Why Choose an Energy Efficient Home?
Savings to your pocket to spend however you wish, month after month. That’s what having a truly energy-efficient home should mean. And it’s especially true with a Cowherd Construction home. Our illustrations allow you to see behind the walls, and into the ceiling, and experience our energy-efficient features in order to understand exactly how a Cowherd Construction home can reduce your utility bills.
At Cowherd Construction, we believe in being more than just the next green builder; we believe in going above and beyond the norm to build energy-efficient homes, while keeping quality and value of equal importance. Some homebuilders take a step in the right direction, but stop there and call themselves green. We, on the other hand, decided to build homes differently, from the ground up.
ENERGY STAR-Certified Appliances
Appliances and home electronics are responsible for about 20% of a U.S. home’s energy bills. Devices carrying the ENERGY STAR logo generally use 20–30% less energy than required by federal standards by employing superior designs that require less energy to perform the same or better job. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that ENERGY STAR appliances saved about $14 billion in energy costs in 2006 alone.
Water-Efficient Fixtures
Every faucet and showerhead in a new Meritage home exceeds industry standards for water savings, reducing water bills and the cost of heating water by as much as 50%.
Low-E2 or E3 vinyl windows
Low-E coatings on windows reduce energy loss by as much as 30-50% compared to regular windows. Low-E coatings, which are microscopically thin materials bonded to the surface of a window’s glass, are so thin you can see right through them yet they prevent heat and ultra-violet (UV) rays from passing through the glass.
Low-VOC Paints and Finishes
The EPA has identified indoor air pollution as one of the four greatest risks to human health. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are found around the home; cleaning solvents, adhesives, paints, and carpets all may emit VOCs. Many VOCs have negative health consequences. In recent years many common materials and products used indoors have been developed and are labeled by their manufacturers as “low VOC” or “zero VOC content” to improve indoor air quality. Today, many low VOC materials are equal or better in quality and durability than conventional VOC-based formulas.
Minimum SEER 14 Air Conditioning
Heating and cooling homes accounts for nearly 60% of residential electricity usage in the United States. The higher the SEER of your unit, the greater its efficiency – and the lower your operating costs. Compared with models 10 years old or older, cooling costs can be lowered 20-40% with newer, more efficient models.
High Effiency Heating
Window Wrap
Foam penetrations
Caulk & Seal Package
High Quality House Wrap
R-38 Insulation, R-13?
Vapor Barrier in crawl space
