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The city of Lindon require—among a billion other things—a model energy code compliance report to prove, I suppose, that your model energy code is complaint with whatever Lindon officials have deemed necessary to comply with in regards to the energy code.
So, obviously, I have no idea what the heck this is or why we had to do it. Apparently it has something to do with energy efficiency and the home insulation and HVAC systems. Seems the city wants to make sure that your insulation is adequate and your heaters up to snuff. They don't want your construction project to suck up all the energy on the planet.
An HVAC guy kindly went through our plans and figured R-values and U-factors and UAs. Further confirmation that it involves use of energy. Unless I'm an idiot. Which is entirely possible.
We are trying to build a very energy efficient home. We'd rather put the money into the home materials—making it durable and comfortable—rather than into paying monthly utility bills. The banks don't give us any credit for that in constructing the mortgage, but our wallets will.
Anyway, the maximum allowed UA is 775. Ours is 617. The report says our plan is 20.4% better than code. We were told it's the best rating he's ever seen.
So going with the words “better” and “best”—two words actually in my current vocabulary—I'm taking that a a very good sign.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
This seriously cracked me up. Who would have thought that something this mundane could be entertaining to read about?
Now as for all the hoops cities make us jump through to build, I have nothing positive to contribute.
Thanks for the kind words, Kathy. I’m afraid, however, your amusement may be more due to the fact that you’re up at this ungodly hour than to a knack for humorous writing!
I agree 100%. Safety = yes. But this constant intrusion into our lives is intolerable. Have you seen the latest outrage if this Cap And Trade gets the nod from our esteemed legislators? One of the provisions is that if we want to sell our house we will have to get approval from the EPA to do so!!! We will have to apply for an EPA inspection (heaven only knows how long that will take) and then an inspector will come out and rate our house based on many criteria, and if anything is lacking, in his opinion, we will have to fix it before we can sell. In effect, The Man will be telling us where we can and can’t live.
Samantha, first, thank you for leaving a real, human comment! I’ve been hammered with spam lately, so getting any comment that doesn’t start with “[movie star name] picture nude” is a relief!
Alison,
Sounds like you’re navigating the permitting process nicely. So many people are unaware of the new energy code requirements that have gone in effect across the country.
It’s also nice to see you’re putting your investment in the energy features of your home. You will be very glad both financially and comfort wise. I look forward to following your story as you build.
.-= Todd – Home Construction & Improvement´s last blog ..Enduring the Cold with Roof Winterization Tips =-.
Thank you, Todd. As a longtime follower of your amazing blog, you can be sure I’m reading your articles for advice! I’m honored to have your reading here.