Modular Home Thermal Envelope |
Your modular homes thermal envelope includes the walls, ceilings and floors. Improving your prefab homes thermal envelope has a number of benefits: - Lower Energy Bills
- Enhanced Comfort
- Smaller Heating and Air Conditioning
- Durability and Less Maintenance
- Healthy Indoor Air
The elements of your homes thermal envelope include the framing, insulation, sheathing, drywall and air sealing. The thermal envelope of modular homes are superior over site built stick homes as per air tightness. |
Energy Efficient Thermal Envelope for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Windows and Doors |
Windows for modular homes provide egress and light into your home. The most energy efficient windows and doors are one of the least efficient components of a home. Windows provide lighting and natural ventilation to a home. Deciding on the type of window and the frame material will influence the efficiency of your home. The standard windows installed in modular homes are vinyl windows with low U-Values. In addition to vinyl windows, many modular home factories offer wood and fiberglass windows. |
Energy Efficient Doors and Windows for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Design |
The design of your modular home will affect your homes heating, cooling, lighting and even your water heating costs. A small modular home design will cost less to heat and cool, but taking into consideration in the design process the distance for mechanical equipment (hot water heating, heating systems, air conditioning systems and etc) will also influence modular home operation costs. Prefab homes can be designed to maximize the utilization of space. The energy efficient design of a modular home will take the following elements into consideration: - Size of The Home
- Location of Mechanicals
- Landscaping and Placement of The Modular Home
- Window Sizes and Orientation
- Utilization of Space
- Potential Passive and Active Solar Implementation.
When designing a new modular home, using a HERs Raters and architects will increase the cost to build the home, but will lower the prefab homes overall energy consumption. |
Energy Efficient Modular Home Designs |
Modular Home Lighting |
The lighting in a modular home consumes around ten to fifteen percent of a homes energy. Installing compact fluorescent lighting and even better LEDs lighting in a modular home can cut total energy costs by five to seven percent. In addition to electric lighting, Solar light tubes can dramatically lower energy bills while brightening spaces without windows. Switching all of the light bulbs to CFLs can save on lighting costs. Installing hallogen lighting in a super energy efficient modular home could cut heating costs. |
Energy Efficient Lighting for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Roofing |
Modular home roofs that with light colors cut cooling cost in warmer climate zones. More and prefab homes are having metals roofs over the standard asphalt shingles. In addition to the roofing materials used to cover a modular homes roof is the overall design of the roof system. The type of roof will also influence the cost to heat and cool a home. G and I Homes in Upstate New York insulates the underside of all of the new homes they sell with spray foam insulation. |
Energy Efficient Roofing For Modular Homes |
Shading and Shielding Modular Homes |
If your building site for your new modular home has existing trees, it is best to minimize cutting the trees down. Shading a home with deciduous trees will lower air conditioning bills in the summer. In the winter evergreens on the Northern side of a home can help shield northern winds lower heating cost in the winter. In addition to shading and shielding your prefab homes with trees, landscaping can also help in shielding your home from energy robbing winds. |
Modular Home Shading and Shielding - Natural Energy Efficiency |
Modular Home Insulation and Air Sealing |
Insulation and air sealing your new modular home are the two most important components of your homes thermal envelope. Modular home manufactures offer fiberglass insulation, cellulose and spray foam insulation. The cost to upgrade your prefab home's insulation often will pay for itself in a short period of time. The savings you find by maximizing your homes insulation and minimizing air leakage can pay for the coveted granite counter top. |
Insulation Materials for Modular Homes |
ENERGY STAR and Modular Homes |
The ENERGY STAR program for modular homes is no different for modular homes as site built homes. The ENERGY STAR program is a voluntary program for builders to build homes to be at least 15% more energy efficient than a new modular home built to minimum energy code. The ENERGY STAR home is modeled or rated against a model home. The computer simulation helps builders identify cost affective thermal envelope enhancements, heating system installation, window orientation and more design elements of a prefab home. In addition to modeling your modular home pertaining to energy efficiency, Your new home will be inspected by HERs rater to insure the insulation in your home is installed correctly. Energy efficient modular homes are smart and so is the ENERGY STAR program. |
Modular Homes and ENERGY STAR |
Moisture Control for Modular Homes |
Controlling moisture in a new home is much easier than retrofitting an existing home. Moisture control includes: - Preventing Moisture from Entering a Home or Building
- Ventilation Systems to Help Homes Stay Dry
- Exhausting Excessive Moisture from Homes and Buildings
A new home with systems to control moisture flows in a home will enhance comfort levels, minimize maintenance due to moisture damage, enhance indoor air quality and minimize the potential for ugly odors and potential mold problems. |
Modular Home Moisture Control |
Modular Home Appliances |
Often people who are building a new modular home will also purchase new appliances for the entire home. Buying energy saving appliance will help cut energy bills through out the year. And, ENERGY STAR labeled appliance will also help in lowering your HERs rating if you have your home rated as an ENERGY STAR home. Energy Star labeled washers and dryers can also cut water consumption and drying times (clothes dryers). When your home is being designed, it is wise to take into consideration the location appliances to minimize energy loss and maximize energy efficiency. |
Energy Efficient Appliances for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Water Heating |
Water heating consumes approximately 30% of a home's energy consumption. The type of water heating system will influence your hot water heating costs. In addition to the type of prefab home water heating system, the location, fuel and the insulation on the hot water pipes will influence your new homes water heating bills. Water heating systems will also influence your homes ENERGY STAR rating as well. By selecting an ENERGY STAR rated appliance some states and utilities will give cash and credit incentives. |
Modular Homes and Energy Efficient Water Heating |
Modular Home Heating |
The heating system you purchase for your new modular home will need to be weighed agains installation costs, operating cost, replacement costs and fuel type available. The size of your heating system will be heavily influenced by the prefab homes thermal envelope. A home with a super efficient thermal envelope will require a smaller and less expensive heating system. Modular homes can have all types of heating systems: both radiant heating and forced air systems. In addition to fuel based heating systems, take into consideration solar space heating and passive solar heating systems, |
Energy Efficient Heating for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Building Sites |
The building site for your modular home will influence your homes and your energy consumption. Shaded building sites will have lower air conditioning costs. Building sites that are in once upon a time cornfields will cost more to heat due to cold northern winds. The location of your home will also influence your energy consumption. If your building lot is located miles away from your daily activities, you will spend thousands of dollars a year for commuting to your activities. |
Energy Efficient Building Sites for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Solar Energy |
Many people are captivated by the idea of "free" energy from the sun. The reality is minimizing the requirements for energy is the key to an energy efficient home. Installing compact fluorescent lighting, LEDs, energy efficient appliances will save more money than a solar energy system will produce dollar to dollar. In addition a prefab home with a efficient thermal envelope will require less energy to heat and cool. Any home, modular or site built will require twice the number of solar space heating panels than a super energy efficient home. |
Solar Energy for Modular Homes |
Modular Home Water Conservation |
Water conservation is becoming more and more important. The cost to treat water is relative to the cost of energy. As energy bills increase so will water usage rates increase. Installing low consumption toilets and showers can save thousands of dollars over the life time of a home. In addition to minimizing water consumption, new modular homes can also incorporate water capturing systems such as rain harvesting for irrigation and cistern system for water supply. |
Water Conservation and Modular Homes |
Modular Home Air Conditioning |
Keeping your modular home comfortable in the summer often requires air conditioning systems. However if your prefab homes thermal envelope is energy efficient, you will be able to purchase a smaller air conditioning system. Shading your home will also help cut air conditioning costs. Installing additional insulation in attics will also help lower air conditioning costs in the summer. There are a number of air conditioning systems available for new homes. Window air conditioners, air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps (geothermal) systems. Most forced air conditioning systems also provide some or all heating in all in one units. |
Energy Efficient Modular Home Air Conditioning |
Personal Habits |
No matter how energy efficient your modular home, you will have the biggest influence on your energy costs. A home that is built tight and insulated right will cost more to heat and cool than an inefficient home if you leave your doors open. In addition to consumption of energy lighting, appliance usage, and your life style will influence your home's energy consumption. |
You Make the Difference with Conservation |
Modular Home Wind Power |
Energizing your home with wind power is one of the last components to building an energy efficient home, The decision to install wind turbines for your modular home will be influenced by how much wind your building lot receives. It is best to review a wind map to identify if installing wind power is a smart investment. |
Wind Power for Modular Homes |
Modular Home BioFuels |
More information on Biofuel will soon be on the way |
Biofuels for Modular homes |
Modular Home Energy Efficient Check List |
Building an energy efficient home starts in the planning phase of building a modular home, energy efficient design is often a hodge podge effort. By enlisting the help of a HERs rater who will rate the home as the design changes will help make your home as energy efficient as possible. Our Modular Home Energy Efficient Check List will help you design your new home. |
Energy Efficient Check List for New Modular Homes |
