy Efficient: Built to standards of efficient energy consumption Durable: Constructed to hold its energy efficiency properties for decades minimizing condensation, nail pops, cracks in drywall or caulk
• Healthy: Constructed to ensure healthy air quality

WHAT IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME?

While all homes have walls, a roof and a heating and cooling system, they don’t all perform the same. A High Performance Home is one where the builder has worked with the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Rater to ensure all mechanical, structural, thermal, plumbing and electrical systems are working together to operate at peak performance. Each home is computer modeled, inspected and tested to create comfortable, energy efficient, healthy and durable spaces.

 
A High Performance Home will have the following benefits, while inferior construction may cause these problems.

HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME

• low energy bills
• comfortable temperatures
• improved durability
• enhanced indoor air quality

CODE MINIMUM HOME

• high utility bills
• uncomfortable rooms
• condensation, nail pops, cracks in drywall or caulk
• mold or mildew/excessive dust

Additionally, because much of the coastal Carolinas is located in a hot, humid climate, builders must pay special attention to the energy design choices that could be affected by high levels of moisture. Unfortunately, many new homes are outfitted with HVAC systems that are too large for the structure, which prevents proper moisture removal and increases energy use with frequent stops and starts, known as short-cycling. A focal component of a High Performance Home, HVAC equipment that is the correct size stops short-cycling, which improves moisture removal and air quality.

For more information, visit aboveandbeyondenergy.com.

HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME BUILDERS ALSO GO ABOVE & BEYOND

Above & Beyond Energy works in partnership with residential builders who also perform above and beyond minimum standards. It’s a significant quality control step not all builders are willing to take, so it’s best to know if your builder is part of our program.

To ensure that homes bearing the High Performance Home rating have been thoroughly inspected and meet the high standards of the designation, HERS raters work with builders through the following three-step HERS rating process:

1. Preliminary Rating
Prior to construction, the house plans are examined and rated to confirm that the structure is designed to be 15% more efficient than the current state energy codes.

2. Rough Inspections
At the insulation stage, all homes must be verified as meeting High Performance Home requirements by a HERS Rater or BPI Envelope Professional. Prior to rough-in work starting, a framing walk-through must be completed for all unique model types in order to address specific building details in the proper sequence.

3. Final Inspections
All homes must have a confirmed 70 HERS Index or less and meet all of Above & Beyond’s Prescriptive Path Requirements in order to earn the High Performance Home designation. Above & Beyond’s High Performance Home program dovetails perfectly with the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program and Duke Energy Progress’s builder incentive program. These designations ensure excellent performance and energy efficiency through a strict set of standards.

To speak to a High Performance Home consultant, call 910.791.7123

HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMES ARE BASED ON HERS RATINGS.

SO WHAT’S A HERS RATING?

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index is the standardized process for rating the efficiency of a home. Here’s how it works:

• A standard home will have a HERS index of 100, meaning that it will use 100% of the energy allowed by the 2006 International Energy Conversation Code (IECC).
• The current state energy codes, however, are designed to be 15% more efficient than the 2006 IECC requirements. Therefore, a standard code minimum home in North or South Carolina today will have a HERS Index of 85.
• To be rated a High Performance Home, a structure must be 15% more efficient than the state energy code. It must have a minimum of HERS Index of 70.

In other words, a High Performance Home is clearly above and beyond.

DON’T YOU WANT ABOVE & BEYOND PERFORMANCE IN YOUR NEW HOME?

If you are in the market for a new home, think it through. It’s wise to look for a High Performance Home whose comfort, efficiency and durability are all Above & Beyond.

For more information, visit aboveandbeyondenergy.com or call 910.791.7123 to speak with us in person.