Builder Innovations

1. Heating and cooling: A Geo-thermal vertical closed loop zoned heating and cooling system is planned for the finished living areas of the house. The Aquarius geothermal unit by Florida Heat Pump will also provide the hot water for domestic use. The system is energy star rated and will have a minimum EER’s up to 24.0 and COPS’s up to 4.6.

Appliance and geothermal heating/cooling loads are being studied. Electric loads and the site are being evaluated to properly size a solar array based on electric use, the solar window, and budget.

2. A large passive clothes drying closed, based on a design from a Norwegian home built before the United States was a country, will be incorporated into the utility room. Enhanced by a standard heating duct in the floor, the system uses horizontal wooden dowels at various heights for hanging wet clothes and a vented door for the release of moist air into the room.

3. A “Just Right” hot water circulator by NIBCO will be used in lieu of a re-circulation pump. This is a convection system which uses no fossil fuel to continuously re-circulate cooled water through the hot water heater, returning hot water quickly to where it is needed in the house.

4. Residue wood (wood cut from dead trees on site) will be used to supplement heat with one clean wood burning stove and one clean wood-burning fireplace. Both have catalytic converters and meet or exceed EPA emission standards.

5. Non toxic, low to no VOC wall paint will be used on the interior of the house.

6. Water conservation will be emphasized with the use of low flow showerheads and dual flush toilets. Rainwater collection barrels that catch the rain coming from the roof will be used for watering the garden and yard.