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Low and Zero Emission Housing: What It Means for You
Housing costs are about much more than just paying your rent or mortgage. Utility bills are a big part of whether a home is truly affordable, and for many families, these bills can make or break their monthly budget. On average, households spend about 3.5% of their income on energy, but for low-income families, that number doubles to 7%.
The good news is that reducing the amount of energy that homes consume lowers utility bills and eases this financial strain. Energy efficient homes are not only more affordable to live in; they are also more comfortable, healthier, and resilient.
When homes are built to be energy efficient right from the get-go, families living in them save money from the day they move in while we all benefit from reduced pollution, cleaner, air, and healthier communities. That’s why Utah Clean Energy is working with builders to make low and zero emission homes the norm.
The Builder Toolkit
Utah Clean Energy recently launched an online Builder Toolkit designed to help builders and homebuyers construct low and zero emission homes. Available now at hub.utahcleanenergy.org/homebuilder-toolkit, this one-stop-shop website provides a comprehensive guide for how to build low- and zero-emission homes. The Toolkit was informed by the real-world experience of multiple Utah home builders, and is made up of nine sections, including:
- Technology resources for building all-electric, high-performance homes
- Financial guidance and incentives to offset upfront costs
- Case studies from Utah builders who have successfully adopted these standards
- Easy-to-use checklists for builders and designers
- Tips for buying and selling
Utah: Leading the Way on Low and Zero Emission Housing
The Builder Toolkit comes at a pivotal time for Utah. Utah’s population growth is fueling a building boom, while energy and housing costs continue to climb. Making these new homes ultra energy efficient is a powerful tool to address both challenges. Utah’s Governor Cox has announced a goal of building 150,000 new homes by 2029 in an effort to address housing affordability. This is an incredible opportunity to build energy-efficient homes that reduce long-term energy costs for families and strengthen future energy reliability, and the Builder Toolkit is here to help!
This Builder Toolkit charts a path for Utah builders to follow to construct homes that will ease families’ utility bills over the short term and into the future. By Utah Clean Energy’s calculations, if all of the new homes under the Governor’s plan meet the energy efficiency standards outlined in the toolkit, Utah families living in three new homes would collectively save nearly $5 billion in energy costs over 30 years.
Real-World Experiences Pave the Way for Utah Builders
The Toolkit was developed from lessons learned from Utah builders that have already built ultra efficient, all-electric homes. They have illustrated that building low and zero emission homes is doable. Through the Toolkit, Utah Clean Energy gives builders the practical resources they need to deliver affordable, efficient homes that will benefit Utah families for generations.
Explore the toolkit here!
We would like to clarify that Utah Clean Energy is not a solar company. We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for solar and other clean energy technologies, but we do not install or sell solar in any way.