Residents of The Estates of McKinney care about the impact they have on the environment and can live comfortably knowing that W3 is equally committed to protecting the world around us. The Estates of McKinney homes have earned ENERGY STAR® certification, a designation you can trust in knowing we have taken the steps to keep your comfort up year-round and your energy costs down. To earn ENERGY STAR certification, a home must meet strict guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As an ENERGY STAR home, your new residence uses about 38% less energy than typical new homes, and the savings are even greater when compared to older homes. Here are a few of the features designed to give you comfort and peace of mind that we are all taking our part in preserving our environment.
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How Does This Benefit Me as a W3 Resident? Proven Value—Better energy efficiency means lower utility costs. Your home uses 15–30% less energy than typical new homes and even more compared to older ones. W3 exceeds ENERGY STAR standards by about 10%.
Wall-to-Wall Comfort—Experience the difference of a high-performance heating and cooling system engineered for consistent comfort and fresh, filtered air throughout every room—reducing pollutants, dust, pollen, and allergens. W3 and N3 are proud winners of the EPA’s annual “Market Leader” Award.
How a Home Meets ENERGY STAR Standards Homes meeting ENERGY STAR standards must satisfy strict EPA guidelines. They are at least 15% more efficient than those built to current code and often 20–30% more efficient overall. Each home’s performance is verified by third-party inspections to ensure accuracy and quality installation.
What Are the Main Components of ENERGY STAR Standards? Effective Insulation—Proper insulation prevents heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, lowering bills and enhancing comfort year-round.
High-Performance Windows—Certified windows cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy use, and protect furnishings from sun damage. |
Efficient Duct Systems—In standard homes, up to20% of air is lost through leaks. ENERGY STAR ducts are tested for tightness and insulation, ensuring optimal performance.
High-Efficiency Heating & Cooling Equipment— W3 homes feature an approximate 16 SEER air conditioning system—about 8% more efficient than standard models—and an ENERGY STAR heat pump that transfers heat from outdoor air, ground, or water to warm your home. These systems are quieter, use less energy, and reduce humidity for enhanced comfort.
Additional Efficiency Features—ENERGY STAR homes include efficient lighting, ventilation, and appliances.
Lighting—W3 homes use 100% LED lighting, which consumes 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and produces less heat—saving energy and eliminating bulb replacements.
Appliances—ENERGY STAR refrigerators are about 9% more efficient than standard ones, while certified dishwashers save enough annually to cover detergent costs and conserve around 3,900 gallons of water over their lifetime.
Heat Pumps—Installed in every home, heat pumps significantly cut heating costs—saving residents up to half their electric bill during certain seasons. |
EFFECTIVE SOUND ABSORPTION
High Density: Cellulose insulation is much denser than fiberglass, which helps to absorb sound more effectively. This density reduces the vibration of walls and attenuates sound.
Sound Transmission Class (STC): Cellulose insulation has a high STC rating, indicating its superior ability to block sound compared to other materials. It can significantly dampen noise from outside and between rooms.
To understand the effectiveness of soundproofing, it’s helpful to look at its Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating. The STC rating is a measure of how well a material reduces sound transmission, with higher numbers indicating better performance.
Walls insulated with cellulose can achieve an STC rating of 50 or greater. Walls made with fiberglass bats typically have an STC of 36-39. This significant difference translates to a noticeable reduction in noise levels in your living spaces. Every 10 additional points lessens the sound transmitted in half.
WHAT IS CELLULOSE INSULATION?
Cellulose insulation is made from recycled paper, primarily newspapers. Cellulose, being a much denser material than usual ones like fiberglass, can block sound much better.
HOW DOES CELLULOSE REDUCE SOUND?
Being thick and dense, it prevents the passage of sound waves through walls. It also curbs vibrations. Sound waves can cause your walls and floors to tremble, thus transferring the noise to adjacent rooms. Cellulose enhances weight and density, thereby reducing these vibrations and making it more difficult for the sound to transmit.
WHAT ADDITIONAL MEASURES DO WE TAKE?
Our common walls also has resilient channel which is light gauge steel added between the sheetrock and studs which allows for additional insulation and also makes the common wall more rigid which reduces sound and vibration.
While nothing will make your home silent or near silent (there will always be noise), we do take many other proactive measures that all exceed industry standard to reduce noise.
At W3,
we care about the environment as much
as you do. That’s why we are
committed to building sustainable communities
that leave a kinder footprint on our planet
without you having to think about it, from the
appliances and materials we use to our thoughtful
landscaping.
We
beautifully blend scenic beauty and
state-of-the- art eco-conscious design
into every community we build. Our inviting
landscapes are professionally designed with
water-conserving irrigation systems and native
vegetation.
You can take comfort in knowing that your new home is eco-friendly. Energy-conserving features such as double insulated windows, programmable thermostats, weather stripping, and radiant barrier roof decking make your new home comfortable, while lowering your energy costs and usage. And our elegant lighting and finishes feature low VOC paints and efficient LED lighting.