Energy Star® Qualified2022-08-02T06:34:51+00:00

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Homes –
Save The PLANET While Saving YOU Money.

An ENERGY STAR ® qualified home gives you the peace of mind that your family is living in a home that provides a healthier indoor environment, the pride in helping protect the outdoor environment for future generations and the satisfaction of saving up to 30% on your utility costs thanks to lower energy and water consumption.

Built to be warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer and more comfortable all year round, you’ll feel the difference of an ENERGY STAR ® qualified home and see the savings on your monthly bills!

MASON HOMES has built ENERGY STAR ® Approved & Qualified Homes in every MASON Community since 2005. Independently tested and certified, every MASON Home reaches EnerGuide levels 80-84, beyond the 2012 and Next Generation building code. Many of our houses test under R2000, progressively showing our houses are significantly more airtight.

MASON HOMES believes that a healthier home should be affordable to all. Only 20% of all builders in Canada currently build an ENERGY STAR ® Qualified Home. MASON HOMES was the first builder to make EnerGuide for New Houses Program as standard (2004) when MASON HOMES built the first ENERGY STAR® occupied home in 2005.

© 2017 EnerQuality Corporation. ENERGY STAR ® is administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada. Used with permission.

What’s in it for the homeowner?

Feeling good about the environment and doing all we can to look after the planet only makes good sense. So the environmental benefits
of the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes initiative is a big story. But it’s not the only story – when you’re out looking for a new home, you’re looking for the right location, the right size, comfort, construction quality and design, and all that… at the right price.

And in all those areas, ENERGY STAR® qualified new homes excel!

Peace of mind – Just look for the blue label

It’s the biggest investment of your life and more than that, it’s the castle from which you protect and provide for all your family’s needs. You may not need to know every technical detail of energy-efficient construction to appreciate that the ENERGY STAR® label is a government backed initiative and really does deliver all the efficiency, comfort and financial benefits you’re interested in.

Would you be willing to pay less?

From day one, with an ENERGY STAR® qualified home, homeowners are saving money. Compared with standard homes, built to the minimum Ontario Building Code, ENERGY STAR® qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, hot water, lighting and appliances.

Quieter. Warmer. Cooler. Fresher.

By the nature of the advanced construction techniques employed, ENERGY STAR® qualified homes are more comfortable in almost every way. In the winter they’re warmer; in the summer cooler; they’re quieter and draft free all year long. And, thanks to better ventilation, the environment is fresher and healthier.

Smart Money

As energy costs continue to soar, homes that fight back by reducing energy consumption will be prized. There are currently almost 200 builders across Ontario — including some of Canada’s largest builders — who have partnered with EnerQuality to construct ENERGY STAR® qualified homes. By the end of the decade, more than 50,000 homes are expected to have earned the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes label. The trend is clear and there is no question, energy efficiency is a great investment and a smart buy!

Save the world?

Did you know that your home could be a greater source of pollution than your car? In fact, 17% of the greenhouse gas emissions in Canada are generated from the energy consumed in the home. And the energy used in the home comes from burning fossil fuels, which cause global warming. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less toll our planet has to pay. And ENERGY STAR® qualified homes are responsible for 2-3 tonnes less greenhouse gas emissions!

© 2014 EnerQuality Corporation. ENERGY STAR® is administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada. Used with permission.

What’s Under the Skin?

To achieve ENERGY STAR® for New Homes status, builders select from an array of possible improvements (for instance, achieving an acceptable R-value for your home’s insulation, can be achieved using a number of different techniques). Homes can earn the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes label only after a neutral/3rd party verification. Independent Home Energy Evaluators conduct on-site testing and inspections to verify that the homes qualify.

Invisible to the naked eye, most ENERGY STAR improvements are hidden ‘under the skin’ of your new home. The specifications that have to be met to earn the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes label fall into two main categories – 1) improvements to the envelope and, 2) better mechanical systems.

The Envelope…

Walls, insulation, roofing, windows and doors form your home’s envelope. A ‘tighter’ envelop yields a more comfortable, more energy efficient structure.

Effective Insulation

Properly installed, climate-appropriate insulation in floors, walls, attics and foundation ensures even, comfortable temperatures throughout the house and across the seasons. ENERGY STAR® for New Homes partners, Owens Corning, Icynene and Dupont Tyvek all contribute their expertise to deliver a more comfortable, energy efficient environment.

High-Performance Windows

Energy-efficient windows available today are vastly superior to what has been used historically. Protective coatings, argon gas between the panes and improved frame assemblies all combine to create a technologically superior product that helps keep heat in the winter, keep it out in the summer and protect carpets, upholstery and artwork from damage by filtering the sun’s destructive UV rays. Windows add a lot to the beauty and character of a home, and they can add much more with a little technology applied!

Tight Construction and Ducts

One of the secrets of an energy efficient home is to minimize the possibility of air (which has already been either heated in the winter or cooled in the summer) to leak out through unseen openings. Sealing holes and cracks in the home’s “envelope” and in duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise. A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills.

The Mechanicals

Better and more energy efficient appliances, lighting and heating, air conditioning and ventilation make for a more comfortable, less costly home. ENERGY STAR® qualified homes employ some of the most efficient systems on the market.

HVAC – Heating Ventilation and Cooling

High efficiency furnaces and air conditioners coupled with an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) found in many ENERGY STAR® qualified homes and a modem water heater, do an amazing job of reducing energy waste from your home’s biggest energy consumer. Whether it’s fuel (gas or oil) or electric, you are probably using more energy heating and cooling than anywhere else in your life.

New technology furnaces and air conditioning units are powerful, quiet and durable (less likely to require service). New furnaces burn fuel more efficiently,  producing a small fraction of the greenhouse gases of older models. And HRV’s (when selected) help reduce the amount of heat that is lost as household air is replaced with outside air. As fresh air enters the house, it is warmed as it passes through a heat exchanger, heated by the warm outgoing air stream.

ENERGY STAR® for New Homes partner, Enbridge Gas Distribution, offers innovative and leading edge HVAC solutions.

Lighting and Appliances

ENERGY STAR® qualified homes would also normally be equipped with ENERGY STAR® qualified products – lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines. These ENERGY STAR® qualified products provide additional energy savings to the homeowner (while also helping the home earn its ENERGY STAR® for New Homes label). Look for the ENERGY STAR® qualified products when selecting items for your new home.

… And Just a Few More ideas

Being smart about energy use is always a good idea – it’s good for the planet and good for your wallet. There are many other ways you can do more to conserve. Consider a programmable thermostat, smart metering (enabling homeowners to take advantage of fluctuating energy costs throughout the day) and demand response (automatically reducing use of non-essential electrical items in peak demand periods such as summer heat waves) as ways to take that extra step.

© 2014 EnerQuality Corporation. ENERGY STAR® is administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada. Used with permission.

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this