Reported by CEN Staff

DENVER - Xcel Energy announced today two new programs to help homeowners reduce their energy use and lower their energy bills.

The ENERGY STAR® New Homes program works with builders on newly constructed homes by providing a certified rater to assist builders during the construction phase. It offers builders incentives to help offset the added costs of making energy efficiency improvements.

The ENERGY STAR® Home Performance program begins with an energy audit in an existing home and offers customers incentives for installing recommended measures.

To earn the ENERGY STAR certificaton, a new home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA reports that these homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the local residential building code and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30 percent more efficient than standard homes.

“Whether a homeowner is interested in green building practices or wants to save money on energy bills, efficiency is the best place to start,” says program manager Bruce Peterson. “Homes with this certification have lower energy bills and maintenance costs, are quieter and more comfortable and have a higher indoor air quality.”

The following energy-efficient features are employed in ENERGY STAR homes:

♦ Effective Insulation: Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, reduced energy use, and increased comfort.

♦ Tight Construction and Ducts: Sealing holes and cracks in the home’s “envelope” and in heating and cooling duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise.

♦ Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment: In addition to using less energy to operate, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can be quieter, reduce indoor humidity, and improve the overall comfort of the home.

♦ Efficient Products: Appliances and fixtures with the ENERGY STAR label are often used in these homes - lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.

♦ Third-Party Verification: Independent energy auditors for Home Performance and raters for New Homes conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify that all of the energy efficiency measures are installed correctly.

The two new programs are the latest of several new residential energy efficiency programs in Colorado. Over the next two years, these programs will help the company reduce electricity demand on its system by nearly 125 megawatts, which is enough to power 94,000 Colorado homes, and reduce natural gas use by more than 7.2 million therms which would service more than 9,000 typical residential homes in Colorado.

Other residential programs launched this year under the company’s Demand-Side Management (DSM) efforts include offerings for energy efficient heating systems, energy efficient water heaters, and home insulation. The company also is continuing programs on rebates for qualifying evaporative cooling systems and Saver’s Switch.

Additional residential programs to be launched later this spring will include home energy audits; multiple energy efficiency upgrades, including replacement of appliances, heating/cooling equipment and insulation for new and existing homes; a program for energy efficient showerheads; and several educational programs.

Xcel Energy will spend $63 million in 2009 and $80 million in 2010 as it seeks to reduce customer demand for electricity and natural gas in Colorado. The programs are expected to save consumers approximately $450 million in 2009-2010. Xcel Energy will file an updated Colorado DSM plan in 2010.

By 2015, Xcel Energy will reduce electricity demand on its system by nearly 700 megawatts. This effort would delay or preclude the construction of a traditional electric power generating station costing $1 billion or more. A power plant of this size serves the electricity needs of more than 525,000 homes in Colorado.

For more information on Xcel Energy’s new and existing residential DSM programs, go to www.xcelenergy.com. Select “Colorado” for the state site you wish to visit, then select “Programs and Resources” on the drop down menu under “Residential.” On the left column, click on the specific program you wish to explore.