In another effort to help our community become more energy efficient, Shelby Energy offers the Touchstone Energy Home Program. A Touchstone Energy® Home is designed and built to be energy efficient and economical, as well as comfortable. Homes are built by a set of standards developed by electric cooperatives and can truly help home owners have lower electric bills.
The Touchstone Energy Home Program provides guidance during the building process to guarantee a home that is much more efficient than the standard Kentucky home. To qualify, the participating single-family home must be located in the Shelby Energy service area and meet the program guidelines following one of the two paths of approval.
Members must contact Shelby Energy prior to beginning a project, and will be subject to periodic inspections throughout the building process. The following is a list of incentives that members can receive if they follow a specific inspection path.
Prescriptive Path:
- Home must meet each efficiency value as prescribed by Shelby Energy Cooperative.
- Home must receive a pre-drywall inspection and complete Shelby Energy Cooperative's pre-drywall checklist.
- Home must receive a final inspection, pass a whole-house air leakage test and duct leakage test.
- Primary source of heat must be an Air-Source Heat Pump greater than or equal to current Energy Star specifications for SEER and HSPF or Geothermal.
- Water Heater must be an electric storage tank water heater that is greater than or equal to Energy and Water conservation standards established by the Federal Department of Energy.
Performance Path Level:
- Home must receive a HERS Index score of no more than 75 ( at least 30% more efficient than the KY standard built home).
- Home must receive a pre-drywall inspection and complete Shelby Energy Cooperative's pre-drywall checklist.
- Home must receive a final inspection, pass a whole-house air leakage test and duct leakage test.
- Primary source of heat must be an Air-source Heat Pump greater than or equal to current Energy and Water conservation standards established by the Federal Department of Energy or Geothermal.
- Home must pass current energy code requirements established in the KY Residential Code.
- Water Heater must be an electric storage tank water heater that is greater than or equal to current Energy and Water conservation standards established by the Federal Department of Energy.
Incentive:
Shelby Energy Cooperative will provide an incentive of $750 to residential members that build their new home to meet the requirements of either the Prescriptive or Performance Paths.
