In 2012, North Carolina’s building code took great strides toward ensuring that homes are built to a higher standard. Another important inclusion in the 2012 North Carolina Energy Conservation Code (NCECC) is a voluntary appendix that defines a High Efficiency Residential Option (HERO) for those builders and contractors that are seeking to deliver a home that is 30 percent more energy efficient than homes built to North Carolina’s current code. This HERO alternative requires slightly better insulation, fenestration, air sealing, equipment, and lighting packages to deliver even greater savings.

  • The Prescriptive Path is straightforward but inflexible: it involves complying fully with a list of specific requirements for things like insulation, high-efficiency lighting, window U-factors, whole house tightness and duct leakage testing, among other things.

  • The Performance Path, on the other hand, is more flexible. It requires an energy cost analysis (provided to you by your HERS Rater and signed-off by a Design Professional) as proof that the home you are building will have energy costs that are less than or equal to that same home built to the HERO Code’s prescriptive requirements. The Performance Path does NOT allow for HVAC or water heating tradeoffs to be HERO Code compliant. In other words, higher efficiency equipment will not help you, because the HERO Code is focused almost solely on improvements in the thermal enclosure.

In order to be sure that your home meets the HERO requirements completely, we recommend that you read fully the North Carolina Energy Conservation Code, which can be found at energycodes.gov.

 

Windows

Insulation

Foundation

 

Fenestration
U-factor

Skylight
U-factor

Glazed
Fenestration
SHGC

Ceiling
R-Value

Wood Frame
Wall
R-Value

Mass
Wall
R-Value

Floor
R-Value

Basement
Wall
R-Value

Slab
R-Value and
Depth

Crawlspace
Will
R-Value

Zone 3

.32

.65

.25

38

19, 13+5
or 15+3

5/10

19

10/13

5

10/13

Zone 4

.32

.60

.25

38

19, 13+5
or 15+3

5/10

19

10/13

10

10/13

 *Harnett County is in Zone 4/ Cumberland, Bladen, Johnston and Sampson counties are in Zone 3

South River EMC members who build or purchase a new HERO built home; qualify for a rebate of $200-$600. Rebates are issued as bill credits where applicable.

Contractors:
If you build a new HERO certified home that receives electricity from South River EMC, you will receive a $400 rebate once the home has been checked for compliance by a licensed independent HERS rater and all appropriate paperwork is submitted*.

Members:
If you move into a new HERO certified  home, you will receive a $200 rebate. For members who have a HERO home custom built, you will receive a $600 rebate, once the home has been checked for compliance by a licensed independent HERS rater and all appropriate paperwork is submitted*.

Restrictions:

  • Rebates are subject to change without notice.

  • Home must receive electric service from South River EMC.

  • All rebates are subject to approval and are contingent upon fund availability.

  • All rebates are contingent upon the final report of an independent HERS rater.

 

 

Check for federal incentives

HERO Home Application

 

For more information contact the adviseguys@sremc.com.

dollar house