Testimonials
 

2001 PRESS RELEASES

Released: April 2001

An ENERGY STAR® Is Born

Over the last couple of years, Astoria Homes has been looking for a way to integrate a partnership with a notable business. Our search finally came to an end a few months ago when several of Astoria Homes' communities - Auburn Hills, Canyon Trails, Stonegate Encore, and Ironwood - were qualified ENERGY STAR® by ComfortWise™. If you are unfamiliar with the ComfortWise™ program, you will be amazed at what it does.

ENERGY STAR® is a national EPA program, which promotes voluntary partnership with homebuilders to construct residences that are at least 30 percent more energy efficient than the current Model Energy Code (MEC). The homes feature improved comfort and construction quality with a great resale feature. A Home Energy Rate qualifies your home as ENERGY STAR®. ComfortWise™ is an example of a successful ENERGY STAR program in California an Nevada that calls for specific features to make homes at least 30 percent more efficient. ComfortWise™ is the turnkey program that provides all of the requirements of ENERGY STAR, and is dedicated to providing builders with quality, energy-efficient homes.

A recent study found that a home's value increases $20 for every $1 reduction on an average utility bill. Homes that are MEC compliant have a 4-star rating (a score of 80 on a Home Energy Lender Report). An ENERGY STAR home has five stars (a score of 86 or better), meaning it is 30 percent more efficient than the MEC. In order to achieve this, the ENERGY STAR program calls for five quality construction items:

  • Engineered HVAC Design
  • Tight Ducts
  • Spectrally Selective Glass
  • Inspection and Diagnosis
  • Home Energy Rating

Because of the quality that goes into the construction of our homes, you reap in the rewards!

  • Cool air stays in during the summer, and stays out during the winter.
  • You will also experience less fading in your fabrics, artwork and carpets.
  • The homes are much quieter on the inside.
  • Temperatures in your home remain consistent, and indoor air is healthier.
  • With the properly-installed energy features in your home, you can qualify for an energy-efficient mortgage offering special features including cash back at closing or reduced interest rates.
  • Less Electricity + Less Pollution = Environmentally Friendly
  • Plus an ENERGY STAR® by ComfortWise™ home comes with a lifetime guarantee.

"You will see more and more homes change to this type of energy efficiency, especially since the California energy shortage and Nevada's increasing energy cost's," says Phil Mestler of the ComfortWise™ Energy Efficiency Home Program.

Don't be discouraged if you already own an Astoria Home not qualified ENERGY STAR®. One of the reasons this partnership was so easy was due to the fact Astoria Homes did not have much farther to go to have the homes labeled. Astoria Homes is very excited and proud to introduce ENERGY STAR® by ComfortWise™ into our communities. We hope you are too! Let's give our new ENERGY STAR® a warm (no pun intended) welcome!
In an effort to continually improve our plans and designs, ASTORIA HOMES reserves the right to change features, plans, prices, and specifications without notice. All square footages distributed and verbally-quoted are approximate.

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