Home Performance Thoroughbred

What happens when a design and construction team embrace the latest best practices in high-performance building and remodeling? The New American Remodel (TNAR) seeks to answer that question. As such, it holds lessons for anyone wanting to satisfy today’s health- and energy-conscious homeowner.

The last few years have seen a great strides in home performance. Each version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) inches closer to Net Zero Ready, which denotes a home that is so efficient that just a modest solar array will generate as much power as the homeowners use on an annual basis. The IECC obviously targets new construction, but some jurisdictions apply it to major remodels as well. 

The 2020 TNAR team was determined to engineer a winner that would get ahead of that trend and show others how to achieve true Net Zero. Data indicates that they have succeeded. 

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Setting Standards

The only way to get results like these is to make them a priority. Element has done that.

According to Moser, the company’s policy is that every home satisfy the entry-level requirements of at least one green building certification, regardless of whether the homeowner wants to fund the paperwork and testing to actually get it. “We believe this is the direction we’re moving as an industry,” he says. Certifications earned by the New American Remodel include the National Green Building Standard Emerald, LEED Platinum, Energy Star, and Indoor Air Plus.

While Element bought the home as a spec project, Moser knows from experience that future buyers will respond positively. “We tell every client about our standards and they always get on board. We haven’t come across a client yet that didn’t want to be green or sustainable.”

He suggests that the builders or remodelers decide what standard they will build to and print out a line-by-line document detailing what’s required to meet it. “During the sales conversation you can tell the client, ‘We plan on meeting each of these line items,’” he says. “Of course you need to become very familiar with the list and need to be able to explain it clearly and to be ready to ask questions.” 

Read the full article on Pro Remodeler.