When buying a new home, it’s easy to become hyper-focused on the up-front costs: down payments, monthly mortgages, and closing costs are all important considerations. In all the home buying hustle, how often do you consider how much a home will actually cost to run day-to-day? When you build a Saussy Burbank home, energy-efficiency is one concern you can wipe off your worry list. That’s because we are committed to building greener, more energy-efficient homes that allow you to keep utility costs lower – and more predictable – for years to come. It’s a promise that both your wallet and the planet will be thankful for. Below, a few of the many ways building with Saussy Burbank can satisfy your energy-efficiency, planet-protecting needs.
Let there be light (without the heat)
Nothing impacts the mood of a room the way natural light does. In fact, lots of natural light is one of the top requests we get from new home buyers. One of the biggest benefits of building a new construction home with Saussy Burbank is having state of the art, energy efficient windows that let the light in without adding to your utility bills each month. Sure, you can replace windows in older homes, but it’s a costly, disruptive project, and who has time for that? In your brand new Saussy Burbank home, technologies like Low-E film block the heat of the sun while still allowing natural light to flood your home, making everything feel bright, fresh, and new.
Regular third-party inspections
At Saussy Burbank, we use third-party inspectors during and after construction to make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible from the day we lay the foundation to the day you move in. We build to local energy conservation codes, and then some. All of our new construction homes are evaluated on the HERS rating system. HERS is a nationally recognized system for inspecting, testing, and calculating a home’s energy performance. Over two and half million homes have been rated on the HERS scale, and every one built by Saussy Burbank has tested better than the national average.
Enhanced insulation and well-fitting ducts
State and local building codes typically require a certain level of insulation, but your Saussy Burbank home will exceed these mandates. We frame to avoid gaps within the insulation and employ cutting-edge techniques to help keep the warm air in, and the cold air out (and vice-versa in the summer), inspecting multiple times during the construction process to make sure seams are air-tight. We also keep Saussy Burbank homes cozy by properly fitting air ducts to the home, which makes a bigger impact than you’d think! Having multiple air ducts that are properly fitted increases the efficiency of air flow, keeping you comfortable while lowering humidity and energy costs.
Goodbye bulky water heater
As much as 17% of your total energy costs can go towards heating your water – more than all other household appliances combined! Traditional water heaters waste energy by continually keeping water hot as it waits for you in the storage tank. With tankless water technology, you heat the water as you use it. Additionally, tankless water heaters can last up to twice as long as storage tank heaters, saving on replacement costs in the long run. Bonus: tankless water heaters are a fraction of the size of traditional, so you don’t lose any square footage on a bulky, little-accessed appliance.
Modern, connected appliances
Speaking of appliances, you’ll find smart, Energy Star rated or similar washers, dryers, ovens, and refrigerators are always our first choice. And in communities like Nexton, lightning-fast internet allows smooth connection to the web, giving you even better control of your energy use. Modern smart home technology is extraordinary and ever-improving. Program your home so that lights and the thermostat stick to an energy- and budget-efficient schedule, get a peek into the fridge without ever opening the door, and even measure water consumption using a smartphone app.
It all adds up, quite literally. For example, Saussy Burbank homes at Nexton average an annual energy savings of $562 over typical South Carolina homes.
Lower bills. Happier planet. It’s a win-win. Let’s get started on your energy-efficient Charleston home. Explore our communities, floorplans, and homes ready for move-in. Then reach out. We can’t wait to meet you.