What Energy-Efficient Options Are Available in a New Home?
The efficiency upgrades worth making in an Ohio climate, and the ones that pay for themselves.
We offer high-performance insulation, energy-efficient windows, modern HVAC systems and smart home technology. Together these lower your utility bills and, just as importantly in a Northeast Ohio winter, make the house genuinely more comfortable to live in.
The upgrades that matter most here
Insulation and air sealing
Ohio's climate swings hard in both directions. The Akron-Canton area sees roughly 6,000 heating degree days a year, so the envelope does most of the work. Insulation levels and air sealing are the single highest-return efficiency decision in a new build, and they're only affordable while the walls are open, which means now.
Windows
Energy-efficient glazing cuts heat loss in winter and solar gain in summer, and it reduces the cold-glass draft feeling near large windows. Window packages are also a long-lead order item, so they get decided early.
HVAC
A right-sized, high-efficiency system beats an oversized one every time. See is a high-efficiency HVAC system worth it in Ohio?
Smart home technology
Programmable and learning thermostats, zoned controls and smart lighting all reduce waste. See adding smart home technology.
Why building efficiency in beats adding it later
Nearly every efficiency measure is dramatically cheaper during construction. Insulation, air sealing, duct design, window specification and rough-in for future systems are all effectively free to improve on paper and expensive to retrofit. Efficiency decisions belong in the design and selection stages.
Related
Want to talk through the efficiency package for your build? Get in touch.