Build with Bosgraaf - Build Green

Bosgraaf Companies builds neighborhoods and dream in West Michigan ... 

The HERS Index explained

Even though Bosgraaf Companies has been building Energy Star homes since 1999, terminology and policies change periodically. When I received our latest Rating Certificate for our recently completed home in Prairie Winds, I decided to refresh my knowledge of the rating scale and share that information here.

In order to be an Energy Star qualified home, every home we build (not a sampling) is tested by a 3rd party. Our testers have no ownership or "funny" relationship with our company so it is truly impartial. The tester comes in and hooks up a "Blower Door" to one of the doors of the home to create a negative air pressure situation and this measures the air exchanges.

*It is pretty cool to be in a home when this test takes place so let us know if you have a school classroom or other group that would like a field trip.*

If a window is cracked open, a vent hooked up improperly, or something left un-caulked, it is immediately known by the reading on the Blower Door test and the sound of whistling air that allows our builders to immediately find the source. As you can imagine, this gives us tremendous peace of mind to know that we are delivering a home that is properly sealed against wind and water infiltration.

When the testers are finished at a home, they provide us with a Rating Certificate. That certificate lists the results of the Blower Door test and compiles the specifications provided for the house (R Value of insulation, type of window, etc.). The final number that results, and a number we look at, is the HERS Index.

The following description of the HERS Index was taken from www.resnet.us/home-energy-ratings: Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient."

We are incredibly proud of the fact that our most recent home at Prairie Winds in Zeeland tested at 62!! This is the typical score of our homes, but much better than the typical home built to Model Energy Code. Anything below 70 is rated 5 Star PLUS by Energy Star - off the charts, basically. We have always tested out at 5 Star (before they added the Plus category) and 5 Star Plus.

What does this mean for the homeowner? A comfortable home with lower energy costs and a home that is Earth-friendly. For this particular home in Prairie Winds with 3,508 square feet of conditioned space, the projected annual energy cost (based on today's rates) is $2,298 for heating, cooling, all lights and appliances.

Call Maureen or Mike at Bosgraaf to learn more about Energy Star and our green commitment at Bosgraaf Companies.

Why Choose Bosgraaf?

Three generations of the Bosgraaf Family have worked for more than 35 years to establish Bosgraaf Companies as West Michigan’s leader of Energy Star Plus Qualified Homes, as recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Bosgraaf builds West Michigan’s greenest homes in 12 premier residential neighborhoods or any location within the Michigan Lakeshore, Southwest Michigan, or Greater Grand Rapids Communities.

Bosgraaf is known for ease of purchase, special financing, pre-designed home plans, and easy to build process. And Bosgraaf backs each of its new homes with a commitment to customer satisfaction that rests upon the pride of family ownership. It has been an honor for our family to build homes for more than 1,000 families in West Michigan and we look forward to many more years of partnerships with our team of employees, our trade partners, and our homebuyers.