Building For the Future: A Closer Look at Our Energy Efficiency

At Wilkinson Homes, we take pride in building phenomenal new-construction homes throughout the great state of Delaware with endless benefits for our buyers—including energy efficiency and comfort. Our forward-thinking homes are built with conscious practices and progressive materials, implemented to not only save homeowners money on energy costs—but to also improve their comfort and air quality. Promoting a life of happiness and enjoyment for the years to come.

Our team at Wilkinson Homes is constantly striving towards building and designing the best home while maintaining the value we are known for. To ensure we are achieving our standards we have begun the process of having all our homes Energy Star Certified by a third-party energy auditor. This is a stringent process, well above code, that ensures we are delivering a high-performance home to every buyer. Read more to find out what comes included with your new Wilkinson Home.

Thermal Envelope

When it comes to energy efficiency, it's not just about the latest appliances and gadgets—the true energy savings come from how the home is built. It all starts with the thermal envelope, which is the continuous layer that separates the inside/conditioned space from the outside/unconditioned space. Managing for air is the most important part of building a high-performance home. Think about it like a fancy Yeti Cooler (very well insulated), and how it would perform on a hot summer day if you left the lid open… Sure it will keep ice for a little while, but eventually you’ll be wondering why you spent all that money on a nice cooler when you could have just used a bucket of ice. To verify that we built an airtight enclosure, we test every house via a “blower door test.” If they do not meet our minimum criteria (3 ACH 50) then we take the time to find where the bulk of the air is leaking in from and address. A side benefit of these efforts is less bugs, because if air can get in, bugs can too. 

Once you have verified that you are managing for air you can focus on the insulation. One of the energy-efficient features that is standard in every Wilkinson Home is continuous blown-in attic insulation with an R-value of 49. This means that the insulation material is placed in a uniform layer providing a high level of thermal resistance to prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer—ultimately resulting in comfort and energy savings.

Wilkinson Homes also uses an energy heel truss design, where possible, which provides full-depth insulation around the perimeter of the attic. This design helps to further prevent thermal bridging, which is when heat is transferred through the building envelope due to gaps or breaks in the insulation. Additionally, the exterior walls of every Wilkinson Home are framed with 2" x 6" framing, which allows for a higher insulation value of R-21. This thicker framing provides more space for insulation, which helps to increase the overall energy efficiency of the home.

Low-E windows

Although insulation is crucial, Wilkinson Homes also understands the importance of windows in a home and how they can impact energy efficiency. Worn-out or low-performing windows can waste a lot of energy by allowing your inside air to escape, causing utility bills to increase and the temperature to fluctuate in your home. To ensure our homes are as energy efficient as possible, we use Low-E double pane windows in every home. These windows help to minimize solar heat gain and provide insulation value, reducing the amount of heating and cooling loss through the windows. Our team takes extra care during installation to ensure the windows are properly sealed, minimizing the amount of air that can leak in or out. With a Wilkinson home, you can enjoy natural light and a more open, airy feel without sacrificing energy efficiency.

Smart heating and cooling

When it comes to HVAC systems, it's important to make sure that the system is properly sized for the home to achieve optimal efficiency and comfort. That's why our trusted HVAC vendors use specialized software to calculate the exact size of system needed for each individual home to achieve the desired indoor climate while remaining energy-efficient. Additionally, programmable thermostats are a great way to save on heating and cooling costs by allowing homeowners to set specific temperatures for different times of the day, ensuring that the HVAC system only runs when needed. This convenient and energy-saving feature is included as a standard in all Wilkinson homes, making daily life significantly easier and more enjoyable. 

Our healthy home promise

At Wilkinson Homes, we believe that energy efficiency is not just a trend—it's a necessary investment for the future. From an air-tight and well-insulated building envelope to the Low-E double pane windows and right-sized HVAC systems, we’re proud to include eco-friendly practices and materials as standard in every home we build. Our commitment to energy efficiency doesn't stop here, though—as we are transitioning all our homes to be Energy Star-certified. We believe that we have a responsibility to the people who will live here—not just the buyers we’re serving now, but the families who will come after them. It’s been that way since we started three generations ago, and we make it our mission to ensure that this everlasting philosophy continues. 

To work with our team and create the custom energy-efficient home you’ve always envisioned, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (610) 274-8283 or fill out our online form today. Additionally, be sure to check out our new home communities throughout Kent County and Newcastle County, Delaware—as well as our energy-efficient quick move-in homes for those looking for a quicker process.