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We are still working out some of the details on exact home specifications but we will post them as soon as available. Some important elements of the community design are its clustered site plan preserving nearly 60 acres, shared driveways and utility inlets, a shared well system, a shared septic system (preserves land), shared parking structures on the periphery of the community, and space for a community garden, workshop and tool shed, and meeting.
Some home features include 2x6 framing with blown cellulose insulation, smaller than average footprints, passive solar design, extensive daylighting, high efficiency appliances, FSC and local lumber, low-flow fixtures, low and no VOC finishes and interior products, and a host of other items. We will have full specs up as soon as they are done and before that will have the full list of comprehensive green features incorporated into the design. The homes have been designed for the use of photo voltaic panels however because of wetlands setbacks not all of the homes will have sufficient solar potential to make this standard. It should be optional for homes with the best solar potential and we are still exploring placing panels elsewhere on site to benefit the entire community.
The homes have been designed to extremely high standards of quality and environmental responsibility and we plan to build them in the same manner. We are strongly considering applying for both state and national energy efficiency certification programs.
One question that always comes up in discussing green elements in new home construction as well as updates to existing homes is the payback time on energy saving investments. GreenAndSave.com offers excellent resources and information on an array of green building products. A number of elements they provide information for have been incorporated in our home design. Their Master ROI Table shows the estimated up front costs, annual savings, and return on investment over ten years for a number of products. We have tended to stay away from those listed in the advanced green features as these have a lower ROI and are the less proven and effective technologies. Our focus is on using tested technologies and greener alternatives to proven construction practices. In this way we will be able to deliver a highly-efficient, green, sustainable, home at a more manageable cost. A glance at the Master ROI Table will demonstrate the value-added benefits and long term savings that houses at Sweet Pond will encompass.
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