(www.ferrierhomes.com)
We toured Heather Ferrier's house that Ferrier Homes refurbished. It was built in 1938 with 1638 square feet.
They installed:
- ductless split units,
- reused as much material as they could,
- original hardwood floors,
- closed cell spray foam in the attic,
- tankless water heater,
- dual flush toilets,
- low flow faucets and showers,
- rainwater capture,
- xerioscape, and
- Class 4 shingles
They replaced 100% of the plumbing which makes a lot of sense. Something probably would have happened to the 1938 plumbing and they had already replaced many walls and filled with spray foam insulation. I do have lots of questions about insulation. SIP panels versus spray foam etc.
I thought it was very interesting that their homeowner's insurance provided a 40% discount from the Class 4 shingles.
(Wish I had known that two years ago. I went with white....)
The second house on tour was built by Ferrier Custom Homes and designed by Phillip Newborn. Definitely not my tastes. Not a lot of character on the outside (to me) but enjoyed the look on the inside. They had many of the standard "green" or energy efficient tools.
The house has a flat roof that I thought wasn't good for standing water or loads from snow. The snow killed many trees last year so I was surprised it wasn't an issue for this flat roof. I know Ferrier knows what they are doing. Its more of a learning process for me on the built environment.
The most dramatic element that this house had was their Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV). The house was built so tight that they needed an ERV to recycle the air. If the air is 50 degrees outside and 70 degrees inside, the ERV recycles the air and heats it to at least 60 degrees before it is passed into the house.
I love love love the ductless split units. I would be very interested in comparing costs between a duct system and the ductless split unit. They would lower the homeowner's costs significantly but do they pay for it at the front end vs. the back end and does it pay for itself?
The most fun thing that was on display was the smart meter. The homeowner purchased it online
You can really see what is using the most kilowatts. What I found interesting as well was although the young couple was interested in being "green", their electric provider was TXU instead of Green Mountain. TXU owns coal burning plants and Green Mountain provides clean energy. The cleanest electric provider thats available to homeowners.
I enjoyed the tours but it really highlights the huge need for education to homebuilders. That is what I need. A cost comparison of green options versus "black". Black being status quo or gas emitters.
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