Energy Smart

Ball Homes is a voluntary participant in the Energy Smart program, which means that each one of our new homes is individually inspected and rated by a member of a national network of independent energy raters, RESNET.  

Our new homes typically perform at least 15% better than a new home that is merely built to meet current building codes, when it comes to energy use.  Compared to the average resale home, the energy savings are much greater--45% or more.

Each home is inspected, tested, and awarded an individual energy rating certificate that shows the HERS Index rating and projected energy use and costs.  It also estimates the annual energy savings compared to the average existing home.  


Like a window sticker on a new car with a miles per gallon estimate, the HERS score for a new home gives a homebuyer a useful tool in projecting energy costs, and allows comparison to other homes on the market.  The lower the score, the better.  

A typical Energy Smart Ball Home will score between 76 and 85 on the HERS index, compared to a score of 100 for a standard new home built only to code.  That difference represents a 15% to 24% savings in energy costs.  

Compared to the average existing home with a HERS index of 130, the same Energy Smart home will save 45% to 54% in energy costs, which amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.

The HERS rating and the Energy Smart label also give homebuyers assurance that the home they have chosen has been tightly constructed, well-insulated, and efficiently heated and cooled.  

Energy Smart building is about going above and beyond what is required by local building code of energy performance in new homes. 

The difference is in the details: better scores are achieved by thorough sealing and insulating to reduce holes and cracks in the home's "envelope," improved blocking to restrict the flow of unheated or uncooled air, and better insulation practices. Since the energy rater is involved throughout the construction process, the home can be tested and checked as it is being built, and best practices are assured. 

Each Energy Smart home is individually inspected and tested by a certified home energy rater using a thermal bypass inspection checklist for such features as tightness of construction and ducts, high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, and effective insulation and blocking.  Homes also undergo a final blower door test to evaluate and improve air leakage into the home, and a duct blaster test to locate and seal any leakage in the HVAC system.

Energy Smart homes mean lower utility bills, more comfortable homes with more consistent temperatures between and across rooms, and improved indoor air quality.  More efficient energy use also means environmental benefits for everyone, including reduced air pollution generated by the production of energy at power plants.