At Abueva Builders we believe in going beyond what code requires. Until the last decade or so, very little in the way of insulation or air sealing was required in residential construction; and HVAC contractors have often relied on “rules of thumb” in terms of designing heating and cooling systems. But the comfort of a home is directly proportional to the uniformity of the temperature throughout the home. Lack of uniformity is so common that  most homeowners just accept it!  Drafts around windows and doors or one room that is always colder or hotter than all the rest is somewhat common place.

What do we mean by exceptional energy efficiency?  For comparative purposes it is useful to reference the Home Energy Rating System (HERS). The HERS index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance. The HERS score is a relative assessment on a scale of 0 to 150 where the lower the score the more energy efficient a home is. For instance a typical resale home scores 130 on the index, while a standard new home scores 100. The difference is the percentage increase in energy efficiency. Therefore a new home is on average 30% more efficient than an older home. Want to go even better than code? How about an Energy Star Home which requires a score of 85. Want exceptional energy efficiency? Our most recent project achieved a score of 32. That’s 68% more efficient than standard new homes!