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Energy Star
Construction Methods – Heating & Cooling Equipment

ENERGY STAR promotes a right-sized approach when addressing high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. This means that if proper attention is paid to air and duct sealing, insulation, and energy-efficient windows, the size of a home's heating and cooling equipment can often be decreased. Typical home heating and cooling equipment is oversized so that it can cool quickly in order to meet the home's heating or cooling demand - a demand compounded by poor air and duct sealing. Oversized equipment, however, short-cycles, or fails to run long enough to reach its most efficient levels. Moisture problems can result, as the system does not run long enough to properly pull moisture out of the air. In addition, short-cycling forces the system to run more frequently, which leads the equipment to wear down more quickly than it otherwise would. By reducing a home's heating and cooling demand through better air and duct sealing, the need for oversized equipment can be avoided.

» Tight Design & Construction

» Tight Ductwork

» Improved Insulation

» High Performance Windows

» Heating & Cooling Equipment