Live Green with Energy Star

By USGBC MA Communications

ENERGY STAR. It’s the little label with the big message: Better is Better.

Wright Builders is proud to offer new homes that have earned the ENERGY STAR® label. The ENERGY STAR label means that your new home has been designed and built to standards well above other homes in the market today. It means better quality, better comfort, and better durability. It also means that your new home is a better value for today, and a better investment for tomorrow. The ENERGY STAR label gives you the peace of mind that your home has undergone a better process for inspections, testing, and verification to ensure that it meets strict requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ENERGY STAR certified homes are better because they are designed and built to provide homeowners: with a Peace of Mind. The result of a home that’s built better.

With the ENERGY STAR label on your new home, you can be confident that it will deliver. When ENERGY STAR requirements are applied to new home construction, an integrated approach to design combined with tried-and-true best building practices adds up to a durable, comfortable home with reduced utility and maintenance costs. Our ENERGY STAR certified homes have undergone more inspections and testing than typical homes to ensure that your new home was built to higher standards.

Enduring Quality. Better systems make all the difference.

Purchasing a new home is a big investment, so it’s important to be sure that it’s built to last. We design all of our new ENERGY STAR certified homes to include value-adding energy efficiency features, and a combination of materials and equipment that will deliver better performance.

LEED Certified

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ was developed by the US Green Building Council to encourage sustainable green building and development practices. We are enthusiastic USGBC members and sponsors and strive to achieve a minimum standard of Silver LEED Certified on our new construction homes and offices.

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance. HERS® index functions as sort of energy efficiency version of a MPG (miles-per-gallon) sticker for houses, and informs home-owners about how their homes compare to other similar ones in terms of energy usage. All of Wright Builders’ homes are assessed by a local, reputable third party rater. In fact, this rating, as of January 2017, is a Massachusetts building code requirement. Wright Builders has been doing these ratings for over 10 years. Why should you care? Take a look!

What does ‘green’ really mean?

Looking at two seemingly identical houses, one ENERGY STAR/LEED Certified and the other minimally code compliant, you won’t notice much on the surface that seems to be different.

The code minimum house will be a little cheaper. Money’s tight, and you want to get the most for your money. So…don’t buy the cheaper house! Spending a little more on the energy-efficient home will save you money in the long run because of these differences in the construction:

Higher standards of insulation installation, leading to a more weather-tight house.

Prescribed detailing to virtually eliminate wind infiltration.

Minimal usage of low performance insulation products such as fiberglass.

Class 1 Cellulose insulation, a locally recycled product that is sustainable.

More efficient heating systems and sealed ductwork to reduce air leakage.

Floor system air sealing for greater comfort.

Efficient doors and windows.

Low E glass.

Sealing around doors and windows with high performance materials.

Sealed combustion direct vent heating equipment.

No fuel smell from oil heating equipment.

Attics and knee walls sealed from living spaces as if they were outdoors (which they are).