Building a home in Oklahoma means planning for intense weather, from scorching Edmond summers to frigid winter nights in Macomb. The key to lasting comfort and lower utility bills lies in selecting the right energy efficient home features from the start. Too often, homeowners focus on aesthetics and are surprised by high energy bills later, a costly oversight that impacts comfort and budget for years.

This guide provides a direct solution. Drawing on over 15 years of experience building high-performance homes across the OKC metro, from Deer Creek to Shawnee, ACET Custom Homes has identified the features that deliver proven results in our climate. We move beyond generic advice to give you actionable insights and a clear breakdown of the top 10 upgrades that make a real difference.

1. A Superior Building Envelope: Insulation and Air Sealing

A high-performance building envelope is the foundation of energy efficiency. It combines advanced insulation with meticulous air sealing to create a thermal barrier that separates your living space from Oklahoma's extreme weather. We use materials like open and closed-cell spray foam or dense-packed cellulose to dramatically reduce heat transfer.

This is the single most important investment you can make. A properly insulated and sealed home keeps conditioned air inside and outside air out, reducing the workload on your HVAC system by up to 30% and ensuring consistent comfort year-round.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Builder Insight: For a home we built in rural Elmore City, the client wanted to minimize their reliance on the grid. We used closed-cell spray foam (R-7 per inch) in the walls and roof deck. The result? Their HVAC system runs about 40% less than a comparable home built to standard code, even during August heat waves.
• Best Practice: Insist on a blower door test before drywall goes up. This diagnostic test depressurizes the house to find and seal every air leak, a step we take on all our builds to guarantee performance.
• Cost Factor: While spray foam insulation is a higher upfront investment than fiberglass batts, the monthly energy savings typically create a payback period of 5-7 years. After that, it's pure savings. Learn more about our approach as a premier custom home builder in Oklahoma.

2. High-Performance Windows and Doors

Windows and doors are potential weak points in a home's thermal defense. Energy-efficient models are engineered with multiple panes of glass, insulating argon gas fills, and low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings. These invisible coatings reflect heat, keeping it outside in the summer and inside during the winter.

This technology allows you to enjoy natural light and expansive views without the energy penalty. Investing in high-performance windows is one of the most visible and functional energy efficient home features, reducing HVAC strain and lowering utility bills.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Decision Point: When selecting windows, check the NFRC label. For Oklahoma, you need two key numbers: a low U-Factor (0.30 or less) to prevent heat loss in winter, and a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) (0.25 or less) to block unwanted solar heat in summer.
• Oklahoma Consideration: For west-facing windows that get blasted by the afternoon sun in areas like Edmond, we recommend an even lower SHGC. This simple choice can make rooms noticeably more comfortable and reduce cooling costs.
• Red Flag: Avoid windows with aluminum frames that don't have a thermal break. Aluminum conducts heat readily, undermining the efficiency of the glass itself. We specify fiberglass or high-quality vinyl frames for better insulation. Discover how we integrate these features when you build on your lot in Oklahoma.

3. A Smart HVAC System with a Smart Thermostat

Your HVAC system is the heart of your home's comfort. We recommend high-efficiency heat pumps paired with smart thermostats. A heat pump acts as a two-in-one heating and cooling unit that moves heat rather than creating it, making it far more efficient than traditional furnaces.

A smart thermostat (like Nest or Ecobee) is the brain. It learns your habits, uses geofencing to know when you're away, and adjusts the temperature automatically to eliminate wasted energy.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Best Practice: A "Manual J" load calculation is non-negotiable. This detailed analysis determines the precise size of the HVAC system your specific home design needs. An oversized unit is just as inefficient as an undersized one.
• Builder Insight: We recently installed a geothermal (ground source) heat pump for a client in Deer Creek. By using the stable 55°F temperature of the earth, their system is 45% more efficient than a high-end air-source heat pump. While the upfront cost is higher, federal tax credits and long-term savings make it a powerful investment.
• Action Step: When setting up your smart thermostat, enable geofencing immediately. It uses your phone's location to automatically enter "away" mode, providing effortless savings without sacrificing comfort.

4. Solar Panels and Battery Storage

Solar panels turn your roof into a power plant, converting Oklahoma's abundant sunlight into electricity. This can drastically reduce or even eliminate your monthly electric bill. Modern systems are highly efficient and durable.

Pairing solar panels with a battery storage system (like a Tesla Powerwall) takes it a step further. You can store excess energy generated during the day for use at night or during a power outage, providing true energy independence and resilience.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

1. Orient Your Home: During the design phase, position the largest roof planes to face south for maximum sun exposure.
2. Install a Conduit: Run a 2-inch PVC conduit from the attic to your electrical panel location during construction. This makes future panel installation simple and clean.
3. Reinforce the Roof: Ensure roof trusses are engineered to handle the future weight of a solar array.
4. Plan Panel Space: Leave adequate, unobstructed roof space free of vents or chimneys.
• Cost Factor: The Federal Solar Tax Credit allows you to deduct 30% of the system's cost from your federal taxes. This is a significant incentive that dramatically shortens the payback period.
• Oklahoma Consideration: With our severe storm season, a solar-plus-battery system provides peace of mind. When the grid goes down, your lights, refrigerator, and HVAC can keep running. Learn more by exploring our insights.

5. All-LED Lighting

LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting is a simple but powerful upgrade. LEDs use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer. They produce very little heat, which also helps reduce your home's cooling load.

By specifying all-LED fixtures and bulbs from the start, you lower your home's baseline energy consumption significantly. Integrating them with smart controls like dimmers and occupancy sensors maximizes savings.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Use LEDs for 100% of fixtures.
• Install dimmers in living areas and bedrooms to save energy and control ambiance.
• Use occupancy sensors in closets, pantries, and garages so lights are never left on.
• Select the right color temperature: 2700K-3000K (warm white) for living spaces and 3500K-4000K (neutral white) for kitchens and bathrooms.
• Builder Insight: For a large custom home in Edmond with high ceilings and extensive landscape lighting, switching the plan from halogen to all-LED saved the client an estimated $900 per year on their electric bill.
• This is a core part of the process when building a custom home in Oklahoma.

6. High-Efficiency Tankless Water Heater

Water heating is typically the second-largest energy expense in a home. A traditional tank-style heater constantly burns energy to keep 40-50 gallons of water hot. A tankless (or on-demand) water heater flash-heats water exactly when you need it, eliminating standby energy waste.

This "heat-as-you-need-it" approach can reduce water heating energy costs by 24-34%. It also provides an endless supply of hot water and has a longer lifespan than traditional tanks.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Best Practice: Pair a tankless water heater with an insulated hot water recirculation loop. This brings hot water to your fixtures instantly, saving thousands of gallons of water per year that would otherwise be wasted running down the drain.
• Oklahoma Consideration: Oklahoma's hard water can cause scale buildup in any water heater. We recommend installing a whole-home water softener alongside a tankless unit to protect your investment and maintain its efficiency.
• Decision Point: Ensure the model you choose has a high enough Gallons Per Minute (GPM) rating to handle your family's peak usage (e.g., running two showers and a dishwasher at once). We help clients size this correctly during the design phase. To see these systems in our designs, view our portfolio of Oklahoma custom homes.

7. Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)

Modern, airtight homes are so well-sealed that they can trap indoor air pollutants, moisture, and odors. An Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) solves this by providing a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air while exhausting stale air.

Crucially, it transfers heat and humidity from the outgoing air to the incoming air. In summer, it pre-cools and dehumidifies the fresh air. In winter, it pre-heats and humidifies it. This allows your home to "breathe" without wasting the energy you've paid to condition the air, recovering up to 80% of the energy.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Oklahoma Climate Match: For our humid summers and dry winters, an ERV is the correct choice over an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator). The ERV's ability to manage moisture is critical for year-round comfort in Oklahoma.
• Client Story: A client in Shawnee had severe allergies. We installed an ERV with a high-MERV filter. Not only did it reduce their energy bills, but the constant supply of filtered fresh air significantly improved their indoor air quality and reduced their allergy symptoms.
• Best Practice: An ERV must be properly sized and balanced for your home. We design dedicated, sealed duct runs to ensure fresh air is delivered to living areas and stale air is exhausted from kitchens and bathrooms for optimal performance.

8. Cool Roofing Materials

A cool roof is designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than a standard roof. In Oklahoma's intense summer sun, a dark asphalt shingle roof can reach temperatures over 150°F. A cool roof can stay 50°F cooler.

This dramatically reduces the amount of heat transferring into your attic and home, easing the load on your air conditioner. Materials like light-colored metal, tile, or specially coated shingles can lower cooling costs by 10-15%.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Builder Insight: Standing-seam metal roofing is our top recommendation for a cool roof in Oklahoma. It's incredibly durable against hail and high winds, has a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI), and is made from recycled materials.
• Decision Point: When choosing a color, lighter is better. Shades of white, beige, and light gray reflect the most solar energy. Look for materials rated by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC).
• Best Practice: A cool roof works best when paired with proper attic ventilation (soffit and ridge vents) and a thick layer of attic insulation (R-38 or higher). This three-part system effectively manages heat gain from above. View examples in our custom home gallery.

9. Smart Home Energy Management System

A Home Energy Management System (HEMS) is the conductor of your home's energy orchestra. It's a central hub that monitors and controls your HVAC, lighting, appliances, solar production, and EV charger in real-time.

Using smart algorithms, it optimizes energy use automatically. It can pre-cool your home before peak electricity rates kick in or shift EV charging to overnight hours. This level of intelligent control provides granular insight and automated savings.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Best Practice: Plan for a HEMS during the design phase. We can integrate whole-home energy monitors like Sense or Span that provide circuit-level data, showing you exactly where every watt of electricity is going.
• Cost Factor: A basic HEMS can be built around a smart thermostat and a few smart plugs. A more advanced system can be integrated with platforms like Savant or Control4 for seamless automation of your entire Oklahoma custom home.
• Action Step: Start by connecting your highest-energy-use items to the system: HVAC, water heater, pool pump, and EV charger. Automating just these four things can lead to significant savings.

10. ENERGY STAR Certified Appliances

ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. Appliances with this label—from refrigerators and dishwashers to clothes washers and dryers—are independently certified to save energy without sacrificing performance.

On average, a household equipped with ENERGY STAR appliances can save hundreds of dollars per year on utility bills. It's a straightforward decision that delivers guaranteed efficiency for every appliance you use daily.

Actionable Insights for Your Oklahoma Build

• Decision Point: Look for the yellow EnergyGuide label. It provides an estimated yearly operating cost, allowing you to compare the long-term cost of different models, not just the purchase price.
• Builder Insight: For refrigerators, models with the freezer on top are typically more efficient than side-by-side models. For clothes washers, front-load machines use significantly less water and energy than top-load models.
• Red Flag: Avoid buying oversized appliances. A half-empty refrigerator or dishwasher still uses nearly the same amount of energy as a full one. Select sizes that match your family's actual needs.

Feature Comparison: Efficiency & Impact

Feature	Upfront Cost	Yearly Savings (Est.)	Builder Insight
Superior Envelope	Medium-High	$400 - $800+	Non-negotiable foundation for all other features.
High-Perf. Windows	High	$150 - $500	Critical for comfort and blocking summer heat gain.
Smart HVAC System	High	$300 - $700	The single biggest energy user; efficiency is key.
Solar Panels	Very High	$800 - $2,000+	Can eliminate electric bills; adds major home value.
LED Lighting	Low	$100 - $300	Quickest payback and a simple, effective upgrade.
Tankless Water Heater	Medium	$100 - $250	Provides endless hot water and eliminates standby loss.
ERV System	Medium	$150 - $300	Essential for healthy air in a modern, airtight home.
Cool Roof	Medium-High	$75 - $200	Passively reduces cooling load during intense summers.
HEMS	Medium	$100 - $400	Optimizes all systems for maximum automated savings.
ENERGY STAR Appl.	Low	$100 - $300	A simple choice that guarantees efficiency on every item.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important energy-efficient feature for a new home in Oklahoma?
A superior building envelope—combining high-performance insulation (like spray foam) and meticulous air sealing—is the most critical feature. It forms the foundation for all other efficiencies by minimizing the heating and cooling load your HVAC system has to handle.

How much more does it cost to build an energy-efficient home?
While some features have higher upfront costs, an energy-efficient home doesn't have to cost significantly more. Strategic choices can lead to a home that is 20-30% more efficient for an initial investment increase of only 3-5%. This extra cost is quickly recovered through lower monthly utility bills, often within 5-7 years.

Can a home be too airtight?
Yes, which is why mechanical ventilation like an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is essential. An ERV ensures a constant supply of fresh, filtered air, managing indoor air quality and humidity without compromising the efficiency of the airtight building envelope. It allows your house to breathe in a controlled, efficient way.

Are solar panels worth it in Oklahoma?
Absolutely. Oklahoma has excellent solar potential with an average of 234 sunny days per year. Combined with the 30% Federal Solar Tax Credit and the resilience they offer during power outages, solar panels are a smart long-term investment that increases home value and can eliminate your electricity bill.

Ready to design your custom home? Schedule a free consultation with ACET Custom Homes today.