8/29/2007

Tom,

Congratulations on being the first builder whose home Southern Energy Management has certified to be eligible for the $2,000 energy efficiency federal tax credit.  As you know this tax credit is for homes that reduce the heating and cooling requirements by at least 50% from standard building codes.  SEM works with over 100 builders in N.C. and will certify approximately 1,600 homes in 2007 for the EPA Energy Star program. The Energy Star program reduces energy usage by at least 15%.  The fact that your home is the first to meet the rigorous standard of 50% reduction is truly a great achievement.

It was a recorded high of 92 degrees in Raleigh and Morrisville August 23^rd 2007, the day I visited your home at 138 Stella Ct.  At 3:45 PM in the afternoon, your digital instrument registered 90 degrees in the shade on the southern exposed front porch, and 91 degrees in the attic. The humidity level outside was 59%, 49% in the house and below 39% in the crawl space. The attic’s additional ventilation is outside of our Energy Star parameters, but it can be assumed that this and the crawlspace moisture management increases the energy efficiency & durability even more than our modeling program calculates.

The home has been designed and built to assure health, comfort, safety and economy for the homeowners while minimizing the impact on the environment.  Based upon our experience we believe that the projected energy costs are very

reasonable and actually conservative.  To heat and cool an 1856 square foot home for less than $25 per month is incredible.  This is half of a typical cable

TV bill. The projections can easily be exceeded but will depend upon homeowner occupancy behavior and lifestyle.  In our climate this is a major

accomplishment and provides recognition for your sustainable design details and construction practices. 

Given all the features such as the sealed crawl space, quality framing,

high performance air sealing and insulation package, well designed HVAC system (with whole house ventilation), high efficient lighting, solar water heating and the numerous sustainable “green” building materials, products and practices incorporated into the home, this project is a great example of how a reasonably priced, high performance home is within the reach of most home buyers.  This product will provide value and comfort with a minimal impact on our environment for generations to come.

Thanks for allowing Southern Energy Management to be part of this exciting project.  We look forward to working with you on building many more.

Sincerely,

Dan McFarland

Director of Builder Services