The cost of resources needed to build passive houses, homes that require very little energy to maintain a comfortable temperature year round, has often been decried as excessive. While Josh Wojcik, owner of Upright properties, had a crew removing the roof of a 1973 ranch house in order to convert it into a high-efficiency home, a passerby leaned out the window of his truck and, according to the Business Sun Journal, yelled, "You're doing too much!" 

The widespread criticism that building passive houses is overkill has been a constant hurdle for this industry that refuses to stop growing. Conversely, proponents maintain that the upfront costs of the low-energy heating units are offset by extra savings in energy costs. Thus, several companies have begun to make their mark in what Wojcik describes as "a new frontier." 

Bangor-based building retrofitter House Revivers is walking the same path as Wojcik with plans to finish the first of six Bangor EcoHomes houses and oversee an opening set for July 26 of this year. WABI TV reported that Bangor EcoHomes's project manager, David Kelly, insists that insulation is one of the most effective ways to create an energy efficient home. He references a Bangor house where a modest 1500-watt heater would suffice to warm the entire home for the winter while only consuming roughly the same amount of energy used by a handheld blow dryer. 

Along with the vocal criticisms there is also the lack of awareness of house builders and buyers to address, in regard to the available techniques and technology used in building energy efficient homes. But word of the upside is spreading as G-O Logic, builder of the first passive certified house in Maine and Michigan, was reported by the Business Sun Journal to have estimated that a 1,500-square-foot home built to code can save a homeowner roughly $1,400 annually.

As the status of energy efficient homes grows in America, remember that if you live in the Maryland area and are looking to learn more about home energy efficiency or have an energy audit to evaluate your power consumption needs, just schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!