Building a home you can
afford
to buy and afford to live in.
2003 APEX WINNER!!
2004 Aurora Award Winner!!
Based on
actual meter reports from 01-01-04 to 12-31-04 at $.06 a KW
Average power
bill of $80.37 a month.*
Average of
$41.77 a month to heat, cool, and make hot water. ($1.37
a day)
*Strictly power usage
- no taxes, meter, etc is included
Overall View of the Home
The
goal was to build a home within reach of the middle income
bracket staying under $150,000 and still use geothermal,
zoning, and wet sprayed cellulous. In essence, an affordable
home that also has very manageable power bills.
Throughout
the home you will find large open areas with cathedral
ceilings, tray ceilings, tile flooring, marble tops, wood
flooring, full
pantry, solid surface counter tops, drop down light bar with
plant shelf (with indirect lighting on top), snack bar, very
spacious covered back porch, three step and two step crown
molding, very roomy walk-in closet, sliding mirror door
hiding a very spacious bathroom with resort style tub,
marble skirting, stand alone shower with marble trim, large
marble counter tops, and custom mirrors.
The Home Comfort System
The concept was building a home around the home comfort
system. A two- ton WaterFurnace E Series geothermal system
carrying the EPA Energy Star Rating was selected. According
to the EPA, geothermal systems are the most energy
efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space
conditioning systems available. No outside air conditioner
is required which makes for a very aesthetically pleasing
landscape with no noisy outside unit. As an extra bonus, the
geothermal system makes free hot water.
Adding Zone Control....
For added
comfort and efficiency, five zones were designed into the
home comfort system. The master suite, living area, front
bedroom, back bedroom, and formal dining.
The ceiling fans are thermostatically controlled to adjust
fan speed based on room temperature.
Fully programmable thermostats were installed for more
maximum efficiency and comfort. For added convenience,
remote air sensors to all the thermostats could be located
in one area.
Programmable
Thermostats….
Choosing the right insulation
For the
walls and ceiling, cellulous was used because it has a
higher R-per-inch value than most comparable mineral fiber
materials. Cellulous has been tested and proven to reduce
air-leakage, lower cost relative to competing products of
similar thermal efficiency, fire safe, and is not as subject
to convective heat loss. As an added benefit, cellulous is
made from over 75% recycled material making it
environmentally friendly.
Indoor air quality package
Many hours
of research went into the air cleaning systems in an effort
to obtain the highest indoor
air quality of any home ever built in the Florida panhandle.
A Lennox energy recovery system brings in fresh outside air.
The Lennox PureAir system removes up to 75% of particles,
60% of bioaerosols, reduces odors, destroys 50% of
chemicals, and reduces absolute toxicity of treated air
stream. Inside the system is an antibacterial light that
cleans the air and reduces airborne counts up to 90% to
reduce incidences of measles, chicken pox, whooping cough,
common colds, influenza, tuberculosis, and even anthrax. The
antibacterial light will also help clean contaminated drain
pans to reduce allergy and asthma irritants such as mold,
mildew spores and off-gases. Then, to complete the package,
we used bacteria and mold resistant ductboard.
Final Result....
The final
result is a Touchstone Energy home that is very inviting
with the most efficient, quietest, and highest indoor air
quality in Northwest Florida. In fact, to our knowledge, no
home has gone to the extremes to achieve maximum possible
comfort. All of this was done and still kept the price below
$150,000 with an estimated monthly energy usage being $65.
More importantly, a livable, energy efficient home was built
within the reach of middle class America.
The stages in which this home was built
