Going Green
Makes Good Cents
Seeking energy-wise, dollar-smart ways to remodel? Local experts share practical ways to retrofit your home.
by Linda Sechrist
adventure to seek energy-smart and healthy green options for their remodel- ing projects, they found only limited lo- cal possibilities. “We were looking for energy-smart choices for our pool and indoor water heater, a filtration system to keep our pool water clear and clean, a reliable whole-house water purifying system, drought-resistant native plants for our landscape and the most effec- tive, organic fertilizer for our yard, as well as a water reclamation system to reduce lawn water usage,” says Susan. Intent on being as environmentally
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correct as possible and eager to take advantage of current energy-saving tax incentives, the Arcys were perplexed by the lack of publicized information about where and how to start. Inspired by their quest to go green, Natural Awakenings decided to undertake its own search for local eco-friendly build- ing and retrofitting resources.
Solar Water Panels by Florida Green Team
usan and Jerry Arcy are residents of Quail West, in Naples. When the two began a recent sleuthing
Building Awareness
of Green Principles
“Presently, the number of re- sources that can perform the retrofits the Arcys want are limited,” says Marie Barnett, owner of Barnett Design Studio. Since opening her architectural design business in 2000, Barnett has been working to build awareness of the need for environmental design that incorporates the green principles she used in her own 1,900-square-foot home. Site-specific architec- ture orients Barnett’s home to cor- respond with the four directions. The two shorter sides face east and west. The south side has fewer windows and sufficient vegetation to shade and buffer it from the sun. The north walls contain most of the home’s windows, to take advantage of the light without the sun’s heat. Double-pane, energy-ef- ficient windows, scissor trusses and a galvanized aluminum roof that reflects the sunlight all act as a radiant barrier to keep Barnett’s electric bill gently seesawing from $80 to $140 a month, depending upon the season. The home’s site orientation and
its door and window placement allow cross-ventilation and Gulf breezes to cool the rooms. “I built a carport in the front that provides shade like a large overhang, and a loft in the back,” explains Barnett. Hot air rises into the loft area; when the front doors and windows are open, it gets vented out the back, cooling the house naturally.
30 Collier/Lee Counties swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
Above and above left: Photovoltaic solar panel system installations by Key Power Services, Inc.
“These cost-efficient ways to build aren’t that expensive, and if builders used them, we wouldn’t need to focus so much on green materials,” notes Barnett, who used these same prin- ciples when designing retrofits and new homes on Keeywaydin Island, a coastal barrier island where 15 residents rely on off-grid electrical systems powered by solar energy. On this and other bar- rier islands, self-contained energy and water collection systems are essential design elements.
Taking Energy-Saving Steps
John McNicholas, owner of Key Power Services, Inc., has designed
most of the photovoltaic (PV) systems that power homes, from cottage-size to 2,200 square feet, on Keewaydin.
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