Free Green Home Seminar & Timberpeg Home Tour Oct 11

Anyone planning to build a new energy efficient home, addition, or remodel their existing home is encouraged to attend a Free Green Home Seminar and Timberpeg® Green Open House Tour on Sunday, October 11, 2009. Here are the important details:




Free Seminar on Building a Green Home:
Best Western Sunapee Lake Lodge, Newbury, NH
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (registration starts at 8:30)

Timberpeg® Open House Tour: Lot 22, Summit Road, Sutton, NH
(green home under construction) 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

You'll have plenty of time to talk to the experts: Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP, Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC; Jay Tucker, Custom Home Builder, Old Hampshire Designs, Inc.; and Dan O'Halloran, Colby Real Estate.

Registration for the seminar is requested. Get directions, an Itinerary and register for these free green events at http://www.boninarchitects.com/seminarcontact.html

Custom Home Design Update

The home design process is continuing for our clients in southern NH.

One of our clients’ priorities is having enough space to entertain about 20 people four times a year. To add more living / entertaining space in the floor plan, the dining table was reduced in size and moved to replace the informal banquette. While the table is still large enough to seat extended family for holiday meals, the enlarged open living area is better suited toward hosting cocktail parties.

The dormer bays in the living and dining areas were changed to soften the interior lines. The kitchen was reconfigured slightly to take advantage of the added space and to streamline traffic flow.

Sunapee View Lot Open House BBQ

On Saturday September 19th from 10am to 2pm Colby Real Estate is hosting a BBQ Open House at a view lot subdivision they have on the market. The lots are conveniently located just 10 minutes from New London and 15minutes from Mount Sunapee. All of the lots have views of Lake Sunapee, Mt. Sunapee and some even get views of Ledge Pond. For those who are able to attend you will have the opportunity to:

• Walk the Various Lots For Sale
  
• Learn About New Construction Financing
  
• Discuss and Review Various House Plans
  
• Lot Sizes Ranging From 5Acres to 15+Acres

To assist with any questions you may have with new construction financing, design, building costs Colby Real Estate has arranged to have the following professionals on site:

• Kim & Jeremy Bonin of Bonin Architects
  
• Jay Tucker of Old Hampshire Designs
  
• Elizabeth Dabrowski of Sugar River Bank
  
• Dan O’Halloran of Colby Real Estate

We would love to know if you are planning on attending. Please either email Colby Real Estate at dano@colbyinc.com or RSVP via this link http://twtvite.com/lon3sf

This link will take you to 3 of the lots that they have on the active market. Additional lots will be made available for sale during the event and the developer is significantly discounting the lots for attendees: Granite Ridge Lots

PS- Dan O’Halloran is manning the grill so the food will be great! :-)

Directions
From I89 Exit 12 head towards Georges Mills-Sunapee on Rte 11. Take 1st right after gas station and take immediate left onto Prospect Hill. Granite Ridge is on the right with immense stone entrance. If you see Prospect Hill Antiques, you’ve gone too far!

source: http://sunapeeregionblog.com/2009/09/11/sunapee-view-lot-bbq-open-house/

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

We’re greening up our new office by replacing the incandescent light bulbs with Earthmate energy saving bulbs. By using Earthmate bulbs, we will use an average of 75% less electricity, help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For instance, we replaced our 45 watt overhead bulbs with Earthmate 8-watt Dimmable Reflector Bulbs, which will save us about $61 and last up to 7 times longer than our standard light bulbs. And bonus: they come with a 9-year warranty!

If you are looking for a great, long-lasting, energy efficient light bulb, learn more about Earthmate's products and company philosophy. We like their packaging, too, made from 100% post-consumer waste.

Hybrid Home Starts Construction

One of our hybrid homes is starting construction in New Hampshire. Our clients are acting as their own general building contractor for their new home – no easy task!

The hybrid home design combines timber framing, SIP panels, and conventional construction, and is 2745 square feet. The center section is 1316 square feet of timber frame construction, 836 square feet for the first floor great room, kitchen and dining, and 480 square feet in the second floor loft. The entry will utilize a timber frame roof system with insulated panel walls and roof system. SIP panel walls and a conventional roof system will be used in the Master Bedroom connector. Timber frame rafters, SIP panel walls, roof, and panel dormers will be used in the Master Bedroom, and the 576 square foot garage consists of conventional 2x framing and batt insulation.

Construction continues!

Energy Star House Plan

One of our current projects is designed to be built to earn ENERGY STAR certification. The barn style home design fits in nicely with the architectural style of the surrounding area of Old Lyme, Connecticut.

The home will include ENERGY STAR approved insulation (SIP panels), duct system, mechanical ventilation system, windows, heating and cooling units, lighting, and appliances.

At 2864 square feet, this energy efficient home has four bedrooms, three full baths and one half bath. In addition to renderings, Bonin Architects provides traditional elevations. Once the client selects exterior colors, we will prepare a rendering for approval.

When requested, we also provide power/lighting plans for clients and electricians.

ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that provides information, training, and certification of products and practices to help homeowners save money and protect the environment.

If you are building a new home, consider having it designed to meet ENERGY STAR standards, which will save you 20% - 30% in energy costs, create a healthy indoor environment for your family, reduce air pollutants, dust, and drafts, and, as an added bonus, increase the value of your home.

Solar Energy: What Does it Cost?

How much does solar energy cost? Our friends over at the Clear Mountain Solar Store are glad to help with the answer:

Although we cannot emphasize enough that it all depends on many factors: your lifestyle, your individual needs, your site (how much sun you receive, roof space, shading), whether you will be on-grid, off grid, on-grid w/battery backup, using a pole mounted tracking system, etc. However, there are some broad guidelines that we detail below to give you some idea of the gross “installed” cost.

Remember, your net cost will likely be 50-80% lower after deducting federal, state, and local incentives. For solar hot water we have only detailed equipment cost because installation expense can vary significantly, especially if the system is a retrofit on an existing home. And don’t forget, solar energy systems installed in Vermont are EXEMPT FROM RETAIL SALES TAX! As of October 2008, 77 cities and towns in New Hampshire have adopted a property tax exemption for one or more
renewable energy sources.

Photovoltaic (Solar Electric)
Grid-tie
$8-10/watt typical installed
cost - residential
$6-8/watt typical installed cost - commercial

Grid-tie with battery
backup
$12-13/watt typical installed cost

Off-grid
$15/watt typical
installed cost

Solar Thermal (Domestic Hot Water & Space
Heating)*
Solar Hot Water for a family of 2 - $2,848
Solar Hot Water for a family of 4 - $4,649
Space Heating for 1,000 sq. ft. - $12,500
Space Heating for 2,000 sq. ft. - $16,500
Pool Heating - $1,200-$3,500

*Approximate costs not including installation, but before federal tax credits and state incentives. Installation expense typically adds $4,000-6,000 to the figures above.

Energy-conscious families can reduce their emissions by up to two-thirds by using renewable energy systems. (And if you are building a new home, you have a great opportunity to incorporate energy efficient systems and materials to reduce your carbon footprint.)