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In the new kitchen, environmentally preferred materials include a tile backsplash made from 100% post- consumer glass, durable engineered quartz countertops, and FSC-certified wood for all the cabinetry. Appliances are Energy Star qualified.


Frameless shower and tub with contiguous dry off zone maximizes openness. Low-flow water consuming fixtures, engineered countertops containing recycled paper content, and FSC-certified wood showcase green features.


 


“In light of the great southern exposure we had, we placed a solar panel on the roof to bring some additional energy into it. Then we added a ground source heat pump system and tied that into a new energy-efficienct furnace.”


Although he acknowledged the expense involved the solar panels alone ran approximately $25,000 Scardina says the benefits would more than pay for themselves and the initial costs would be more than compensated for over time.


He also installed a heat pump. “[In terms of the heat pump] once you get down below about 6’, the temperature of the Earth is a steady 55 F to 60 F, year round” he says. “Now if you transfer that up to the ambient part of our world, and want your rooms to stay, say, a constant 70 F, you only need to correct your temperature by 15 degrees. That’s a tremendous energy savings, especially when you consider Portland’s climate where temperatures can range from the 90s to freezing over the course of a year, and the amount of energy it takes to heat or cool the air from those extremes.”


Another energy-saving strategy employed in the home was locating the hot water distribution tank, the three bathrooms, and the kitchen near each other, thereby reducing the distance heated water needed to travel over insulated water lines and reducing the need to reheat the water.


All of the lighting in the house is either CFL or LED, and much of it is on motion sensors for ease of use and sure-fire energy savings.


Work on the inside of the house was rounded out by the installation of formaldehyde-free cabinets made of FSC-certified wood products. The backsplash in the kitchen was made of reclaimed glass, and a mantle around one of the home’s fireplaces was made of reclaimed countertop parts from a local granite fabricator.


“We went to his shop and picked four or five really beautiful pieces and created a giant granite quilt, if you will, that is really quite eye- catching, really beautiful,” Scardina says.


“In addition, the flooring is all refinished, and we even used some of the flooring material removed from the upstairs to create the bath- room and to patch the former location of the staircase,” he says. “Also, we used low-VOC paint and water-based stains to prevent off -gassing, and added a heat recovery ventilator to bring fresh air in and expel bad air without expelling the heat as well.”


Not content to stop there, Scardina and his staff next addressed water consumption, installing low-flow faucets and toilets inside the house as well as structures outside the house to capture rain water from the roof for irrigation.

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