10 minute read
Industry Rallies to Inform on Practical Energy Standards
Industry Rallies to Inform on Practical Energy Standards for Manufactured Homes
EEnergy efficiency is a strong point for manufactured homes, particularly homes built during the last dozen years. Nearly every builder of HUD Code homes has improved its standard energy efficiency and rolled out myriad options for products that help with sustainability in energy transfer and cost reduction.
Manufactured home builders pack every bit of R-value they can into a home, knowing it will be a prime tool in marketing the homes because it will help reduce monthly costs for the buyer.
Manufactured home builders hit the mark on efficient housing, including when it comes to energy, from the way materials are shipped and stored to a manufactured facility, to efficiencies on the line, and the quality of products used within well-designed floorplans.
Department of Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing
Manufactured housing industry leaders have found a unified voice in helping policymakers in Washington, D.C., to understand that the energy efficiency standard being discussed would be counterproductive for factory-built homes, and would impede the availability of affordable homes going to market.
The Manufactured Housing Institute, in responding to the energy department and garnering support to oppose the changes, is quick to point out that the industry appreciates energy efficiency. The problem lies in how the department proposes to implement those efficiencies.
“The current DOE proposal is fundamentally flawed and must be completely rewritten to ensure manufactured homes remain an available option for American families,” MHI said in a published statement on Oct. 21 “If the proposed rule is finalized as written, it will eliminate manufactured housing as an affordable housing option for hundreds of thousands of potential homebuyers.
“The DOE proposal would dramatically increase the costs of manufactured homes, and in some areas of the country, will make the construction and transportation of homes nearly impossible. The proposal uses the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, which was developed for commercial and site-built residential buildings and ignores all the construction aspects unique to manufactured housing.”
MHI and the industry collectively ask the energy department to recognize the HUD Code as a starting point for construction and safety standards of manufactured homes.
A comment period held from July through Nov. 26 has allowed for industry input before rule making moves forward. MHV
Design HOW TO DESIGN A HEALTHIER HOME
by Suzanne Felber
Having solid surface flooring helps keep less dust and allergens in your home. Having the right appliances also makes for a healthier home. AAre you leaving money on the table every time you sell a home?
The past few years have been challenging, to say the least. Now we are at a point that it isn’t just about cost, it’s about being able to get materials in a timely fashion to be able to build the homes that you have sold. Rebranding our homes and getting even more consumers excited about them is something that, as an industry, we have been working on, and it is starting to work. People are understanding that we are a viable solution to the affordable housing crisis.
With the pandemic came a renewed interest in healthy living, along with what we all can do individually, and as a community, to help save our planet and ourselves.
As a Lifestylist, this has always been my focus, and it is now even more so today.
A healthy home and embracing a health-and-wellness lifestyle mean different things to different people. It can be as simple as recycling, or it can be about updating your plumbing fixtures and appliances to save water and to be energy efficient. The less we waste, the healthier the planet will be for everyone. »
Here are five easy ways to promote a healthy lifestyle in your homes. 1. Recycling — It is often overlooked, but factory built housing is one of the most efficient forms of construction. For anyone who has ever toured or worked in one of our plants, you know that there is little or no waste created in the construction of our homes. Everything that you can repurpose or
A well designed kitchen is the heart of the home in many ways. Having energy efficient appliances is an important part of the design. Credit: Beko Appliances
recycle is, and many companies are putting a lot of thought into what happens to a home when it is updated down the road. The Shaw Carpet Cradle to
Cradle Recycled content carpeting can be infinitely recycled keeping millions of yards of carpet out of landfills. Offering recycling centers in communities is an easy way to truly make a difference. 2. Energy Efficiency — If you have ever been in one of our homes in winter, even with no heat on, I am always amazed how well insulated many of our homes are. As an industry, we have also started using more energy-efficient heating and air units, and
the Nest style thermostats can play a big difference in keeping down a homeowners utility bills. It is not just about the initial cost of the home, it is also about how much it will cost to maintain it and how expensive the utility bills will be. If we can help our customers understand how the extras that we add in our homes will help cut their monthly expenses, they will be more secure in investing more to buy their dream home. 3. The Right Appliances — When asked which rooms are the most important to homeowners, time and time again consumers choose the kitchen and the bath. Appliances are a big expense, but they are also so important to the health and well-being of the homeowners. We often put in stainless “pretty” appliances, but how efficient and functional are many of these long term? Are you buying look or function?
An appliance company that is one of the leaders in Europe has landed in the United States, and they are going to change the way that people use and think about their appliances. Beko has already been named the Energy Star® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence, and its focus is health and wellness. The company’s Everfresh® technology will keep produce fresh for up to 30 days. Imagine how much healthier a family would be, and how much money could be saved through fresh fruit and vegetables that last more than a week. And the technology comes at many levels of Beko’ offerings, not just on the high end. I anticipate the brand will be seen and talked about in our homes very soon, and customers will be asking for them.
Induction ranges remain a bit more pricey than what you’re likely to see in our homes, but the price is coming down. Induction is one of the most energy-efficient ways of cooking, and on many of the ranges, you can boil water in 90 seconds. It might take a couple of years, but I see this as the new frontier for ranges and cooktops. 4. Water Works — Every year fresh water is getting more scarce, and finding ways to use water more efficiently in our homes and plants needs to happen.
Believe it or not, well designed dishwashers save gallons of water every time someone uses them, is a more sanitary way to clean your dishes and is a huge time saver. Making sure that you use faucets that won’t be dripping and wasting water a few years out is also a great water and maintenance saver, and there »
are beautiful bath faucet sets that are major water savers without having to sacrifice stream strength.
Make sure that your outdoor faucets can be protected or shut off during chilly weather to prevent freezing. 5. Bringing In the Outdoors — Air quality has become a huge topic of concern. We need to talk about how we protect the indoor air quality of our homes, and how we use insulated windows, bath fans and ceiling fans to keep the air moving, to filter out unwanted particles. Making sure that you change your filters and use better quality filters when you do is an easy way to improve the air quality in a home.
Spending more time outdoors also is very beneficial for our health and well being. An inviting outdoor space, maybe even with an outdoor kitchen, is a great way to blend indoor and outdoor living. A large front porch not only adds to the curb appeal of a home, but it is a great way to be a more active part of your neighborhood while enjoying friends and family. Even if an expansive porch isn’t something that can be done on all homes, making plans available to consumers for site-added porches and decks is a great way for consumers to realize the unlimited potential of our homes.
If you have noticed, a lot of these ideas are things that we are already doing to some degree. Some have been done for so long that we forget to talk about them, or we are talking about them in a value-added sense instead of them being about improving the customer’s quality of life long term. Try adding in a product or idea that is focused on health and well-being, then use this as a talking point to educate homebuyers and residents on all of the things that you already are doing in your homes. I think you will discover that there may be hidden profit in your home that cannot be overlooked. MHV
Lifestylist Suzanne Felber has been active in the housing industry for more than 30 years. Felber realized that factory-built housing was the housing of the future, and has been actively working to promote the lifestyle ever since. She started American Housing Advocates as a way to share the great news about manufactured housing. To learn more about her work, visit www. lifestylist.com and www.americanhousingadvocates.com, or read her @lifestylist social media posts.
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