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Sprayed on the walls to virtually encapsulate the house, this is the "flash"
The ground surrounding the house is excavated where the looped piping system for the geothermal system is buried.
It's not evident from its outward appearance that this model of the Woodbury, equipped with a geothermal climate-control system, uses significantly less energy than a similar model without such a system.
The inside portion of the geothermal system requires about the same space as a conventional furnace.
A faux stone fireplace that soars to the cathedral ceiling is the family room focal point. |
BY RICHARD AMRHINE
It's a very attractive house, typical of modestly luxurious new homes you'd expect to see in the area's nicer subdivisions. Once it's completed, though, you'd have to look inside the mailbox for the utility bill to discover the big difference.
There, you'd discover that owners Barry and Cindy Robinson are paying a third, or even less, than what owners of other similarly sized homes are paying each month to heat or cool their homes.
The main reason they will be spending only $70 or $80 a month for heating and cooling is the geothermal climate control system that's built into their new house in Century Oak subdivision near Snell in Spotsylvania County. It's part of a whole-house package that is designed to be Earth-friendly from top to bottom, inside and out.
The three-bedroom house has 2,700 square feet of finished space, plus a full basement, unfinished for now, that could add a bedroom, bathroom and an expansive recreation area.
where it all begins
The geothermal unit works with new insulation technology to turn a house into a sealed envelope. But it is also designed to bring in and circulate fresh air throughout the house.
"Putting this technology to use is a no-brainer," said Barry Robinson, considering the energy it conserves and the money it saves. "The building industry is crazy not to do more of this."
As owner of the local ServisPros franchise, Robinson knows something about houses. He's made use of infrared technology to conduct whole-house thermal scans that reveal hidden pest infestations, electrical problems, energy loss, roofing issues and insulation gaps. He knows from conducting complete home energy audits just how much energy homeowners are wasting.
When he and Cindy decided to build a new home, he wanted to do it right--and "green." Accomplishing that was more difficult than he thought.
"After looking into it, I couldn't believe how far behind we are around here" on truly energy-efficient design, he said. "This should be routine, and eventually it will be."
Soon he was introduced to John Marcantoni, who had been working for developers and builders for the past 15 years, but had the itch to start his own construction company. Robinson found that Marcantoni had a grasp of the latest energy-conserving technology and the use of Earth-friendly and sustainable-source materials.
"We spoke the same language," said Robinson, giving him confidence that Marcantoni would do the job right. It's the first house that Hybrid Homes LLC, Marcantoni's company, has built.
Key to the effort is Marcantoni's participation with EarthCraft Virginia, a Richmond organization whose Web site says it "provides a certification process for single family and multifamily projects that serves as a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment."
Marcantoni said the builder makes use of various site-preparation practices, energy-saving construction techniques and materials, and Energy Star appliances. Once enclosed, the house must pass a test that gauges how airtight it is.
Along the way the house accumulates points toward certification that qualify the builder for federal tax breaks granted under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that help defray the added costs.
"This program has really helped me go from dream to house," Marcantoni said. He said rules prevent passage of the credits from builder to buyer, but the benefits of reduced energy costs begin to accrue almost immediately.
As Robinson put it: "The mortgage goes up a little, but the utility costs come down a lot."
getting to work
Marcantoni said the first step was chipping the trees that were cleared for the building site and using the chips to create a natural buffer to contain runoff. Later they can be spread as mulch to protect bare soil.
The house itself is a virtual demonstration project for green construction and energy conservation. The house is encased in "flash and batt" insulation, which uses sprayed-on insulation plus fiberglass batting that add up to an extremely high R-value. Energy Star doors and windows do their part.
In the attic and between walls, a recycled newspaper product called "TAP" insulation is used. TAP stands for thermal, acoustic (sound deadening) and pest-control treatment that's nontoxic to humans and pets.
To make sure cooled and heated air reaches its intended destination, duct joints are sealed with mastic.
The hardwood flooring will come exclusively from sustainable forests, and the carpeting is manufactured from recycled plastic soda bottles. Special toxin-free paints will also be used.
To counter the downside of a sealed house--the lack of fresh air--an electronic recovery ventilator draws in, filters, cools or warms, and feeds outside air into the geothermal system.
"We have millions of homes out there that are wasting energy all over the place," Robinson said. "What we're doing here is really just common-sense stuff."
To reach John Marcantoni, call 540/226-2601, or visit hybrid homesllc.com.
Richard Amrhine: 540/374-5406
Email: ramrhine@freelancestar.com
| The unit John Marcantoni and the Robinsons selected is made by WaterFurnace Geothermal. It is basically a heat pump that takes advantage of subsurface temperatures that hold steady at 55 degrees. This means that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer.
High-strength piping in long, coiled lengths is buried around the house and carries a nontoxic water/antifreeze solution that transfers heat to or from the Earth depending on the season. While heat pumps generally lose heating efficiency in very cold weather, the advantage of the underground temperature makes that a non-issue. The entire system has a life-expectancy of 50 years. Surplus energy is used to provide all of the hot water the house-hold will need on a regular basis. A propane backup is there for rare occasions of extra-heavy hot water use. For an online explanation by WaterFurnace CEO Bruce Ritchey of how the system works, visit youtube.com/watch?v= ybfVoiN14HE --Richard Amrhine |
