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HGTVPro.com knows the value of energy and quality performance, and we've partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and its Building America program. Together, we will bring technical and marketing information and resources to the homebuilding and remodeling industry, and to consumers.
We're proud to partner with these programs, and proud to know that the information we provide on behalf of the programs is the most up-to-date information on energy and quality performance in the market. The need for improved quality in construction and our indoor environments is of paramount importance.
With the Builders Challenge, homebuilders across the country are stepping forward to showcase their best energy-performing homes and to make their benefits clear with the EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale) label. The E-Scale is like an MPG label for your home. When buying a car, many of us immediately look for the window sticker that shows the estimated miles per gallon. The E-Scale offers a similar approach to homebuyers, helping to understand -- at a glance -- how a home's energy performance compares with others. The lower the rating, the more efficient the home.
Homes that qualify for the Builders Challenge meet a 70 on the E-Scale -- meaning that they are 30 percent more energy efficient than the typical new home, built to code. In addition, they meet specific quality criteria making them the best in energy and quality performance available on the market.
Going Green = Saving Green
An example of the impact of the Builders Challenge -- between the summer of 2008 and early 2009 -- in the most severe housing recession in decades -- nearly 1,000 homes were qualified for the E-Scale label. Together, these homes will save their owners over three quarters of a million dollars annually, or more than $23 million over the next 30 years. And by 2030, the Builders Challenge aims to give consumers the opportunity to buy a cost-neutral net-zero energy home (a home that produces as much energy as it uses) anywhere in the United States.
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