New houses going up are being engineered like never before, most building companies wanting their products green certified.
"Homes today are built a lot more efficient that they were even 10 years ago," Corey Lusk, Production Manager with Betenbough Homes, said.
Builders continuing to raise the bar, means lowering costs for homeowners. For instance, new homes can keep cool air from escaping using Polyseal foam insulation. "Insulation is a big part of combating the heat. Our engineered framing system allows us to maximize the insulation," Lusk said.
He adds another big step to keeping your AC from getting overworked, is choosing windows conducive to fighting the sun. "Our windows are filled with argon gas, which creates a buffer between the indoor and outdoor temperatures," Lusk said.
Programmable thermostats, also can be a huge lifesaver. Switching from the older models to the latest has been known to save some homeowners like Lusk 50 dollars a month in energy costs. Lastly, you want to make sure your home is constructed as airtight as possible. Some builders issue what's called a blower-door test before it can pass as energy efficient. "That test gives us a percentage of the air loss in a home," said Lusk.
Since Betenbough announced its new standards this past November, nearly 275 homes in the West Texas area are considered green under its certification program.
