Raleigh design/build firm continues work on energy-efficient homes.
Tonic Design + Tonic Construction, an award-winning design/build firm in Raleigh, NC, recently received its fifth Energy Star rating for the design and construction of the Bahama Modern House, a modern, energy-efficient home owned by John Monroe of Bahama, North Carolina.
This is also the fourth Energy Star rating the combined architecture firm and construction company have received this year for residential designs.
Energy Star is a government-backed program that helps businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. To earn the Energy Star rating, a home or business must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Homes achieve this level of performance through a combination of energy-efficient improvements, including,
- Effective insulation
- High-performance windows
- Tight construction and ducts
- Efficient heating and cooling
- Energy Star lighting and appliances
“We find the Energy Star rating and process to be of great benefit to our clients,” said project designer and Tonic co-owner Katherine Hogan. “It not only reduces their annual operating costs by up to 20 percent, it also helps to achieve a more consistent interior thermal comfort and increases the indoor air quality of their home. The smaller decisions and building practices along the way can have a big impact on final product.”
Southern Energy Management has been the local Energy Star rater on all of Tonic’s residential designs.
“After living in a two-story, 1914 farmhouse for 30 years, which originally had no insulation, no running water, no electricity, and only the six fireplaces for heat, I was well aware of the limitations of this vernacular housing,” said homeowner John Monroe. “Having a comfortable living environment with reduced consumptive energy usage was appealing. I’ve spent the summer in the new house and beside the absolute beauty of the modern design, knowing that the house remains cool even with its almost full wall of windows makes me feel that the extra efforts to insulate the house and use the geo-thermal system, among other efforts were well worth it.”
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