Building trends could save home heat in 2012

January 26, 2012

Citizens across Vermont have their hands full this year trying to juggle cool temperatures and high fuel prices for heating oil, biofuel, propane and other fuels.

Homeowners building new houses in 2012, however, may have an easier time preserving heat thanks to improved weatherization and construction techniques, says the Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building firm.

Advances in materials and technology now allow architects and construction workers to create structures that can conserve far more of the warmth generated by heating equipment than older homes.

Researchers at the firm have identified 10 energy-efficient building trends that could grow quickly in 2012, according to a survey of policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders and homeowners.

"While the economy has not been kind to most new home builders, we have seen a surging interest in home energy management and energy improvement among homeowners," said Sean Penrith, executive director of the Earth Advantage Institute. "Those builders and remodelers who have adopted a transparent green message have been quite successful."

The first two trends both rely on sharing resources. Building with greater urban density and designing more multifamily homes allows residents to cut energy costs by using larger, more efficient furnaces and by improving insulation through shared building walls.

A simple energy audit shows that smaller homes have reduced energy bills, so living in a two-family home is an easy way to shrink both the mortgage and fuel bill at one stroke.

The next two trends rely on consumers' rising awareness of the benefits of energy efficiency when designing home remodels. Homeowners recoup the costs of these investments more quickly as fuel costs continue to rise, so they are increasingly eager to try new energy-saving materials and systems.

Recent leaps in technology have led to the fifth trend - consumer-friendly home energy tracking devices. Residents can use products such as the Nest Learning Thermostat to precisely program their furnaces and use remote home monitoring to make changes from the office. Another item - the Belkin Conserve Insight energy use monitor - enables users to track the amount of energy consumed by each appliance in the home.

The spread of smart grid controls to more markets in 2012 will allow many consumers to measure, track and control the electricity consumption of household appliances, from heating and cooling systems to refrigerators, electronics and hair dryers.

Additional green building trends include the growth of commercial building energy disclosure, greater transparency in home marketing, more accurate appraisals, broader adoption of residential energy ratings for homes and other advances in consumer education.