Energy costs for Daytona Beach homes are very high in the summer months when air conditioners run around the clock. US Building codes are being updated to significantly reduce energy costs. I found the story about the updates to the national building code in an article at Sustainable Business – Landmark US Building Codes Finalized. Here are the highlights from the article:
The changes represent the largest single-step efficiency increase in the history of the national energy code. It requires homes and buildings to achieve energy savings 30% higher than the 2006 code.
And the effects for residential homes:
- Better seal new homes to reduce heating and cooling loss
- Improve the efficiency of windows and skylights
- Increase insulation in ceilings, walls, and foundations
- Reduce wasted energy from leaky heating and cooling ducts
- Improve hot-water distribution systems to reduce wasted energy and water in piping
- Boost lighting efficiency
Local codes are based on the national code, but there are differences. What happens in Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and Port Orange will depend upon state and local changes. The code changes are expected to save homeowners an average of $500 per year in energy costs. The article states that incremental building costs will be small, but I’m not so sure about that.
I see the costs affecting lower price homes more because these are the areas where builders focus on keeping costs as low as possible. These changes will be a bigger percentage costs than cost homes.
The changes will take some time to work through, but the affect for Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and Port Orange homes for sale (click here) will be that existing homes will cost less per square foot, but new homes will be less costly to operate over the long term. If you’re planning to spend many years in a home, the savings will pay for the added initial cost.
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