A Northwest ENERGY STAR Home is one that is at least 15% more efficient than a home built
to standard building codes. For Legend Homes, building to the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes specifications provided the baseline needed to take their energy efficient and sustainable building practices even further.
Since 2007, Legend Homes has developed and promoted their “EarthSmart” homes, which incorporate energy efficiency, innovative sustainability, structural longevity and indoor air quality. New construction that bears both the EarthSmart and Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes certifications are proof of Legend Homes’ long-term commitment to building homes with low monthly energy costs and minimal environmental impact down the road.
LEGEND HOMES
INNOVATION & EDUCATION MAKE LEGEND HOMES A NORTHWEST ENERGY STAR
A long-term commitment to sustainability
Legend Homes has been designing and building homes since 1965 and in recent years has added energy efficiency, conservation and long-term cost-effectiveness to its primary goals of excellent design and state-of-the-art building practices. They’ve developed their own energy efficient home brand, EarthSmart, which combines Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes and Earth Advantage certifications with Legend’s own eco-conscious building practices to provide homes that are affordable and high quality.
Innovative building features include:
- House tightening & air sealing
- Polar blanket wall insulation
- Recycled construction materials and local vendors & suppliers ▪ Water saving fixtures & systems
- Whole home fresh air ventilation system
- Low VOC paints
- 95% efficient furnace
- Longer lasting compact fluorescent lighting
- Heating ducts located in living space to avoid heating unwanted areas
- Photovoltaic Solar options available
- Dual flush toilets that reduce water consumption & costs
Ensuring energy efficiency and quality
To ensure that every home they build meets ENERGY STAR specifications, home builder Legend Homes employs both a Best Practices Task Force and a Quality Assurance Inspector. The Task Force continually evaluates building practices, pinpoints areas for improvement and researches new energy efficiency features. They work closely with third-party experts and specialty contractors who might improve the homes’ efficiency even further. Additionally, they pass on their knowledge about the latest innovations through training and continuing education for subcontractors.
Educating homeowners into the future
Legend takes great pride in educating their homeowners about the technology in their homes and how to increase their savings through sustainable living and energy conservation. Each new homeowner is provided with an owner’s manual with photos of their home’s construction and detailed information about the building process, helping the owner to understand and commit to sustainable living. (And it’s all on a thumb drive, to keep things green!)
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