Tuesday, February 28, 2012

NCEEA Video - Raising the Efficiency Bar

Watch this video brought to you by the Department of Technology and Environmental Design at Appalachian State University and learn about the 2012 NC Energy Code, and the changes it brought to the previous code version.
Click here for the link.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Real Estate & Mortgage Lending Professionals, Why Should You Promote Energy Efficiency?

The NCEEA is dedicated to providing outreach and education to stakeholders of the home building industry, enabling them to promote their businesses and properly inform consumers about the benefits of energy efficient homes. Mortgage lenders, real estate brokers, and appraisers are three vital stakeholders in the home building industry and provide numerous invaluable services for the prospective home buyer.  These industry professionals have a direct line of communication with the potential home buyer and can facilitate consumer understanding of the importance of energy efficiency in home construction.  The benefits of homes constructed to high efficiency standards equate to immediate energy savings, long term cost savings, and ultimately provide consumers with a more durable and comfortable home.  When all members of the building industry work together obstacles to energy efficient construction can be overcome while simultaneously increasing consumer demand, and ultimately leading to market transformation.
Recognizing the value of energy efficient construction is beneficial not only to the consumer, but also to the vitality of the mortgage and real estate industries. But keeping up with current trends in green building and high-performance homes is certainly a challenge.  North Carolina has an updated energy code in 2012 that requires new homes to be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built last year, or up to 30% more efficient with the optional HERO appendix. The national landscape is changing, as well, with strict new standards for ENERGY STAR qualified homes.  The NCEEA has some exciting new trainings underway that will help real estate professionals understand these changes, learn how to benefit from them, and receive continuing education credits. These free trainings (a small fee for CE credits) are offered across the state starting January 26th and running through the beginning of March. Visit the NCEEA website for more information and to register.