St. Louis Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s EarthWays Center is pleased to bring Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to the St. Louis bi-state area. This program is presented in partnership with:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Department of Energy
• AmerenUE
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• Missouri Department of Natural Resource’s Energy Center
• Building Performance Institute, Inc.
• Kansas Building Science Institute
• MSI Consulting
• UMB Bank

The HPwES program provides contractor referrals to help audit and improve comfort, health, efficiency, safety and durability of existing homes.

For a list of qualified contractors, please contact:
Korey Hart, ENERGY STAR Programs Coordinator
314-577-0228

Certified HPwES Contractors:

* Are trained to understand your house as a whole system, not a building of separate parts but of integrated systems.

* Provide a diagnostic audit of your house using equipment such as a blower door, duct blaster, carbon monoxide detectors, infrared camera.  Initial audits take 2 to 4 hours and cost approximately $300-$800.  Homeowners receive a written report detailing improvement suggestions.

* Implement home improvements chosen by the homeowners, providing consistency throughout the project.

* Test in and test out each time they are in the house - testing the combustion equipment for safety aspects and testing how your home functions as a system to ensure the improvements made will produce the results requested. 

* Built in quality control as a percentage of every contractor’s audits are evaluated, and BPI (Building Performance Institute, the organization that provides the training, certification and accreditation pieces) provides a quality control program check for all contractors.

* Offer financing packages

For more information on how Home Performance with ENERGY STAR can help you improve your home, or if you're a contractor interested in joining the program, please contact Korey Hart at Missouri Botanical Garden’s EarthWays Center at 314-577-0228.

Information provided from U.S. EPA’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR brochure

Did you know that the typical home causes more greenhouse gas emissions than a typical car? Your home uses energy produced by power plants that emit these pollutants. The less energy you use, the less pollution emitted. It's as simple as that. You have the opportunity and the power to make a change for the better, and your home is the perfect place to start.

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary government program that gives people the power to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases through energy efficiency—without sacrificing comfort or quality. Products earn the ENERGY STAR by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

• If you are purchasing new appliances, lighting, home electronics, or office equipment, look for products that have earned the government-backed ENERGY STAR label.
• If you are looking for new heating and cooling equipment, EPA through its ENERGY STAR Program provides the information you need to make the best decision.
• If you would like to improve the comfort of your home and lower your heating and cooling bills, EPA, in partnership with others, offers Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

A whole-house retrofit can reduce your total energy costs by 30 percent or more.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
Improves Comfort and Lowers Energy Bills

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR begins with a qualified contractor providing a comprehensive evaluation of your home’s energy efficiency to determine which improvements will give you the most benefit for your dollar. This contractor will examine your whole house—from the outer walls and ceiling, to the heating and cooling systems, and even the lighting.  After helping you choose which combination of improvements makes the most sense for your home and your budget, the home performance contractor then makes sure the work is done correctly. These improvements may include such measures as:

• Adding insulation and sealing air leaks
• Making sure your heating and cooling system is efficient, and installed and operating correctly to deliver comfort throughout your home
• Upgrading high-use lighting and appliances to more efficient models

Selecting a qualified home performance contractor—one who understands how all the parts of your home work together and how to apply the home improvement industry’s best practices—will ensure that you get the most benefit for your buck. Look for a contractor promoting Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

Help Protect the Environment

Our homes produce more greenhouse gas emissions than our cars, making the home a great place to take steps to reduce air pollution and help the environment. In fact, 19 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are caused by the energy used in homes.  Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate. Help protect the environment with ENERGY STAR.

Home Performance Benefits

Many homeowners are not getting the comfort they are paying for. Their homes suffer from rooms that are too hot or too cold, drafts, moisture problems, and mold and mildew. Skilled contractors, under Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, can:

• Eliminate drafts
• Fix rooms that are too hot or too cold
• Correct conditions that lead to mold or mildew
• Ensure your combustion appliances are venting properly
• Solve underlying problems that lead to rot or peeling paint
• Keep outdoor pollutants from entering your home
• Save energy and lower your monthly utility bills

These improvements make your home more comfortable, healthier, and more durable.

A House Is a System

Your house is a system. Evaluating and improving all the components of this system is a better solution than just focusing on one or two. It’s true that you can usually save energy by adding insulation, or by installing a more efficient piece of heating or cooling equipment. However, when you look at all the options together, you can find even greater improvements in comfort and savings.

For example, by adding insulation, sealing air leaks in your home and in your ducts, and putting in the right equipment, you not only keep rooms more comfortable, but also use less energy to heat and cool your entire home. You may also be able to reduce the size of the equipment, which can lead to additional savings at replacement time. A home performance contractor is trained to look at all the options and make cost-effective recommendations to you.

Diagnosing the Problem

Using diagnostic test equipment such as a blower door, contractors can pinpoint problems in your home and their solutions. A blower door test is used to measure air leakage and trace air flow. This information guides the contractor when air sealing to ensure the best results.

Contractors can also test your combustion equipment, such as a hot water heater and furnace, to ensure they are operating and venting properly.

Sealing Your Home

The exterior of your home is also called the envelope or shell.  Insulation and air sealing work together to help maintain consistent temperatures even under extremely hot or cold conditions.  Experts recommend adding insulation and sealing air leakage – especially in places like the attic – to reduce energy costs, improve comfort, and address a range of problems.

Your Heating and Cooling Systems

If your furnace or air conditioner is 10 years old, replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR will increase efficiency by 15 percent.  Also, when it comes to heating and cooling equipment, bigger is not better!  Properly sized equipment turns on and off less frequently, providing consistent temperatures and greater comfort.  A qualified home performance contractor will not only recommend the right size equipment for your home, but also make sure it is installed properly.  If you have a forced-air system, the contractor can also make sure that your duct work is well sealed, insulated and balanced.

For more information, download U.S. EPA’s  Home Performance brochure.  For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).