State-mandated benefits of new homes
When considering new construction, builders — and the state of California — want buyers to notice more than what is visible to the naked eye.
The benefits go beyond main-level master suites, nextgen living areas and spaces that easily can be converted over the decades to accommodate everyone from young children and teens to home offices and grandparents. The benefits exceed the smart features that come standard with many new homes, such as in-home systems operable from anywhere using virtual home assistants.
The benefits, builders and the state know, positively affect everything from new-home buyers’ bank account balances to the air they breathe.
As much as two years before the January 1, 2020, deadline by which builders in California needed to comply with the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards of the California Energy Commission (CEC), most builders began implementing the requirements. The resulting efforts of builders meant that, as early as mid-2018,
new homes included more energy-efficient features than required by 2020.
In addition to incorporating solar capabilities into construction, many builders added improved construction methods, which allow exterior surfaces to prevent the transfer of heat, energy and air through walls, ceilings, attics and windows. That’s because other requirements of the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards included the use of efficient HVAC air filters to trap hazardous particulates coming both from the outside and the inside.
What does this mean for new-home buyers?
The state of California didn’t stop with the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards introduced in 2018 and required of builders by 2020 and neither did builders. Not only do new homes built to incorporate solar create net-zero energy consumption by way of solar solutions, but standard features from builders include Energy Star appliances and Low-e and argon gas windows to stabilize the climate inside the home.
On average, the new standards will increase the cost of constructing a new home by about $9,500, but will save $19,000 in energy maintenance costs over 30 years. Therefore, based on a 30-year mortgage, the CEC estimates that the standards are saving consumers $80 per month on heating, cooling and lighting bills.
In late 2019, the CEC also adopted the 2019 California Energy Efficiency Action Plan to address the energy efficiency of various kinds of building, including single-family and multifamily dwelling units. The plan includes a public education component aimed at informing and educating real estate professionals and buyers about the benefits of the energy-efficiency program.
Visit any California builder’s website to find descriptions of how each builder not only complies with, but exceeds energy-efficiency and air-quality requirements. Ask the sales agents at the welcome centers of new communities and they’ll report on how buyers are benefiting from the built-in solar photovoltaic systems and other structural efficiencies. Some builders, especially those in dense infill areas, even offer electric vehicle charging stations in community parking lots or preinstalled circuit capacity for an EV charger in each home’s garage.
Expect more improvements
Those watching the residential building industry’s tendency to begin implementing energy-efficiency regulations long before they become law will want to watch the progress of the CEC’S 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which are in the early stages of planning. According to the CEC, these standards will improve upon the 2019 Energy Standards for new construction of — and additions and alterations to — residential and nonresidential buildings.
Workshops will be held to present revisions and obtain public comment, with proposed standards to be adopted in 2021 and an effective date of January 1, 2023, per the CEC’S triennial updates of the standards. When will we see the benefits of the 2022 energy standards? Based on builder’s responses to the 2020 requirements, improvements might appear as early as next year.
To learn more and take part in public participation in the development of the 2022 energy-efficiency standards update, visit https://ww2.energy.ca.gov/title24/participation.html.