Seeking Bold Solutions to Make Energy Affordable

JUNE 13, 2006, FARMINGVILLE, NY – At the invitation of Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley and Councilwoman Connie Kepert, representatives of the Neighborhood Network made a presentation to the Town Board at its work session last week urging the board to adopt Energy Star building standards for new construction in the town.

Neighborhood Network is encouraging all Long Island towns to require the Energy Star building standards, and Brookhaven is the first town to move forward to adopt the standards. There will be a public hearing on June 20 on a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Kepert to require Energy Star standards for all new construction in Brookhaven Town.

“Energy Star building standards are a potential part of the solution to one of the most serious threats facing our country—our reliance on oil, the pollution that dependence causes, and the enormous cost of fossil fuels, which will only increase,” said Supervisor Foley. “Energy Star could save homeowners a great deal of money in energy costs and could cut pollution dramatically. Adopting these new building standards could improve national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil and decrease pressure on dwindling oil reserves worldwide. It could cut pollution dramatically, which will improve human health.

“More importantly right here in Brookhaven Town, we need to find ways to cut energy costs and make home ownership more affordable for both our young people and our senior citizens. These Energy Star standards could save homeowners a great deal of money by cutting energy costs long-term, and that will help keep families in Brookhaven Town.”

“When you take into account that 21% of the energy we consume as Americans is in the residential sector, you wonder why measures like this haven’t been taken as of yet,” Councilwoman Kepert said. “A home built to Energy Star standards will be approximately 30% more efficient than homes being built right now as we speak. This law will greatly reduce the amount of fossil fuel we use as a society and that’s good for America.”

Neighborhood Network Director Neil Lewis and Vice president for operations Andrew Nannitt in their presentation Thursday at the Town Board work session agreed with the points made by Supervisor Foley and Councilwoman Kepert.

“Our basic message is that where we sit right now, in 2006 on Memorial Day weekend, we have young people in uniform dying in the Middle East,” said Mr. Lewis. “There is a major motion picture out talking about global warming. In this day and age, we shouldn’t allow houses to be built that aren’t highly energy efficient.”

The Neighborhood Network representatives said the substantial increase in home energy efficiency that would result from requiring Energy Star construction standards would be lessen reliance on foreign oil supplies and cut pollution, while providing big savings for homeowners.
Among the points made by the Neighborhood Network representatives were:

--Energy consumed in homes accounts for nearly 17% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 15 percent of energy consumption nationwide.

--Energy Star Labeled Homes were launched in 1995. Nearly 10% of all homes built in the U.S. in 2004 were Energy Star qualified. However, the percentage on Long Island is less than one percent.

--The basis of the Energy Star rating system is the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), an evaluation of the energy efficiency of a home. LIPA offers incentives to builders based on the HERS score.  LIPA incentives paid to builders range from $850 to $1,250, depending on the score.

--For a typical Long Island builder, making one of their existing home designs meet Energy Star standards could cost $2,000. Even if the cost is double that, the environmental benefits and long term savings far outweigh the initial price.

--If a home is designed from the beginning to be efficient, it could actually cost less to build. A 3,000 square foot house with a poorly sealed envelope and leaky ducts could require a 6-ton or greater capacity central air conditioner, with an approximate cost of $8,000. The same house with well-sealed envelope and ducts could require only a 4-ton central air conditioner at an approximate cost of $5,335 saving $2,665.

--In the long-term, Energy Star construction saves homeowners a great deal of money.  Based on a 30-year, 6.25% mortgage, a homeowner would save $65 a month in energy costs, while paying an additional $5 on his or her mortgage to cover increased construction costs. That would total a savings of  $21,600 for homeowners over the life of the mortgage.  

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Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6955 • Fax (631) 451-6677
www.Brookhaven.org