Jul 28 2010
Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH), one of the country's top-10 home builders, is pleased to introduce its first high-performance, energy-efficient "green" home in Georgia with the opening of a new model at The Lakes at Sugarloaf, in Duluth.
Innovative construction methods, advanced air sealing techniques and an array of energy-savings features combine to make Beazer's eSMART Green homes in the Atlanta area up to 47 percent more energy efficient than comparably-sized houses built 10 to 15 years ago, according to research conducted by the NAHB Research Center. Beazer's high-performance eSMART Green homes also incorporate features that help conserve water usage and provide for healthier indoor air quality.
"Our eSMART Green homes are designed to maximize savings while minimizing the overall environmental impact of building and maintaining a home," said Kevin Clark, president of Beazer's Georgia Division. "In developing this new series, our planning and design has taken a systems approach to ensure all of the multiple components work together for optimal performance. We've built in greater efficiency from the ground up and the result is lower operating costs for our homeowners."
In constructing its eSMART Green homes, Beazer uses spray foam insulation in the attic, within the wall cavities and to fill gaps around exterior penetrations. This nearly impenetrable seal creates a highly-efficient air barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment, which greatly reduces energy loss.
Specifications for Beazer's eSMART Green series were developed following extensive collaboration with energy experts, building scientists and a partnership as principal investor in Imagine Homes, a two-time National Association of Home Builders' award-winning "green" residential builder based in San Antonio, TX.
In constructing the new eSMART Green model home at The Lakes at Sugarloaf, Beazer used spray foam insulation in the attic, within the wall cavities and to fill gaps around exterior penetrations. This nearly impenetrable seal creates a highly-efficient air barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment, which greatly reduces energy loss.
"The foam insulation in the attic and walls combined with high-efficiency low-e windows seals the home's envelope, which significantly reduces energy loss," said Clark. "The tight home seal keeps cool air inside in the summer months and the reverse in winter. This allows our eSMART Green homes to operate more efficiently, which greatly reduces monthly energy costs."
To help customers understand the insulating power of the spray foam, Beazer has installed a monitor in the attic that provides a digital display of the temperature both inside and outside the home. According to Clark, the attic temperature gauge reading has remained within two degrees of the temperature inside the living areas of the model, despite record-breaking heat in Atlanta this month.
"When you show customers how the foam insulation, the sealed ducts and the low-e windows work in sync to produce a highly-efficient home, they begin to understand how it will affect their pocketbook," said Clark.
Additional energy-saving features incorporated into the eSMART Green model home include low-e windows, a 15 SEER HVAC systems, a tankless water heater, ENERGY STAR appliances, programmable thermostats, compact fluorescent light bulbs and a home energy monitor.
To help conserve water, the home features a manifold plumbing system that operates more efficiently by delivering water directly to individual fixtures rather than routing it through the foundation. Water-saving faucets and showerheads and dual-flush toilets are also featured and the exterior landscaping utilizes regionally-appropriate plants. To address indoor air quality, high-grade MERV 10 air filters, fresh-air ventilated ducts, and low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions paints, and carpets are included.
Source: http://www.beazer.com/