Pulte Homes, Las Vegas
Pulte provides a good example of how a large-scale production builder can
cost-effectively achieve a highly-efficient home through a combination of
advanced design and construction practices and use of highly-efficient products
and equipment. Innovative design features implemented by Pulte include use of
unvented roofs, placement of ducts inside conditioned space, spectrally
selective windows and integrated space heating, hot water and ventilation
systems. The improvements resulted from collaboration between Pulte Homes, the
Nevada State Energy Office, and Building Science Industries as an initiative of
the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program.
Pulte Corporation was one of the first builders in the Las Vegas area to commit
to building all of its homes to ENERGY STAR levels. Since 2002, Pulte has built
nearly 15,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes in the Las Vegas area.i The energy
efficiency improvements implemented by Pulte are highly cost-effective for the
homeowner, which save $300 or more on their annual energy bill. The incremental
cost to achieve Pulte's highest efficiency level, known as "Engineered for Life
(EfL) Platinum" was $760, including offsets for switching from 2x4 to 2x6
framing, and downsizing the HVAC system. The incremental costs and savings for
each measure are shown in Table 24. The higher performance construction also
reduced the number of call-backs and warranty costs for Pulte, which results in
higher customer satisfaction.
Incremental Cost to Achieve Pulte Platinum Level (1999 $)
|
Measure |
Cost |
| Building feature changes in a typical 1800 ft2 home |
-$250 |
| Moving insulation to roof deck, and insulating the gables |
$1,000 |
| Advanced framing, including upgrading from 2x4 to 2x6 |
-$200 |
| Spectrally selective glass (low-e glass with low solar heat gain
coefficient) |
$360 |
| Properly sized HVAC system |
-$800 |
| Sealed ductwork + pressure relief |
$300 |
| Controlled ventilation system |
$150 |
| Sealed Combustion Furnace (90% AFUE) |
$200 |
| Total: |
$760 |
Source: Pulte Homes.
http://www.builtgreen.org/articles/0104_pulte.htm
Lessons learned
- The whole-house approach to the design and construction of homes
achieves greater energy savings at lower cost than applying measures
individually. Whole-house design and construction practices are capable of
reducing home heating and cooling costs by 50%, at minimal incremental cost
to the builder. The unvented roof design allowed Pulte to effectively place
the ducts inside conditioned space, which significantly reduces
cooling-related electricity demand.
- Design and construction teams must be properly trained and educated
about advanced building design and whole-house engineering practices.
- Public-private partnerships can help accelerate the development and
adoption of advanced building design and construction practices.
For more information
i Source: ENERGY STAR New Homes Partner
database.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=new_homes_partners.showHomesResults&partner_type_id=SHB&s_code=NV
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