Many homes in Las Vegas Valley built in way that drains power, wallet

Annette Bubak isn't knocking Las Vegas for its low quality of home construction, perhaps an unwarranted generalization founded on the blow-and-go philosophy of some builders during the housing boom and the ensuing slew of construction-defect cases.

Around this time of year, when temperatures drop into the 30s, people realize how cheaply many homes were built. They feel a draft in certain spots in the house, and there's that one room that's always colder than the others.

It's a drain on the energy bill and seasonally uncomfortable, but homeowners live with it because that's what they've come to expect with a stucco home in the desert.

"It's just the way homes have been constructed here," said Bubak, principal of Las Vegas-based Distinct Energy Performance, a company that performs home energy audits. "It's not a negative on construction. It's just that building science has evolved that makes the envelope a lot tighter."

Homes that aren't properly sealed and insulated lose 20 percent to 30 percent of their heating and cooling capacity through shell leakage, Bubak said.

"With over 400,000 homes in the valley not performing at optimal level, that's a lot of energy being lost," she said.

Saving energy is becoming more of a priority as utility rates continue to rise. The cost for 1,000 kilowatt hours provided by NV Energy Inc. is $129.64 in Las Vegas, compared with a high of $246.74 in San Diego and a low of $63.09 in St. Louis, according to JEA electric system in Jacksonville, Fla.

Distinct Energy Performance charges from $75 for a basic consultation to $500 for a more advanced analysis on an average 2,500-square-foot home. Data collected from a series of tests are entered into a software program that generates an energy performance rating for the home and gives recommendations on fixing problem areas.

"A lot of leakage is in the ducts and HVAC system," Bubak said, referring to heating, ventilation and air conditioning. "They're going to look at the sealing of the home and then look at the mechanics of the heating and cooling system."

The amount of energy savings depends on the individual home, she said. The company recently went into a 20-year-old home with a Home Energy Rating System score above 260 and brought it down to 76 through retrofitting and improvements, which can cost from $500 to $60,000.

Homes built with a rating of 85 or lower are certified as Energy Star homes by the Environmental Protection Agency, part of the push toward "green" building. These homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code.

More than 1 million Energy Star homes have been built since the program was started in 1995, and occupants of those homes are expected to save $270 million on utility bills this year.

Las Vegas is No. 3 in the nation with 79,929 Energy Star homes, trailing Houston (144,420) and Dallas (102,872), the EPA reported. Phoenix (73,021) and Los Angeles (53,673) round out the top five.

Les Lazareck, owner of Home Energy Connection in Las Vegas, said he hopes there's "meat" to Assembly Bill 457, a Nevada law to take effect in 2011 that would require every home to have an energy audit conducted before the close of escrow unless the buyer waives it.

"If you buy a vehicle, you want to find out how efficient it is to operate," he said. "I want to see appraisers properly appraise a home based on operating costs. If a home uses 50 percent less electricity than the same model down the street, does it make sense it would be worth more?"

Lazareck is also program manager for HomeFreeNevada.org, an organization dedicated to improving energy efficiency of homes and buildings and reducing their "carbon footprint," or the negative effect people have on the environment based on how much carbon dioxide they produce.

Bubak noted that utility rebates and federal tax credits are offered for some energy-saving home improvements. The city of Las Vegas has a program that will pay for an energy audit, she said.

Many problem spots can be identified through do-it-yourself home energy audits. Residents should start by checking for obvious air leaks around windows and doors. Also, look for gaps along baseboards, at junctures of the walls and ceiling, and around pipes and wires, electrical outlets and mail slots.

Check to see whether caulking and weather stripping are applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks, and are in good condition. For more tips, visit www.energysaver.gov.

NV Energy also provides information on how to conduct a comprehensive home energy audit on its Web site, nvenergy.com. By setting up an online account, customers can compare energy use with similar homes, track energy use over a period of time and find specific ways to lower their bills.

Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.

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Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. Alcohol Jan. 10, 2010 | 2:15 p.m. Report Abuse

   Whoever wrote this article if full of garbage.
   
   I have done everything Energy-savings wise, except for a solar-roof.
   
   But, I am just staying "even-steven" on my energy costs. The problem here in Nevada is that I did all these things with MY MONEY to supposedly save MONEY.
   
   Not what happens in Nevada. Every stupid couple of months the NVE is asking for "HIKES in electricity"...i...e...more profit....more profit...more profit.
   
   IT NEVER ENDS and will never end as long as NVE is a monopoly.
   
   The homes here are excellent, homes have to breathe here, and that is all I have to say. THE END.

2. Brewmaster Jan. 10, 2010 | 1:31 p.m. Report Abuse

   You have to rid your home of contaminants, man-made and natural. The tighter your home is sealed up, the more unhealthy you will be. Just common sense.

3. doogie Jan. 10, 2010 | 1:15 p.m. Report Abuse

   RM wrote some very interesting comments regarding building codes and ways to control heating and A/C costs. Quite interesting and informative. Yet he didn't mention radon hazards from too-tight houses, except for installing a unit that-gee, it runs on energy, too.
   
   My main thought is that, for example, if you live in North Dakota, you feel more comfortable with lower temperatures than in Vegas. But you get used to it, even here, too. You wear more clothing indoors, like sweats and shoes. You make sure any sunshine gets through your windows. You close any rooms that are not being used. You don't use ceiling fans. You use gas cooking to cook, but also to heat up the house. You have things like Snuggies when you're watching TV. You sleep with a heating pad. And your cutie.
   
   Cheap? No, smart. And I'm not from North Dakota. You don't need to spend a fortune on these companies that say you will save you a bundle by spending a fortune to let them "re-insulate" and "repair" your house. We have little wind, no snow, no ice, tons of sun. We simply have sky-high energy costs, and those companies can't help you one bit with that.
   
   Ever priced replacing your rooftop unit? You'll never make back what it costs. And I've only discussed heating costs in the winter. Summertime, same thing. Use your head, people. Lotta' con men out there in tough times.

4. METRO IS THE BEST?.1 Jan. 10, 2010 | 11:48 a.m. Report Abuse

   It's true that some of the builders (which I will not name) are accustomed to building the same energy hog crackerjack boxes for years. Building an efficient home starts at the design stage. For years under the old energy codes, you can build a house with R11 walls, R30 attic, R4.2 for ducts, windows with high u-values and 10 seer ac units and call it energy efficient. That's not the case right now and discovered that the past standards are not enough. Even with the current energy codes or 2006 IECC, there's a lot more for improvement. Leaky homes with hot and cold spots around the house are prevalent in this valley. I believe that fixing the leaks whether it's thru cracks around the doors and windows or ductwork are paramount in improving a building's energy efficiency. The next step is to integrate an outdoor air intake thru the ac unit with dampers. Another method which is costlier but is more energy efficient is to integrate an energy recovery unit with the ac. This is an air to air heat exchanger and basically will use the exhaust air from your home to temper the incoming outdoor air. The key is to eliminate the leaks (infiltration and exfiltration) and provide good indoor air quality thru controlled mechanical means. This will alleviate the sick building syndrome. Human comfort can also be subjective as comfortable for one person is too hot or cold for another. That's why we have codes such as the IRC, IECC, UMC, UPC and NEC to insure that there guidelines for design and construction. These are only guidelines and it's up to the builder, consultants and building depts. to take it to the next step.