Energy Vanguard

...that's comfortable, --perfect temperatures, no drafts, 50% relative humidity. Now imagine that it's built to last, so you won't be replacing rotten boards, the paint job lasts years longer than you expect, and the maintenance costs are almost nonexistent. Imagine further that it has great indoor air quality, keeping mold from the crawl space and carbon monoxide from the garage out of your lungs. Now, let's complete the fantasy and say you can have all these features and you'll pay less each month than if you'd taken the conventional house next door. Who wouldn't take that deal?!

That's really what green building is all about, and that's what Energy Vanguard can help you achieve, whether you're looking to buy, improve, build, sell, or analyze a house. At Energy Vanguard, we know houses, and we know building science. Green is not merely a buzz word or the latest fad for Energy Vanguard, however. It's a commitment.

To find out how Energy Vanguard can help you, see what we offer on our Services page. To learn what makes us qualified to help you, see the About EV page.

Energy Vanguard has joined Efficiency First, an organization formed to promote the idea that we need to cut the amount of energy that homes use before we stick photovoltaic panels on the roof. Their platform, as stated on the Efficiency First website, is:

National Incentives to help all homeowners retrofit their homes.

Significant performance-based incentives for home energy efficiency retrofitting will jump-start the industry and create viable markets nationally. These incentives must emphasize results, not particular products or technologies, and promote efficiency remediation and renewable energy generation on an equal basis. This approach will strike a balance that is economically sustainable on a large scale, and it will extend the impact of public investment by allowing homeowners to choose the most cost-effective measures for their homes.

Provide Financing option that allow homeowners to amortize retrofitting costs over time.

Federal loan guarantees, interest deductions and long-term low-interest unsecured financing options will allow homeowners to invest in improving their home's performance despite the current credit crisis. With proper financing, homeowners can achieve cost-effectiveness immediately by offsetting loan payments with energy savings.

Industry Standards and Certifications to ensure quality and results

Efficiency First advocates using the federal Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program as a standard model for efficiency retrofitting, including third-party verification. National contractor and auditor certification and accreditation should be mandated through RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network), BPI (Building Performance Institute) or other qualified accreditation agencies who conduct independent, third-party quality assurance on the work performed.

Energy Vanguard Energy Ratings (EVER), a program of Energy Vanguard, received its accreditation as a Home Energy Rating Provider from RESNET in April 2009. We are now listed on the RESNET website and are accepting applications from prospective Home Energy Raters.

To become a certified Home Energy Rater, a person must first successfully complete training through an accredited Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Training Provider. Their next step after the training is to sign an agreement with an accredited Rating Provider. The Rating Provider guides them through a probationary process aimed at giving the budding rater further training. Upon certification, a rater may then produce home energy ratings for their clients.

Home energy ratings model the energy performance of a home, breaking down the energy loads into heating, cooling, water heating, and lights & appliances. They're used to demonstrate compliance with energy codes, to qualify new homes for programs like ENERGY STAR, and to give homeowners valuable information about the performance of their homes. 

One of the most common uses of home energy ratings is to qualify houses for the ENERGY STAR label. A home that is 15% (in most of the US) more energy efficient than one built to the energy code and meets some other requirements can achieve this designation. Energy Vanguard is now an ENERGY STAR partner and can help builders qualify their homes for this honor.

Another not so well known use for home energy ratings is to qualify houses for Energy Efficiency Mortgages (EEMs) or Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIMs). These types of loans allow homebuyers to qualify for higher loan amounts, based on the energy savings of the more efficient home, or to include the cost of energy efficiency improvements in the mortgage.

If you're looking for someone to do a home energy rating for you, or if you've gone through a rater training class and are looking for a Rating Provider, Energy Vanguard can help you. Contact us today and we'll help you get started!