Energy Efficiency III

For a hot water heater we will be using a Marathon water heater. Again, there are more efficient options; such as a heat pump water heater. Heat pump water heaters are not in widespread use although they use very standard heat pump technology and cost much less than traditional systems to heat water. The kicker is...they look funny. A potential buyer not aware of what they are looking at is going to wonder what the heck it is and could potentially be put off by it. The marathon water heater uses a traditional element, but uses a plastic tank. It also has the highest energy factor of any "traditional" water heater. So...it may not be as cutting edge as a heat pump water heater or a solar water heater, but it is the best of what traditional water heaters offer.

Our appliances will be Energy Star where available. The Energy Star program for instance doesn't rate dryers. We will have a Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer. This is a front load pair that is CEE Tier III certified. It uses a fraction of the water and energy of a traditional top load washer and dryer. Moisture sensor strips inside the dryer allow the software to know when the clothes are dry. This feature combined with the 1200+ spin speed of the washer means that heating element in the dryer will be sucking less energy and our clothes will not be baking in a hot dryer as is normal with timed drying. Another thing about the Whirlpool dryers is their software controls temperature variations within tighter tolerances than most on the market. That means if you are drying on low heat...it really is low heat...not a spike of really hot air and then no heat for a while...it's easier on your clothes.

After the HVAC equipment the next biggest energy hog in most homes is the refrigerator. If you are going to get only one appliance that is Energy Star rated make sure it is your refrigerator! We really haven't decided on a brand or model at this point. Ranges do not carry an energy star rating, but there are still ways to be more energy efficient when you cook. More and more manufacturers are building larger and larger oven cavities. These larger spaces require larger elements in order to heat the space and cook evenly. We will try to find a smaller cavity range with smaller elements AND fan convection. Convection typically comes in two formats. The first is simply a fan at the back of the oven cavity. The second has another heating element around the fan.

Most Dishwashers really don't use a tremendous amount of water and energy, but some are downright miserly. We will probably be looking to Whirlpool again (or possibly KitchenAid). Whirlpool has a new "resouce saver" system they recently brought over from Europe. My mom has one and it is very, very quiet, get's the dishes clean, and doesn't use much water or energy.

Low flow shower heads, areators on all faucets, and low water usage toilets will also be installed to curb water consumption. This is nothing really cutting edge. Most toilets and faucets sold in the last few years already comply with what we are looking for. Shower heads vary a little bit, but not a tremendous amount.

We are also budgeting for compact flourescent light bulbs. Outfitting a whole house at once with these bulbs will cost a little more, but given all we are spending on the house...it really shouldn't be that noticeable. In addition when we were chosing floor plans we tried to maximize natural light as much as possible.