Energy Efficiency
The Only Energy Advantage Certified Homes in Oklahoma
Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods wrote the book on energy-efficient new homes and it's a claim we back up with our Energy Advantage Certified Homes program - the only builder in Oklahoma to do so. Not all new homes are built the same. Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods is the most nationally recognized builder in Oklahoma for energy efficiency and the ONLY new home builder in Oklahoma to provide a Heating and Cooling Guarantee.*
For the first three years you own your new Ideal home, your heating and cooling cost is guaranteed not to exceed a set amount. If it does, get reimbursed for the difference.
Only Builder to Guarantee Heating & Cooling Costs in Oklahoma
Every Ideal home is tested to assign a HERS® (Home Energy Rating System) Score. The HERS® Index is the nationally recognized industry standard test for inspecting, measuring, and then calculating a home’s energy efficiency. The lower the HERS® Sore, the more efficiently your home heats and cools.
A Low HERS Score is Not All That Matters
Aesthetics have a big impact on a home’s HERS® Score. Some builders taut low HERS® Scores because they build homes with few windows and low ceiling heights. Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods finds the most cost-effective ways to provide industry-leading energy efficiency while also building homes with tall ceilings and lots of natural light.Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods determines your home’s HERS® Score with a blower door test. This measures how much air leaks from your home. Because no matter how good your insulation is, if air leaks out (or comes in) around your windows and doors, you’re losing efficiency.
Industry experts often are shocked at how well-sealed and ventilated Ideal homes are beyond other builders' homes.
How the Blower Door Test Works
A technician attaches a specialized, tarp-like door with a fan to your front entrance. The fan pulls air out of the house, depressurizing it. This turns your entire home into a gentle vacuum, drawing air into the house through any leaks.
The technician can then measure the inflow of air and determine how “leaky” the home is. This data is used to determine your HERS® Score. Once your home has been tested, our partner, Environments for Living, compares the actual score to the expected HERS Score for your specific floor plan. This is an opportunity to find any leaks or other areas of improvement prior to closing.
Leading Oklahoma in Energy Efficiency
If your heating and cooling usage exceeds the guaranteed amount, our energy partner will calculate the difference based on your actual energy costs and write you a check. It’s that simple.
For more than 30 years, Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods has been the expert on energy efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association, and top manufacturers and researchers have turned to Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods to test the latest and most innovative building technologies. Ideal puts the best of these technologies into all its homes. So, whether you plan on living in your new home for five years or 50, you will find a high-performance home that is more healthy, more efficient, and more affordable. No other builder has built more high-performance homes than Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods.
HERS® Scores
Your home's energy efficiency rating is called a HERS® (Home Energy Rating System) Score. That score is achieved through specialized testing and expert analysis both during the construction phase and after the home is built.
- The HERS® Score was developed and overseen by RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network), a non-profit organization that develops national standards for rating and certifying home energy efficiency.
- The HERS® Score is the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance according to RESNET.
- The testing to determine your Ideal home’s HERS® Score is conducted by a third party and calculated with a Blower Door Test on the house and ductwork as well as other energy-efficiency factors.
- Think of a HERS® Score like a golf score. In this case, a HERS® Score of 100 is par. The goal is to score well below par!
But the HERS Score is not all that matters. Many builders can say their homes are energy efficient, but is every single home tested? Do their homes also have large windows and tall ceilings that make a house feel like a home? Do they lead the industry in energy efficiency like Ideal does?
Only Builder to Guarantee Heating & Cooling Costs
You will receive access to view your Home Energy Rating certificate with the the full report detailing the HERS® Score for your home.
Your guarantee will include two important numbers:
- Electric kWh (kilowatt hours) - the amount of electricity needed to cool your home each year
- Natural gas (Therms) - the amount of natural gas needed to heat your home each year
This is not the total amount of electricity or natural gas used in your home, but what is used to heat and cool your home.
How does our partner, Environments for Living, guarantee this amount?
They use a formula that takes the three hottest months of the year (when natural gas usage will be at its minimum) and the three coolest months of the year (when electricity usage will be at its minimum) to find your average monthly costs for any energy use beyond heating and cooling your home (i.e. cooking, hot water usage, lights, etc.).
They will subtract this average monthly usage from your utility bills to find out how much more natural gas and electricity your home is having to use to heat and cool. This is how they determine whether a home exceeds the guaranteed amount to heat and cool your home.**
Homeowners must register their home here within 30 days of closing to take advantage of the guarantee. For more information and details about the guarantee, please visit Environments For Living here.
* Dow's Hills homes do not qualify for the heating and cooling guarantee due to unique features of these homes.
** Conditions apply - see EFL website for details