Home Performance with Energy Star
Anyone who knows RIC design/build knows that our passion is energy efficiency and sustainable building. We take efficiency into consideration on all of our projects, but some projects lend themselves to going the extra mile. That’s why we have started working with Home Performance with Energy Star on some of our current projects.
You’ve probably heard of Energy Star appliances - home appliances that use less energy and therefore increase the efficiency of your home. In addition to certifying appliances, Energy Star has also created a program that homeowners can participate in so their homes can be certified as efficient.
The Home Performance with Energy Star program is supported by the Richmond Region Energy Alliance (RREA), which helps homeowners in the Richmond area get connected with certified contractors who can help increase the efficiency of their homes. The Home Performance program is also backed by the Department of Energy, and the program has helped more than 250,000 homeowners achieve at least a 20% energy savings in their homes. The program also allows homeowners to apply for a certificate that can add value to a home when it is sold by letting potential buyers know their energy costs will be lower than in other homes.
We decided to work with Home Energy Remodeling on these projects because they are a Home Energy certified contractor, and they share our passion for sustainable remodeling. In fact, the RREA and Energy Star philosophies are very close to ours and Home Energy Remodeling’s. Both organizations believe that home efficiency goes beyond buying the right appliances, and that in order to make a home as efficient as it can be, you have to look at it as a whole system, much like the human body. If your lungs are failing, it doesn’t matter if your legs work great - you still aren’t going to be able to run a marathon. Likewise, a home with a brand new, energy efficient HVAC system isn’t going to see the energy benefits if its old windows are leaking massive amounts of air.
We are currently working on two homes in the Museum District under the Home Performance with Energy Star program.
The first is on Patterson Avenue. In this project, we are converting a 4-unit apartment building back into a duplex. We are completely gutting and remodeling this building, which had suffered from years of neglect, water damage and termites. We are also restoring this home back to its original duplex design and restoring the original porch the building would have had. Energy efficient updates include new HVAC systems, air sealing, encapsulating the basement and crawlspace and new insulation.
We opened up the walls in the Patterson Avenue duplex to install new insulation and air sealing.
After
Before
The work we did on this house involved digging out the crawl space to accommodate the new details.
The second Energy Star project we’re working on is on Floyd Avenue. This home's major renovations required an internal gut as well. The main floor will now have an open floor plan with a new kitchen, an additional bathroom and powder room, a finished basement and an additional 2nd floor bathroom to create a master suite.
This home was also stripped down to the studs in order to install new insulation.
Both of these projects are investment properties, so the owners will be able to use the Home Performance with Energy Star certification as a selling and renting point. Historic and older home are wonderful - they have charm and character and stories, but they are often inefficient. The Energy Star improvements, along with our design and renovations, will bring these properties back to their former glory, while giving them modern and efficient updates that will allow them to be sustainable places to live for a long time to come.