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Lake Anna vacation house was built from ground up with energy conservation in mind Date published: 2/26/2010
BY RICHARD AMRHINE Builders are discovering these days that new-home buyers are better educated than ever about the energy-saving qualities of the homes they buy. Whether they're interested or not in doing their part to conserve energy or head off climate change, they really like the idea of saving money. At least that's what Mike Tierney, president of Battlefield Homes, is learning. And it's especially true in Spotsylvania County, where Battlefield Homes is based, and where highly energy-efficient new homes can receive a five-year property tax waiver from the county. "They want to know what they have to do to get the tax break," he said. "'How much is it going to save me, and how much is it going to cost?'" And the short answer--thanks to the popularity of Energy Star-accredited products and materials, and the experience builders and subcontractors are gaining with such construction--is not that much. Tierney and his crews have recently completed a handsome new 4,100-square-foot home overlooking a quiet cove at Lake Anna. It was designed from the ground up to qualify for the tax break. Tierney puts the cost of the house, not including the lot, at about $600,000. That amount includes upgrades totaling about $8,000 to achieve the efficiency standard needed to qualify for the break. Just one year of the tax break will cut substantially into that $8,000 investment, not to mention the ongoing savings in energy costs. The energy efficiency is accomplished by many systems working together. Materials are key, including the extra insulation, the low-emissivity dual-pane windows and sealing the framing against the exterior sheathing. This creates an envelope that makes the home extremely tight, so tight that bringing in outside air in a controlled manner is required. That role becomes part of the heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems that are designed to keep the air inside the envelope uniform and comfortable. The dual-zone HVAC installation was handled by American Residential Services of Manassas. Tim Griffin of ARS is a big fan of the RenewAire energy recovery ventilator that can work continuously to circulate fresh, heated or cooled air throughout the house.
Date published: 2/26/2010
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