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Comfort Home Update

Volume 6:1, Spring 1997

Comfort Home Receives Efficiency Recognition Award

The National Association of Home Builders awards Comfort Home The National Voluntary Energy Efficiency Program Award

Since 1990, Comfort Home has been providing quality residential and commercial energy efficient programs throughout the midwest and northeast. As recognition for these achievements in the area of energy efficiency, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has honored them with the 1997 Energy Value Housing Award, as a result of a competition conducted by the NAHB Research Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Comfort Home was chosen for this prestigious award in recognition of their technically advanced, voluntary residential energy efficiency program that makes it easy to build energy efficient homes. Sponsored by participating utilities, the Comfort Home Program includes system design, performance testing and verification of energy use and comfort guarantee.

The Energy Value Housing Award program recognizes outstanding achievement in integrating energy efficiency into the design, construction and marketing of new homes. The program's goal is to increase the value of energy efficiency as the selling feature of homes. Awards are presented in custom, production, affordable, and innovative home categories for hot, moderate and cold climate regions to a total of thirteen winners and four honorable mentions in 1997.

The Comfort Home process has demonstrated high levels of construction quality and customer satisfaction. In one customer satisfaction survey, 89 percent of the respondents indicated it was important to them to build or buy a home that met Comfort Home standards and 91 percent would build or buy a Comfort Home again.

The Comfort Home Program is E. Seal approved and is a U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR ally. It has also been commended by the National Association of Home Builders in keeping with the methodology and procedures associated with their Thermal Performance Guidelines program. The program is listed by Renew America, a coalition of environmental groups, as an outstanding energy savings program, and has been recognized at the state and national level for its improvements in energy efficiency.

Builders and home owners in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Missouri, Massachusetts, Virginia, Georgia and Kentucky currently have the opportunity to build and own a Comfort Home through the following participating utilities: Pennsylvania Power & Light Company, PECO Energy, Allegheny Power Systems, Virginia Power, Jackson EMC, Coweta/Fayette EMC, Carroll EMC, Platte/Clay Electric Co-op, Commonwealth Electric and Kentucky Utilities Corporation.

Other awards received on both the state and national level from energy efficiency and environmental groups include: Edison Electric Institute's Residential Marketing Award, Renew America, and the National Environmental Awards Council's "Model of Environmental Excellence" award, and the Pennsylvania Governor's Energy Award.

For more information about building a Comfort Home, contact your local utility company or call Comfort Home Corporation toll free at (800) 367-7223.

Builders Speak out...

As part of a recent Comfort Home survey, builders were asked to rate certain values on why they chose Comfort Home as their main supplier of energy efficiency services. Out of the builders surveyed, the majority have built 10 or more Comfort Homes and will continue to utilize the Comfort Home program in the future.

Energy efficiency is the most prominent reason for their participation in the program. The program is backed by a comfort and energy consumption warranty which is very inticing to new home buyers. The warranty guarantees homeowners that during the first year Comfort Home will correct comfort problems. Also, heating and cooling energy usage is guaranteed for three years so any long term problems can also be corrected.

Each Comfort Home is built to lowest possible energy use and the highest level of comfort is guaranteed. The Comfort Home Corporation can offer a superior guarantee because the energy efficiency -- and even comfort -- is literally designed into the constructions plans.

For this reason, the main decision makers in the building of the Comfort Home are primarily the builders. Builders know that an energy efficient home sells promptly and the resale value is even greater.

Builders who construct Comfort Homes have increased marketability of these homes with an even greater sales value. Furthermore, owners who invest in these homes have the guarantee of comfort and low energy use.

The decision to construct a Comfort Home in most cases is determined by the builder and then passed on to the buyer as a valued-added feature of the home. In this survey, 76% of the builders said that this decision was made by them and that 8% of the requests were through customers who asked for the Comfort Home Program to be implemented in the construction process.

Overall, 92% of the builders surveyed were satisfied with the level of technology and support from Comfort Home Corporation. Based on the performance of existing Comfort Homes versus standard homes, 25% to 40% less energy is used for heating and cooling. Comfort Home calculates the exact warranted heating and cooling energy consumption for the new home before it is constructed and assures the highest level of customer satisfaction.

According to one builder surveyed, "This is something that really works! -- It's great!"

WaterFurnace offers Rebate Program

WaterFurnace International, builder of geothermal systems for residential and commercial constructions is offering builders a $100 per ton rebate as a special incentive for using Comfort Home services.This special program is being offered for installed ton installed in a Comfort Home by an authorized WaterFurnace Dealer. The rebate will be shared by WaterFurnace International and Authorized Dealers in the following states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri and Massachusetts.

Comfort Home will provide a room by room load calculation with individual CFM's. After the project is complete, Comfort Home will then perform a thermal scanning and flow test in each room and on the equipment to ensure proper performance.

Waterfurnace International is dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction. The commitment to deliver the best home comfort products is why they chose Comfort Home as their partner in energy efficient living. The WaterFurnace products are put through extensive in-house tests and other rigorous tests by independent laboratories and agencies to guarantee that theirs is best product available.

Comfort Home is proud to be partner in this venture to provide quality comfort living to homeowners.

Virtually Reality... The Future of Energy Efficient Homes

Virtual Reality technology educates users on materials and components for environmental efficient homes before construction begins.

A recent study was compiled by the Center for Sustainable Building in partnership with Concurrent Technologies Corporation to support the development of a prototype virtual reality simulation. The Rebuild America Program, supported by these two organizations, is a program designed to provide environmentally safe construction materials for new and refurbished housing. The new virtual reality technology will allow participants to "walk through" and learn about materials, techniques and technologies used to create an environmentally sustainable building.

Comfort Home Corporation has a vested interest in this technology because the purpose of virtual design is to build energy efficiency into the home prior to construction. This software will provide for advance planning of every aspect of a Comfort Home.

Presently, a home in Cambridge, Massachusetts is one of the first of ten virtual reality demonstrations. The thermal integrity of the units will be ensured through the participation of Commonwealth Electric Company Comfort Home Program. The Cambridge site provides an opportunity for local and regional participants to become involved in problem solving while addressing complex issues concerning the understanding of market change and this new technology.

The hands-on format of the Virtual Reality Walk-through will enable diverse audiences to more readily understand complex decisions made by builders, designers and homeowners in re-designing a structure. The interactive virtual reality concept provides a platform that is easily understandable for communication to homeowners, builders, architects, engineers, trade workers, materials manufacturers, distributors, financiers, and real estate professionals.

This simulation project goes beyond 3-D representations of space. In addition to visual images that shift in 3-D perspective, this virtual reality project allows for exploration with interactive "hot spots" that arouse curiosity. There is a touch wall panel that, when activated, narrates step-by-step instructions of how to construct a panel as a Quick Time video demonstrates the technique. Another feature describes the materials used in the construction with text windows, when the object is touched. Through features like this, learning is made fun and easy.

Tools for learning are readily made accessible for the user as they learn about materials and components used to construct the building, the options available to the builder at each juncture, the pros and cons of each option, and the economic and environmental impact of each option. By the end of the walk-through, the users have gained knowledge about the process of planning, designing, and constructing an environmentally efficient building.

The Center for Sustainable Building (CSB) is a national educational program designed to reshape the nature of building in the United States and provides the platform for the industry to operate in an environmentally sound and economically feasible manner. CSB's goals are to have all buildings utilize water, energy, and resources efficiently and is committed to redefining the practices of the American commercial building and housing construction industry. They also want to educate consumers about environmentally sound alternatives to current construction practices.

Current Technologies Corporation (CTC) is a private, independent, non-profit organization dedicated to research, development and dissemination of advanced industrial technologies in support of U.S.-D.O.D., other government agencies, and industry. CTC strive to enhance the agility and competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base through its National Centers for Excellence that focus on the acquisition, evaluation, development and transfer of new and advanced environmentally acceptable technologies.

CTC provides the technical resources and expertise necessary to develop and deploy virtual environments. They have worked with clients in the areas of facility modeling and monitoring, network diagnosis and analysis, finite element analysis (FEA) commercial and military logistics, and satellite terrain visualization.

The two organizations have joined forces to create this innovative educational program. The goal of this partnership is to educate diverse audiences about environmentally sound buildings through the exciting realm of virtual reality.

Comfort Home Corporation supports this program because it provides:

• Accessible information about available options, cost-benefit analysis and decision making processes
• An agile learning environment which provides accurate, timely, fast-paced information for the professional
• Immediate access to manufacturer's information as well as EPA and DOE recommendations and policies.
• Allows users to investigate materials before the house is actually built.

For more information about the Rebuild America Program or the new technology of Virtual Reality, contact Comfort Home at 1-800-367-7223. The future is now. Take advantage and enjoy the comforts of home with virtual reality technology.