In today’s world we are all well aware of rising energy expenses and the need to conserve. Recent national surveys point to the trend that homebuyers want strong energy-efficiency standards in their homes. Although greater energy-efficient construction standards add some costs to a home, today’s consumer strongly wants to reap the benefit of permanent energy expenses savings.

When reviewing the standards of a home concentrate on the insulation standards, the rating of the climate control system, windows structure and ancillary equipment designed to conserve energy. Over the years standards building code requirements have resulted in the overall standards of a home escalating.

The most fundamental and important feature is a home’s ceiling insulation. Like wearing a hat to minimize heat loss from our body, the level of ceiling insulation in a home can greatly influences use of energy. Insulation standard is expressed as ”R Value” with the higher the number the greater the insulation effectiveness. Throughout most of Florida a R-40 ceiling insulation has become the preferred standard with a variety of products being used including rolled batts, blown cellulose and sprayed polyurethane foam. In older homes you will commonly find ceiling insulation values of R-19 and R-30.

A supplemental product being widely used today to enhance ceiling insulation is Reflective Radiant Barrier. This foil type material is applied to the underside of the roof in the attic and works to reflect radiant heat to reduce summer cooling expenses.

Hand and hand with insulation standards are also efforts to reduce air infiltration into the home. Leaks of air into a home from the attic, windows and doors contribute to higher energy bills. Sealing air leaks is one of the most cost-effective measures to reduced heating and air conditioning costs. New construction standards require a “seal” program designed to reduce the impact of unwanted intrusion of air from the outside and loss of “climate controlled” air from the inside.

Then there is a home’s HVAC (heating and air conditioning) system. For years the standard practice in constructing Florida homes has been installation of heat pump systems. This type of climate control system pulls heat from the air outside air to heat and removes heat from a home’s interior air to help cool. During the winter heat pumps are effective until the outside temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit when the systems use of backup resistant heat kicks in.

To judge the efficiency of a climate control system consumers can look to the SEER Rating, The higher the rating number the more efficient the system operates. Standards for new systems is a SEER Rating of 13 to 14 with ratings upwards to over 20 available.

The type of windows used offers another bright spot in increasing efficiency. Use of double-glazed windows and sliding glass doors is today’s standard with added use of UV coating and Low-E glass that repeal heat from windows contributing to the cause. Fortunately, Florida’s attractive climate allows use of aluminum frames compared to considerably more expensive wood or vinyl clad windows.

Other energy conserving products you’ll find include tankless water heater systems that eliminate the need to continually heat water held in a conventional tank. Waste heat recovery units that make use of expelled heat generated from the HVAC to heat water. There’s even the simple use of timer devices, like a programmable thermostat, to avoid unnecessary use of electricity.

As technology advances the cost-effective use of solar energy will reach beyond the heating of swimming pool water to become a meaningful contributor of power for the overall operation of a home.