Solar Water Heaters

Looking to cut your water heating energy costs by 50%? Think about installing a solar water heater. Solar water heaters are designed to use with an electric or gas back-up water heater and can literally cut your water heating bill in half (about $190/year combined with a gas water heater and $250/year with an electric water heater). And, the larger your family, the greater your savings.

Generally, the return on investment for a solar system takes about 10 years to pay for itself, but that can be sooner if you take advantage of energy tax credits. Some areas also have other incentives. See if you can get an Energy Star rebate.

You may have to wait a while to see the benefits, but the environment won’t. A solar water heater can cut your carbon dioxide emissions in half, preventing about 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere every year. That’s like keeping your car parked in your garage for four months every year!

While gas and electric waters last between 10-14 years, the average life expectancy of a solar water heater is much longer - 20 years. Your green architect

and builder will be able to help you find a product that meets your site, and family needs and lifestyle.

Seminar: Building a Green Home, Newbury, NH

We had an overwhelming response to our Green Home Seminar in Newbury, NH this past weekend, with over 80 guests and standing room only! In fact, we had so many people sign up we had to close registration early. So – if you missed the seminar and you are planning to build a new energy efficient home, please bookmark our Green Events page to sign up for our next seminar!

We vary our seminar topics to include popular green building elements and areas of home design, construction, and renewable energy that appeal to the average homeowner. This seminar included Green Home Design by NH Architect Jeremy Bonin, Bonin Architects & Associates; Timber Framing & SIP Panels by Custom Builder Jay Tucker; and Geothermal Heating Systems by Bob Partridge. Guests were encouraged to ask questions during and after the seminar. Quite a few couples stayed to talk to us about their projects and are excited to get started on their home design.

After the seminar, we headed over to a local Timberpeg® timber frame home, a gorgeous 2100 square foot lakefront home with solar energy and geothermal heating systems. The home features a first-floor Master Bedroom suite, two bedrooms, full bath, and a children’s play area on the second floor, two-car garage, screened in porch, and central fireplace in the cathedral great room. The home overlooks picturesque Lake Sunapee and is the perfect four-season home. More than one guest commented they would be “willing” to move in permanently!

Which should come first -- Your Land or Your Home Design?

Most people start thinking about building a new home long before they find land to build on. While you’re meeting with realtors to find that perfect piece of property, it’s hard not to start dreaming about the design of your home.

There are many design elements you should start to consider – and yet, there are some aspects of the home design that will depend on the characteristics of your property.

Some design elements you can [and should] consider before purchasing your land are:

• The number of bedrooms and bathrooms you will need;


• Any specialty rooms (craft room, library, workshop, etc.);


• Large storage space requirements;


• Specific design details, such as an end wall stone fireplace, winding staircase, etc.);


• How you would like your rooms to feel (think about room’s purpose, colors, light).

Design elements that will depend on the property:

• Walkout basement: a sloping lot can allow for a walk-out basement, providing more usable square footage for recreation areas or additional guest bedrooms;


• Exact size and height of the home: site or local restrictions may limit the size, height, or even the placement of the home on your property;


• Type of foundation: the type of foundation system you choose may be dependent upon local or state codes, the lot size, slope, and soil type.

Once you have your land, it’s time to put your ideas together with these Home Design tools.