Like most disciplines, changes are constantly happening in the home building industry. Because we are constantly designing, permitting, and building custom homes, the team at REEF is expertly familiar with the building code requirements. These requirements change with increasing frequency. We have experienced a new building code almost every year for the past few years.
What does this mean to you? One of the most significant changes in the code has been the increasing energy efficiency requirements. The energy code is now fairly complex.
In order to verify compliance with the current energy code, the Home Energy Rating (HERS) must be determined before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. The HERS test is an independent review of each of our custom homes by a HERS Index Certified Energy Rater.
REEF-built homes rate very well in these tests. An Energy Star home generally scores an 85 on these tests, and REEF consistently performs 30% better!
The homes we build are so “tight” and energy efficient, one Customer thought the central A/C wasn’t working – it rarely turned on because the house was so tight it stayed cool!
Here’s a couple great explanations of HERS ratings, and how they work: