Meadville Tribune

Local News

April 3, 2008

Area home boasts cutting-edge efficiency

04/04/08 — WOODCOCK TOWNSHIP — Think “house of the future.”

A sci-fi vision of some otherworldly structure — odd panels jutting up and out and other “green,” minimalist-inspired design features — may be what springs to mind.

But Jeff and Sandy Lang’s new home overlooking Woodcock Creek is a happy marriage between traditional, historically-rich Victorian design elements and new-age building

materials that put the 4,645-square-foot home on the cutting edge of all things energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly.

Lang is a co-owner of Dad’s Products Co. Inc. His place is the first Energy Star-certified home built in northwestern Pennsylvania that’s qualified for tax credits for using at least 50 percent less energy on heating and cooling than a home that size built by traditional means, according to builder Mark Schlosser of Saegertown-based Schlosser Construction.

His estimate for what the three-story, 17-room home may cost to heat over the course of a year — only $1,249 — is roughly 40 percent of what a typical home that size may cost to keep warm.

And there’s no question that it keeps the heat.

Built using insulated concrete forms (ICFs) that create a seamless and solid monolithic structure, Schlosser said the home’s foot-thick walls make for zero-air infiltration. Add to that the home’s top-of-the-line boiler system — capable of heating a gallon of water in seconds — and the result is roughly 96 percent heating efficiency, he said.

The house, which features a radiant-floor heating system, “is built so air-tight that we built (an internal) mechanical ventilation system” to circulate and generate fresh air, Schlosser said.

A thermal imaging test of the structure showed that it leaks just a little over 1,600 cubic feet of air each minute, said Schlosser. A typical home tested under the same radar, he said, would be expected to leak roughly 7,000 cubic feet of air per minute.

‘There’s so much latent heat here,” Sandy said recently. “I’d bet you could go two days before you knew you lost power.”

Those who’d like to feel the same in their homes but who aren’t planning on building anew anytime soon can take heart, according to Schlosser.

Energy efficiency “isn’t just for new construction,” he said. “This is for existing houses also.”

Using the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s uniform energy rating system, Schlosser said he’s able to provide detailed analyses that identify problem areas for a homeowner and allow him to make suggestions that could lower any home’s heating costs by around 40 percent while also significantly reducing carbon monoxide and other environmental hazards such as mold.

It was Sandy’s intolerance to mold, in fact, that the Langs said pushed their decision to build green.

“It’s amazing,” said Sandy, and “the technology is right here.”



Ryan Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at rsmith@meadvilletribune.com.

Text Only
Local News
Business Marquee
AP Video
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows Mo. Teen Gets Life Sentence for Killing Girl, 9 Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House' Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo. Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Poll

Mitt Romney has surged to major campaign wins in recent weeks. If he is the GOP candidate for president:

The Democrats are in trouble; he’s overcoming tough challenges now and learning from them
He will have no chance against incumbent Barack Obama
It’s too early to tell, but Romney would probably be in trouble
It’s too early to tell, but Romney should have a good chance against Obama
     View Results
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
Stocks