A new technical bulletin has been added to the Consumers Energy and DTE Energy Efficiency Learning Center (EELC).
New Home Construction
Program Updates
TECHNICAL BULLETIN: INSULATION AND TOP PLATE GASKET ISSUES
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Insulation installation and canned foam top plate gaskets have the potential for large impacts on energy savings and comfort in the home. This technical bulletin covers some frequently overlooked items that builders and raters should check when inspecting insulation and canned foam top plate gasket installation.
2021 CONSUMERS ENERGY NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION YEAR END ANNOUNCEMENT
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
We look forward to another year with our program participating builders and raters. The 2021 program year will continue to offer incentives for high-efficiency home building and bonuses for homes that achieve ENERGY STAR® certification.
Technical Bulletin: Blower Door Testing Under Windy Conditions
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Of all the environmental effects, wind probably has the largest impact on blower door testing. Severe wind can be a difficult challenge to overcome when performing accurate infiltration tests. In fact, conducting infiltration tests on days with wind speeds exceeding 20 MPH is not recommended.
Technical Bulletin: Overlooked Inspection Items
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
While completing a pre-drywall or final inspection on a home, it is important to be aware of items that may be overlooked due to the lack of visibility or access. Additionally, certain parts of testing preparation protocols can easily be missed, especially when you are testing in a home with various trades working inside. Read below for some common items that can be missed, along with how to address them.
New Home Construction
When you design for energy efficiency from day one, you build homes that are easier to keep cool in summer and easier to heat in winter. You also build homes that are more comfortable, inviting and enjoyable for the families that will call them home.
With our New Home Construction program, you can earn up to $2,000 in rebates when you build to ENERGY STAR® standards. As an alternative to ENERGY STAR, a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rebate will be available for single-family homes and townhomes that achieve a 56 or lower HERS score.
Build an ENERGY STAR certified home and we'll provide you with double the rebate! See Incentive Chart for details.
What is ENERGY STAR certification?
ENERGY STAR homes are built to meet the highest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency energy efficiency guidelines and include the latest energysaving equipment and features. Rebates are paid based on achieving ENERGY STAR certification and a given home’s Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score.
What is a HERS Index score?
As the industry standard for measuring a home’s energy efficiency, the HERS Index scores a home based on comprehensive software modeling and in-person testing. The lower the score, the more efficient the home. On average, Consumers Energy ENERGY STAR homes score 47% better than typical homes.
Your ENERGY STAR home buyers will enjoy the following benefits for years to come:
Visit ENERGY STAR to learn more
As a Participating Builder, you can experience:
Consumers Energy is proud to support ENERGY STAR and Michigan builders with rebates for energy efficient homes.
For more information on becoming a Consumers Energy New Home Construction Builder, email CENewHomes@icf.com or visit our website for more information.