Energy Star part of family's home, work

When Cody McGhie and his wife Jasmine shopped for a home, buying an Energy Star-approved home was a top priority, especially since he works for a company that inspects homes to make sure they comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star guidelines.

"We check for things like the tightness of the HVAC duct system and ensure that the entire system has been properly sealed, and we also look to make sure that low-e windows have been properly installed and that proper levels of insulation have been utilized," McGhie said.

Tests conducted by efficiency raters can confirm that a home has met Energy Star guidelines of being at least 30 percent more efficient than a standard home, according to the national Model Energy Code.

The McGhies and their 2-year-old daughter Madison qualified for an energy-efficient mortgage with their purchase of an Energy Star home built by Hearthstone Homebuilders in the Sunrise Mountain area.

May has been declared Energy Star Month by Gov. Kenny Guinn due to the efforts of a coalition of local developers, energy inspection certification companies, mortgage lenders and other non-builder partners.

The month-long program is designed to inform buyers of the benefits of owning an Energy Star home. The partnership has a consumer-oriented Web site about the program at www.NevadaEnergyStarHomes.com, which lists all partners, participating neighborhoods, and a calendar of special events that will occur at various neighborhoods.

The Energy Star program was established by the EPA to promote energy-efficient products.

Nevada Energy Star Partners include: American Premiere Homes, Astoria Homes, Beazer Homes, Carina Homes, Concordia Homes, Del Webb Communities, Desert Wind Homes; Distinctive Homes, Greystone Homes/Lennar, Hearthstone Homebuilders, John Laing Homes, Pardee Homes, Perma-Bilt Homes, Pulte Homes, R/S Development, Royal Construction/Spinnaker Homes, Signature Homes, ConSol, Energy Inspectors, Builders Choice, Wells Fargo, Wausau Mortgage, Countrywide Home Loans, Nevada Power Co., Milgard Windows, Fannie Mae, Southern Nevada Homes Magazine, and Faiss Foley Merica.

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