Conservation Incentive Program

Shelter Alternatives is dedicated to helping our clients design and build energy efficient homes that use as few natural resources as possible. We often find that many of our clients are interested in building homes with high efficiency appliances, heating systems and insulation packages but when faced with the reality of the initial costs and the financing challenges are often forced to fall back to more conventional products and methods.

Shelter Alternatives would like to help make some of the efficiency upgrades more affordable. If a client chooses to upgrade to a more efficient product we will waive our overhead markup on the dollar amount above the baseline product. This will make the upgrades a little more affordable, the pay back period a little shorter and help conserve the Earth’s resources.

We have listed below Energy Related Factors of what we consider the baseline appliances, baseline heating and cooling systems and a baseline insulation package, and relative upgrades.

Baseline Appliances:

  1. Water Heater- electric: Energy Factor (EF) of .87 or less
  2. Water Heater- gas: Energy Factor (EF) of 0.58 or less
  3. Clothes Washer: Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 1.25 or less
  4. Clothes Dryer- electric: Energy Factor (EF) of 3.00 or less
  5. Clothes Dryer- gas: Energy Factor (EF) of 2.66 or less
  6. Refrigerator: kWh/yr used is 9% or less above the federal standard
  7. Dishwasher: Energy Factor (EF) of 24% or less above the federal standard

Baseline HVAC systems:

Minimum values may be set higher in order to meet Model Energy Code minimum standards for specific projects

  1. Heat Pump: Split system air-source: 7.6 HSPF or less, 10.5 SEER or less, and 10.05 EER or less.
  2. Standard thermostat

Baseline Insulation package:

Minimum values may be set higher in order to meet Model Energy Code minimum standards for specific projects

  1. Vaulted Ceilings: R-30 fiberglass batts
  2. Attics: R-38 fiberglass loose fill
  3. Exterior Walls: R-13 fiberglass batts
  4. Floors over unconditioned space: R-19 fiberglass batts

Upgrade options:

Higher efficiency Appliances:

  1. Water Heater- electric: Energy Factor (EF) of .88 or greater
  2. Water Heater- gas: Energy Factor (EF) of 0.59 or greater
  3. Water Heater- gas: on demand
  4. Clothes Washer: Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 1.26 or greater (Qualifies as Energy Star)
  5. Clothes Dryer- electric: Energy Factor (EF) of 3.01or greater (Includes a temperature sensing control, or a moisture sensing control feature)
  6. Clothes Dryer- gas: Energy Factor (EF) of 2.67 or greater (Includes a temperature sensing control, or a moisture sensing control feature)
  7. Refrigerator: –: kWh/yr used is 10% or greater above the federal standard (Qualifies as Energy Star)
  8. Dishwasher: Energy Factor is 25% or greater above the federal standard (Qualifies as Energy Star)

Higher efficiency HVAC systems:

  1. Heat Pump- Split system air-source: 7.7 HSPF or greater, 10.6 SEER or greater, and 10.06 EER or greater (Energy Star min. = 8.0 HSPF, 13 SEER, and 11 EER)
  2. Programmable thermostat
  3. Variable speed fan

Higher efficiency Insulation packages:

  1. Vaulted Ceilings: R-38 HD fiberglass batts
  2. Exterior Walls-2x4: R-15 HD fiberglass batts
  3. Exterior Walls-2x4: R-13 Cellulose
  4. Exterior Walls-2x6: R-19 fiberglass batts
  5. Exterior Walls-2x6: R-19 Cellulose
  6. Floors over unconditioned space: R-30 fiberglass batts

Lighting:

  1. Usage of compact fluorescent lighting in place of Incandescent or Halogen lights