What’s the best strategy for building a durable, energy efficient new home? We’re in the earliest stages of working with a contractor and I want him to exceed the building code in places where it matters.
It’s surprisingly simple to build a new home that uses 40% to 50% less energy than a comparable new home built to code minimum standards. Roughly speaking, there are three key elements to making this happen:
- insulate with foam;
- use triple-pane windows of the best sort;
- and use the most efficient mechanical ventilations systems available.
New building technologies are emerging quickly, so printed books usually aren’t the best source of news on the most recent innovations. An experienced building coach can offer more current innovation information than most contractors, especially when it comes to energy efficiency.