| HOME
& CONDO’S 2004 DREAM HOME EARNS
FPL’S HIGHEST ENERGY-EFFICIENCY RATING
NAPLES, Fla. – Home & Condo’s
2004 Dream Home has attained gold, having achieved the highest
level of energy efficiency under Florida Power & Light
Company’s BuildSmart program. The 6,582-square-foot
home, being built by McGarvey Custom Homes at The Estates
at TwinEagles in North Naples, earned gold certification,,
given to homes at least 30 percent more energy efficient than
a home built to Florida Energy Code.
BuildSmart homes are awarded three levels
of certification – gold, silver or bronze – depending
on their level of energy efficiency and percentage of savings
above and beyond code requirements. Gold-certified homes realize
a minimum energy savings of 30 percent. Silver certification
is based on 20 percent savings, while a bronze level signifies
a home is at least 10 percent more energy efficient than code.
BuildSmart representatives work with builders
and homebuyers to tailor the level of energy-saving features
in each home, exploring options that include high-efficiency
air conditioners and windows, programmable thermostats, heat
recovery units, additional ceiling insulation, radiant barriers,
solar water heaters and higher efficiency heat pumps.
The 2004 Dream Home was designed and built
with several energy-conserving features and appliances, noted
Dan Gerner, executive vice president of McGarvey Custom Homes.
Three air-conditioning units serve the main house and additional
units cool a guest cabana and guesthouse. Air conditioning
systems are the biggest energy users in Florida, according
to FPL.
“ We’re using the newest technology
currently available in cooling systems,” said Gerner.
“They were just introduced this year and have a seasonal
energy efficiency ratio, or SEER, of 19.5. Trane leads the
market and this is the only house in Florida with this system".
The SEER rating measures a system’s total annual cooling
output versus its annual electric use. The higher the SEER
number, the more energy efficient the unit. Florida requires
a minimum SEER rating of 12, said Rich Segal, who oversees
McGarvey’s HVAC department.
An Asko washer and dryer will produce additional
energy savings in the four-bedroom, six-bathroom Dream Home,
Gerner said. The appliances use less water and energy, and
are designed to perform for 20 years.
Sealed eaves further prevent the escape
of cooled air or the intrusion of outside “unconditioned”
air into the home. Trane’s Tracker, a building management
system, monitors and controls systems in the home, collecting
and displaying information that allows energy-conscious residents
to control and change the air-conditioning system as well
as lighting systems, pump controls for pools and fountains,
water heaters and closed circuit TV.
The 2004 Dream Home has been built using
ZIP foam insulation, a polyurethane spray foam roof insulation
applied to the underside of roof sheathing. The insulation
eliminates heat and humidity problems in attic spaces and
increases the operating efficiency of the air conditioning
system, Gerner said. Blueboard™ insulation, applied
to the inside surface of the home’s exterior walls,
will increase the home’s energy efficiency and allow
water vapor to “breathe” and dry, eliminating
moisture problems.
The insulations work in tandem with two
purifying dehumidifiers that condition air before entering
the attic, thus eliminating moisture problems and the growth
of mold within the building envelop.
“This gives us an excellent way to
control humidity,” said Gerner. “It’s removed
from the air before going into the house.”
< br>The Dream Home project was launched
by Home & Condo in 1990 to showcase trends in architecture,
building, interior design and landscape architecture with
tours of the home benefiting local charities. The eight homes
to date have raised almost $1 million for local charities.
Led by President John McGarvey, McGarvey
Custom Homes has been building high-end custom homes in the
Southwest Florida area since 1996. Prior to relocating to
Southwest Florida, the homebuilder was based in southern New
Jersey for more than two decades. The Bonita Bay Group is
developing The Estates at TwinEagles in keeping with its ongoing
commitment to meticulous planning, environmental stewardship,
integrity and attention to detail. The community is certified
by Audubon International as a Signature Sanctuary and participates
in the University of Florida’s Yards & Neighborhoods
water conservation program.
Named to Golf & Travel magazine’s
list of the 12 Most Intriguing Golf Communities in America,
The Estates at TwinEagles is a low-density community with
an abundance of natural areas. Each of the 66 homes in phase
one is situated to create an extraordinary sense of privacy
with view corridors unobstructed by other homes and lot sizes
ranging from one-half to two acres.
In addition to Gulfshore Media Inc., the
parent company of Home & Condo and Gulfshore Life; The
Bonita Bay Group, developer of The Estates at TwinEagles;
and builder McGarvey Custom Homes Inc.; 2004 partners include:
residential designer R.G. Designs Inc.; interior design model
merchandiser Robb & Stucky; and the landscape architectural
firm of Architectural Land Design Inc.
The $5 million, furnished, 10,787-total-square-foot
2004 Dream Home is slated to open for public tours in February
2004 with money raised benefiting the Naples Philharmonic
League, which supports the Philharmonic Orchestra and its
youth music education programs.
For more information, visit The Estates
at TwinEagles Information and Sales Center located inside
the community’s entrance on Immokalee Road, seven miles
east of I-75 in North Naples or call (239) 352-8000.
For questions regarding the 2004
Dream Home, please contact:
Sharon Arnold - Senior Counselor
Gravina, Smith & Matte
1520 Royal Palm Square Boulevard, Suite 160
Fort Myers, Florida 33919
Phone: (239) 275-5758
Fax: (239) 275-6501
E-mail: sarnold@gravinasmith.com |
