Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth are leading the nation in Energy
Star qualified homes.
Texas is leading the nation in Energy Star qualified homes, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. Houston has the top spot with 144,000 homes constructed, and Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is second with 103,000 homes. San Antonio and Austin are also on the national top 20 list.
Homes that earn an Energy Star label are constructed according to EPA energy efficiency guidelines. The building techniques are available to most American homeowners and include things like effective insulation systems, high-performance windows, high-efficiency lightning and appliances, and efficient heating/cooling systems.
Focusing on energy efficiency is a good strategy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that an additional $1 spent on more efficient electrical equipment, appliances, and buildings avoids more than $2 in investment in electricity supply. That is good news for Texas. The State leads the nation in energy consumption, accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. energy use.
To date 1 million Energy Star qualified homes has been constructed in the United States, and the EPA calculates that this year alone, families in those homes will save more than $270 million on their utility bills. But that is not the only advantage the Environmental Protection Agency says pointing out that since the introduction of the Energy Star label in 1995, greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 22 billion pounds.
For more information about the Energy Star Program and participating builders go to:
http://www.energystar.gov/onemillionhomes
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