There is no standard definition of what a “High Performance Home” is in the construction industry, however, according to the American Institute of Building Design, a High Performance Home is one that is:
Energy Efficient: High Performance Homes typically utilize solar PV for electricity and heat or geothermal for heat.
Healthy: The air in a typical house is 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside. High Performance Homes use fresh air ventilation systems to improve indoor air quality.
Comfortable: You won’t find any hot or cold zones or drafty windows in a High Performance Home. Thicker walls, superinsulation and triple-pane windows combined with advanced HVAC systems keep temperatures consistent throughout the home.
Affordable to Live In: While there may be higher costs associated with building or buying a High Performance Home, the higher upfront costs pay off in the long run through reduced or eliminated utility costs and reduce your dependency on fluctuating electricity and fuel costs.
Sustainable: High Performance Homes utilize high quality building materials resulting in longer-lasting and more durable home.
In addition to the list above, the features and systems of high performance homes add real, quantifiable value that set them apart from homes being built to standard building codes, not to mention the huge environmental impact they have of significantly reducing your carbon footprint. High Performance Homes are the future of new home building. Many states, such as Vermont, are offering generous incentives to build more energy-efficient homes.
Interested in what other municipalities and states are doing to promote sustainable and energy-efficient homes?
