It stands to reason that a new home should be more energy efficient than an older home. Modern windows, improved insulation, efficient home comfort systems and appliances all combine to make new homes greener homes. Builders like Starward Homes go even further to ensure the new homes it constructs go beyond the minimum requirements.

“At Starward we’ve always been committed to the environment and to energy efficiency,” says company president Ward Campbell. “We were the first home builder in the Hamilton area to be part of a pilot project in 1983 with government of Canada building R2000 homes.”

Building on that green foundation, Starward Homes are not only energy efficient, many are Energy Star qualified. To earn that distinction, builders must incorporate a combination of energy-saving elements including upgraded insulation, windows, mechanical systems and appliances. Energy Star qualified homes are 30 per cent more efficient than homes built to Ontario Building Code specifications.

According to Michelle Cote of Enerquality Better Built Homes, efficiencies in an Energy Star qualified home add up to a reduction of two to three tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, per household. Since one tree absorbs one ton of greenhouse gases, the savings are equivalent to planting two or three trees a year over the life of that home.

This is what Campbell is referring to when he says that home owners not only save on their energy bills, they’re also living greener. In a move toward having its entire inventory Energy Star qualified, all new homes constructed by Starward meet the requirements as do many existing homes.

“It’s like buying a hybrid car, it may not make 100 per cent economic sense right now but it is good for the environment. It’s good for our future generations. It’s good for our grandchildren and children. It’s something we should all be thinking about and doing,” the home builder says.

What sets these homes apart is not evident to the casual observer. Other than the Energy Star label on the electrical panel, the steps that Starward has taken to qualify its homes don’t stand out. The windows which exceed Energy Star requirements, superior wall construction, higher insulation value, a heat recovery ventilator and high efficiency furnace are examples of the energy efficient elements that are somewhat hidden.

Before receiving the rating, a third party energy rater conducts tests then analyses the results with a computer modeling program. The house is inspected at the end of construction and a certificate is presented to recognize that the Energy Star qualifications have been met.

Campbell believes in educating the consumer and that it’s important that consumers are aware of the Energy Star program. For more information on Starward Homes or for links to the Energy Star website go to www.starwardhomes.com.