Recently, The Energy Trust of Oregon added Legend Homes in their Builder Spotlight, a series that highlights EPS builders in Oregon. The Energy Trust’s EPS is “an energy performance score that rates the efficiency of a home and measures it against similar-sized homes in Oregon”. The score ranges from 0 to over 200, and like golf, the lower the EPS score the better.

Here is what The Energy Trust had to say about Legend Homes as an EPS Builder and our commitment to energy efficiency:

Jim Chapman, president of Legend Homes, has a lot of confidence in just how accurately Energy Trust’s EPS can predict the energy efficiency of a home—and how much his customers will appreciate the difference. So much, in fact, that EPS is at the foundation of Legend’s unique EarthSmart home guarantee. For the first three years of ownership, Legend Homes guarantees that annual energy bills won’t exceed the EPS projected combined energy bills.

Chapman’s confidence stems from a clear understanding of how building to EPS standards improves the energy use as well as the overall integrity and livability of a home. “EPS is a true measure of energy efficiency and the quality of construction execution. Both are crucial to the long-term success of the home and its occupants,” he explains. For Chapman, it comes down to a pretty straightforward idea: “A home with an EPS is a better-built home than one without.”

All of Legend’s newly built homes achieve an EPS and, as a result, Chapman has noticed that clients “greatly appreciate the high level of quality and…are amazed at how much lower the energy bills are compared to their last home.”

Despite the demonstrated high performance of these homes, Chapman explains, “We have seen homeowners who turn the heat way down and wear coats, tape off supply vents, close perimeter rooms and try to just heat the core of the home. Not only is it uncomfortable but energy bills go up and damage can occur to mechanical equipment.” So instead of offering knitting lessons or tutorials on how to block nonexistent drafts from windows and doors, Chapman has another approach—encouraging homeowners to abandon unnecessary and extreme measures in pursuit of comfort and energy efficiency. Ultimately, he’s happy to “teach our clients how to comfortably live in their new home.” No mittens required.

Share this post

• Facebook
• Twitter