"unconditioned" space. Traditional home design has the home insulated at the interior ceiling level, and wall between the garage, thus separating the "conditioned from the unconditioned space". Then the idea is to "flush out" or vent the attic of built up heat with soffit vents on the lower part of the roof assembly, and ridge vents on the top. This does not work in South Florida. If it did, attic temperatures and moisture content wouldn't reach the levels they do. It works up north. Home design from "up north" does not work in Florida's climate. This also applies to any exterior wall insulation that has an impermeable material attached to the interior side (foil, plastic) etc. What has really been done is a drainage plane has been installed on the wrong side of the wall. Never install any impermeable material on the interior side of an exterior wall in Florida. This includes vinyl wallpaper, mirrored walls and "oil based" sealing type paints. In a vented attic, temperatures can soar from 120-165 degrees in South Florida. The attributes 65% of infiltration in the average Florida home to vented attic design (a design intended for northern climates). Combined with duct leakage, it becomes nearly impossible to maintain comfortable indoor humidity levels and a consistent temperature. And if the garage ceiling isn't insulated, and in the typical South West Florida home it is not, the stored energy in the attic coming through the drywall ceiling can raise the temperature inside the garage up to 115 degrees. That is 12-15% hotter than it ever is outside here. I see home owners in this area screening in the front of their garages, so they can open the garage door, keep the bugs out, and allow the hot outside air to flush out the hotter air inside the garage. Some good questions to ask when shopping for a home in Florida; Is the garage ceiling insulated? What are the temperature and humidity levels in the attic? Are the air conditioning ducts sealed with mastic and tested for leakage? Have you performed a depressurization test on the home? May I have a copy of the results? What will the summer electric bills run? Ask those questions! Again, the "flushing out idea" does not work in South Florida. Take a look at the 2 photos below taken in a vented attic!When you consider what you are flushing the attic out with, hot, humid, outside air, anyone can imagine the condensation, moisture and mold related problems that can occur since the ac ducts and sometimes even the air conditioning equipment is installed in the attic. This type of design creates a negative impact on cooling performance and costs, and shortens the lifespan of the equipment. A local building official made a comment while inspecting one of our projects, "you can expect the air handler to last 6-8 years longer because of proper placement within the building envelope." Also, solar radiation is the primary heating mechanism in a vented attic space, venting attics will not flush solar radiation. We have sealed attics. There are no vents of any kind. This is the only way to create the building envelope and control thermal and moisture levels within the building shell in tropical climate zones like we have here in South Florida, therefore keeping the hot, humid, outside air, outside where it belongs. Then, mechanically introducing fresh air into the home in a controlled manner. Another benefit of a sealed attic, which has recently been studied, is it's resistance to external wind pressures in the event of a hurricane. Wind driven rain, in vented roof designs was the primary source of damage reported in homes built to the new code. Though they faired well structurally, the costs associated with water damage repair due to rain being "blown in" to the homes attic space through the vented soffit and ridge vents was substantial. |
| Designed Specifically for South Florida's Climate |
| ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes & Duplexes for sale in SW Florida |
E-3 Design Group Incorporated September 23, 2004 Mr. David Mann STEELMANN BUILDING CORPORATION P.O. Box 2521 Bonita Springs, Florida 34133 Via Fax: (239) 992-7995 RE: *** **********, Lehigh Acres, Florida 33936 Dear Mr. Mann: At your request, we have completed the necessary inspection and testing to certify the above referenced property as an EPA EnergyStar© home. This designation is reserved only for those homes that are 30 percent more efficient than the National Model Energy Code (M.E.C. 1993) mandated energy efficiency, or those homes which are 15 percent more efficient than the Florida Energy Code, which ever standard is more rigorous. These savings are based on the projected heating, cooling and hot water energy usage and are typically achieved through a combination of the following: (1) Building envelope upgrades, high performance windows and doors, and upgraded insulation; (2) careful attention to construction details to insure controlled air infiltration; (3) upgraded water heaters; and (4) upgraded heating and cooling equipment. Our inspection of this property showed that you have chosen to incorporate all of these features into this project. The test results clearly show that the upgrades to the building envelope were done with care. Collectively, these features have contributed significantly to improving the overall quality of this project, and serve to lower energy demand and reduce air pollution. The EnergyStar® certification also extends to energy efficient appliances which you have chosen to incorporate in this home. The attached test results are very impressive for a house of this size and price range. Typically we do not see this level of detail in a house in this price range. The integrity of the building envelope (as measured by a whole house depressurization test) showed that the building shell is very tight when compared to the test results of other similar homes in this size and price range. The LBL ELA infiltration levels were only 43.2 square inches (± 6.6%) @ a 4 pascal pressure differential. These results are typically indicative of a builder that has paid meticulous attention to all the details of sealing the building envelope. A "tight" building envelope will significantly reduce uncontrolled air infiltration and thereby help minimize energy usage. |
that the thermal, air and moisture barriers have a high degree of integrity. The use of this type of insulation should reduce heating and cooling costs when compared to an equivalent house with conventional batt insulation by as much as 35 percent. The single objection to the use of the foam is that it creates such a tight building shell that the indoor air quality fails to meet the ASHRAE standards promulgated in Sec.62.2 (2003). To meet those requirements and insure the indoor air quality, the test results indicate that you need a mechanical ventilation system capable of introducing -50 CFM. This house incorporates a whole house air exchanger / ventilation system capable of up to s=200 CFM of fresh air. Accordingly, this house should exceed the indoor air standards in ASHRAE Sec. 62.2. In our experience homes that have very low infiltration rates and properly sized HVAC systems almost never have mold or moisture related problems. Another advantage of this design is the benefit of having a sealed attic. A "traditional" home uses vents in the attic to allow built up heat to "escape". The problem inherent in a vented attic in a hot and humid climate typical of south Florida is that it allows moisture laden air to become super heated (to temperatures that can exceed 120°F, This compromises the energy efficiency and the indoor air quality. Condensation in the attic often leads to a mold problem within the building envelope. An unvented (sealed) attic design using spray foam insulation at the roof plane creates a "closed" structure. This prevents moisture intrusion and seals out dust and other allergens. One of the biggest benefits of a sealed attic design, as implemented in this project, is that all of the HVAC duct work is (effectively) within the conditioned space resulting in an estimated savings of 30% of overall HVAC heating and cooling costs. Some people believe that a building needs to "breathe". We agree that a building needs fresh air but that the fresh air needs to be introduced in a controlled manner (and not through random infiltration leakage). This issue is addressed by your whole house air exchanger. David, we have carefully inspected this project and performed a depressurization test to confirm the building envelope integrity. We believe you have built a quality home that is state of the art with regard to its' energy design. This home qualifies as an EPA EnergyStar home and you should receive the EPA certification documents within a few weeks. Several lenders offer discounted mortgage rates to buyers of EnergyStar homes. Should you have any questions about the test results or require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to call. Regards, E3 DESIGN GROUP INC. John R. Kiefer President |
| Letter from a certified rater for ENERGY STAR |
| phone: 239-340-8638 fax: 239-992-7995 e-mail: Save@SteelmannHomes.com |
| Saving Energy, Saving Money, Saving the Environment with Superior Energy Efficient Home Design |
S.W. Florida, and over 600 residential, building and general contractors in Lee County alone.
increase its' ENERGY STAR qualified homes market presence, based on the recent rate of increased builder participation and growing consumer awareness to exceed the current national average of 12% in less than 5 years. The demand from consumer awareness, national and local home design trends, and future energy code revisions will drive this Florida list to continue doubling annually, we believe, with over 2,000 home building partners meeting that demand statewide in 5 years. The production of 1300 -1900 sq. ft. under air so called "starter homes" with $300 - $400 monthly electric bills are quite frankly no longer marketable or acceptable, especially for 1st time home buyers in Florida, and will be a thing of the past 2-5 years down the road with the cost of energy increasing at the current rate.
and Radiation, Bill Wehrum stated, "We are thrilled that awareness of Energy Star continues to grow. More than ever, Americans are making a clear choice to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions." Please visit the pages on our website, and feel free to contact us for more information on an affordable, 1st time buyer ENERGY STAR high performance home or duplex model and for information on financing with ENERGY STAR lending partners mortgage discounts. Our great home models start at $154,900 and duplex models from under $140,000 per side. Witness for yourself the REAL QUALITY of homes built to ENERGY STAR performance guidelines, and ask us for a copy of one of our homes incredibly low electric bills. If you dream of owning a quality new home or investment property, be sure to look at a top 3% energy performer in the State of Florida. Insist on superior energy efficiency, matchless quality features and the long term value of an ENERGY STAR high performance home. And look for the unmistakable ENERGY STAR Qualified Home label (left photo above) on the door of the homes electrical panel. David Mann; Steelmann Building Corporation |
most recently completed duplex located in Lehigh Acres. This is in our opinion, a properly constructed and insulated roof assembly. It was 92 degrees outside. The first photo is of the thermostat on the wall, showing that it is set at 72 and the interior temperature is indeed 72 degrees. The second photo is in the master bedroom walk in closet, with a ladder to the open attic access, followed buy a snapshot looking up into the attic with the light bulb and a thermometer mounted to the trusses above. Then a close up of the thermometer which reads slightly over 70 degrees. I took the next 3 photos looking around in the attic showing a completely sealed, dry, cool, clean attic space free of dust and other allergens. Then the last 2 pictures are of 2 different readings with an infrared digital thermometer, 72.2, and 72.8 degrees confirming the attic space is absolutely the same temperature as the interior of the home, telling us that this attic space is totally sealed from the outside elements, and that all the hot, humid, outside air, (it has been a hot summer this year) is outside the building space, where it belongs. |
| The vented attic temperature is 110% greater than the attic temperature in one of our homes. |
Our participation in the ENERGY STAR program has drastically reduced this expense and we've delivered what home buyers really want; affordable value. Now, and for years to come. One of our biggest selling points for buying an ENERGYSTAR home is its' resale value. We highly recommend ENERGY STAR to anyone because it will definitely save them, and earn them money in the long run, in addition to protecting the environment with each home keeping 4,500 lbs. of greenhouse gases out of our atmosphere each year. Energy costs continue to rise, and Florida developers, builders and especially consumers are becoming increasingly more educated and aware of the benefits and long term value that energy efficiency and high quality home systems & design have to offer. We believe in 5 years, non-ENERGY STAR rated homes will become functionally obsolete and increasingly difficult to sell within the State of Florida. There are currently (as of 05/07/07), 53 builders/developers on the ENERGY STAR Florida Home Building Partners list who have produced ENERGY STAR Qualified homes, and 116 builders/developers listed as "new partners", for a total of 169 site-built partners statewide participating in the ENERGY STAR program. As of the date mentioned above, there are 4,379 partners nationwide. Source: Energy Star New Homes Partner List in Florida |
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| In 2006, 12% of new homes built nationwide earned the ENERGY STAR label. 13 states recorded an over 20% market penetration, 6 states with over 30% (AZ, HI, IA, NJ, RI, TX), and 2 states with an incredible over 60% market presence. (AK 64%, NV 71%) Florida (less than 3%) however, recorded less than 3 new homes out of every 100 site built homes permitted statewide last year as ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes. Source: energystar.gov/HOMES MARKET INDEX 100% of the homes and duplexes built by Steelmann Building Corporation in S.W. Florida earned the ENERGY STAR & LCEC Good Cents Home certifications in 2006. Lee County's Affordable Home Value Leader, Delivering Certified High Quality Homes and Duplexes in S.W. Florida's real estate market. |
were taken in a typical new home with a traditional "vented attic" in Lehigh Acres, Lee County Florida, September 13th, 2007 showing the underside of the homes roof assembly and the temperature in the attic before noon! Two readings at 150, and153 degrees! |
