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.
TO
PRESS ROOM
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
