Couple delighted with savings through Energy Star

Rich and Marcy Davis are delighted with the money they save each month because they bought an energy-efficient home.

"My power bills last summer were significantly lower than friends with similar-sized houses," said Rich Davis, a certified public accountant.

The Davis' home is equipped with low-E windows, which block infrared light that can drive up cooling costs and fade furniture, and the vinyl-framed windows reduce outside noise. The windows are clear, which is an improvement over tinted energy-saving windows of the past.

"At night, we can see forever," Marcy Davis said. "The lights are magical, and not just the Strip. The whole city twinkles."

Such windows are part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, in which homes are built with upgraded insulation, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, and tightly sealed air ducts to achieve the Energy Star status from the EPA and the Department of Energy. The efficiency of these homes exceed federal standards by at least 30 percent.

A coalition of local home builders, energy inspection/certification companies, lenders and other non-builder partners have formed Nevada Energy Star Partners, whose goal is to educate consumers as to the benefits of owning an Energy Star-labeled home. The coalition's Web site is www.NevadaEnergyStarHomes.com.

Among the builders participating in the Energy Star program are: American Premiere Homes, Astoria Homes, Beazer Homes, Carina Homes, Concordia Homes, Del Webb Communities, Desert Wind Homes, Distinctive Homes, Greystone Homes/Lennar, Hearthstone Homebuilders, Pardee Homes, Perma-Bilt Homes, Pulte Homes, R/S Development, Royal Construction/Spinnaker Homes and Signature Homes.

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