Energy Star® Homes

The majority of Long Island towns have now passed a requirement for new homes to meet Energy Star Homes standards.

The eight of the thirteen Long Island towns -- Babylon, Brookhaven, Islip, Hempstead, Huntington, Riverhead, Oyster Bay, and Southampton -- have all passed local laws requiring Energy Star Homes standards for new homes, and the Neighborhood Network is continuing to urge all the Towns on Long Island to enact this policy.

Energy Star Homes standards are in effect in Babylon, Brookhaven and Riverhead, as of April 1st, 2008.

The Energy Star program sets out more stringent construction specifications designed to make buildings more energy efficient; generally about 30% savings in energy used for heating, cooling, and water heating can be achieved as compared with homes built to the existing National 1993 Model Energy Code. Currently, LIPA has an excellent program in place to provide financial incentives to encourage builders to follow a purely voluntary Energy Star labeling program for new home construction.

The average Long Island home could spend about $5,000 dollars a year on energy, based on that figure an Energy Star Home on L.I. would save about $970 a year on energy costs. The additional construction costs for meeting the higher standards have been estimated at between $2000 and $4000. (Some have pointed out that those costs could be lowered as the techniques and materials used become more standard and the market develops.) The cost of energy saved far outweighs any additional mortgage payments as a result of higher construction costs. As a result, Energy Star Homes are more affordable from the first year of ownership.

Example:

Annual Energy Savings: $970
Annual Increased Mortgage Cost: $60*
Annual Net Savings: $910

*Based on $2000 increased construction cost, $1250 LIPA incentive, and a 30-year, 6.25% mortgage.

Home Energy Rater Frazer Dougherty demonstrates the "blower door" test that is part of the performance testing required for all Energy Star Labelled Homes.

In addition to saving money, Energy Star Homes are better for the environment. Because they use less energy, each Energy Star home results in 2.25 fewer tons of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year than a home that only meets the basic Model Energy Code requirements. (According to the U.S. EPA)

Click here to download a PDF of our presentation on Energy Star Homes to the Brookhaven Town Board.

Town Energy Conservation Construction Codes

Under New York State law, local municipalities can adopt energy conservation construction codes that are more stringent that the State base-line code. The Neighborhood Network has proposed that all Long Island towns make the Energy Star standards a requirement for all new home construction in their town.

The first New York State town to adopt such a law was the Town of Greenburgh. The Towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Islip, Hempstead, Huntington, Riverhead, Oyster Bay, and Southampton have all passed local laws requiring Energy Star Homes standards, and the Neighborhood Network is contacting all the Towns on Long Island to encourage them to enact this policy, several more have expressed interest in amending their town codes to require Energy Star standards.

Neighborhood Network Executive Director, Neal Lewis speaking at the press conference announcing the Towns of Babylon and Brookhaven's passage of the Energy Star Homes law. With Neal, from left to right: Brookhaven Council Member Connie Kepert who introduced the law in Brookhaven, Brookhaven Supervisor Brian Foley, Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone, LIPA Chair Richard Kessel, and Edward Flax of Emmy Builders, builders of the Energy Star Home in the background.

The Newsday editorial board strongly endorsed the proposed code change, calling it a "bold, pioneering step toward energy conservation":

Look for an Energy Star Labelled home.

For more information about Energy Star Homes you can visit the EPA Energy Star web site:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.hm_index
or the New York Energy Smart web site:
http://www.getenergysmart.org/WhereYouLive/ENERGYSTARNewHomes/overview.asp