Snug-a-Bug Solar and Traditional Homes

INDEPENDENT INSPECTION AND TESTING

Our homes are tested and inspected by an independent Home Energy Rater to ensure that your new home meets strict guidelines for ENERGY STAR® energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Each home is individually inspected and tested by a Certified Home Energy Rater for its energy efficient features, such as tightness of the construction and ducts, high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, effective insulation, and advanced windows.

ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED HOMES
HOME OWNER BENEFITS

ADDED CONFIDENCE
Home buying is complex enough without having to know all the details of energy-efficient construction. Instead, look for the government-backed ENERGY STAR to easily identify homes that are truly energy efficient. Find the house of your dreams and enjoy peace of mind knowing that it also meets rigorous energy efficiency guidelines set by an independent Home Energy Rater.

LOWER OWNERSHIP COST
Compared with standard construction, ENERGY STAR qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating--delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings (More if you build beyond the minimum guidelines). Although these energy savings may seem small relative to the cost of monthly mortgage payments, no one likes to waste money. And over the 7 or 8 years that atypical buyer lives in a home, it can add up to thousands of dollars saved. Additional savings on maintenance can also be significant.

BETTER PERFORMANCE
Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, pollution, and noise. An ENERGY STAR qualified home helps insure consistent temperatures between rooms, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.

SMARTER INVESTMENT

To date, more than 3,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct over 750,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes. By the end of the decade, more than 2 million homes are expected to earn the ENERGY STAR. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Energy used in our homes comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants. Because ENERGY STAR qualified homes use less energy, the help prevent greenhouse gas emission--an added benefit for today's environmentally-conscious consumers looking for "green" choices.

Greater energy efficiency helps us all make the most of our energy resources, mitigates the impact of high energy prices, decreases the need for new power plants, lowers our reliance on energy imports, and reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants at the source.

This is a home we recently completed in West Brookfield, MA. and received ENERGY STAR designation. The home rated a HERS index of 49.

The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient.
This home is 51% more efficient.

As is evidenced by the number of windows and rooflines, energy efficiency doesn't mean sacrificing attractive exteriors or having dark interiors.

As you can see by the two interior shots, we have used an icynene foam to achieve R values and resistence to air movement within the walls that other insulations are not capable of.
ENERGY STAR qualification is achievable with other types of insulation, however we are striving for the best value over the long term.

Icynene is ideal for insulating the foundation walls as it adheres to the concrete and prevents air movement that can create a moisture problem and heat loss behind the finished wall.

This is another home we recently completed in Palmer, MA. and also received ENERGY STAR designation. The home rated a HERS index of 52 and a 5 star plus Uniform Energy Rating. Note that there are 10 Categories starting at 500 points and a 52 rating puts this home in the best category of 70 or less.