Energy Star Builder

Over the past few years the term "Green Builder" has become an over used phrase not even fully understood by the many builders. At RBO we take the term seriously by providing our customers the absolute latest "cost efficient" products. Products that are both energy efficient and ECO friendly.

RBO is a member of an elite group of Energy Star Builders committed to the goal of building every home at least 30% more efficient than the average new home.

And we do more than just talk about it! To measure the efficiency of each new home we build, we bring in an "Energy Rater" approved by the department of Natural Resources. One of the numerous test energy consultants performs is called a "Blower Door Test". This test is performed by actually pulling a vacuum on the entire house showing any air infiltration.

Once your new home is complete you will receive an "Energy Certificate Rating". The highest rating on a conventional home would be a five star rating, however, we can achieve an even higher rating with products such as solar panels and geothermal systems.

As we all realize the insulation of a home is a large part of the energy conservation. At RBO we take the insulation of our homes to a new level. Although we do use a great deal of expandable foam such as Icynene, Demolac or Sealection 500, we also highly recommend a product called Blown in Blanket (BIBS).

BIBS yields an amazing seasonal rating value of R-23 in the exterior walls. This product also offers a sound transmission class (STC) of ".56" ... over a ".19" with conventional insulation. BIBS is also a perfect product to suppress noise in plumbing walls or bedroom walls that are adjacent to living areas. Extensive testing under severe conditions has proven that BIBS will not settle or separate and will hold it's thermal efficiency as long as you own your home!

The more energy efficient we build our homes the less they breathe and the more fresh air ventilation systems are needed!

So take a trip with me if you will... following the air that will heat and cool your new RBO home!

The First Step...

We bring the air in from the outside atmosphere through an "Air Exchange System". This system actually exchanges every cubic foot of air in your home every three hours!

This system conditions the air by reducing humidity in the summer and increasing the humidity in the winter (when air is dried out with the heat).

The Second Step...

Once the air passes through the air exchange system it enters the "Electronic Air Cleaner" which is 40% more efficient at removing air borne particles than a regular filter. The electronic filtered air actually eliminates ninety-nine percent (99%) of all air borne particles making your new home dust free! But perhaps best of all it is impossible for a dust mite to live in this conditioned environment!

But our journey is not finished. The final trip the air makes before entering your home is through an "Ultraviolet Air Disinfection System". The ultravation system is designated to kill air-borne microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.

These are the microorganisms that carry the flu and cold germs. According to recent EPA studies outside air quality is ten times better than inside air - we even the odds with a UV disinfectant system.

As an Energy Star Builder there are many things we do differently than the average builder. We won't try and name them all here, however, to show some examples of the inexpensive procedures that are very important and often overlooked by the average builder not attuned to energy savings let me share a couple of examples.

One of RBO's standard procedures of home construction is to properly insulate the water heater. Very few people think to insulate the bottom of the tank yet this is where the water is heated. Improper insulation can lead to approximately 30% of the heat loss.

Another example is using convection loops on both the hot and cold water lines of the water heater. This stops the warn water from being siphoned back into the tank. This little trick alone can save a tremendous amount on your utility bill!

At RBO we work hard to optimize the efficiency of your new home in ways that are cost effective. Our goal is to build a safe comfortable environment using cutting edge technology. We constantly research new energy products identifying those that we feel are an investment that can pay for themselves.