Featured Projects
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Deltec Circular Home (Zion, PA, May 2012)
This build is of interest particularly because it is an unusual shape – it looks round but in reality it has 20 flat sides. Attached to the main house is a breezeway which leads to an attached garage, one end of which is also multi-faceted.
The home was designed and supplied by Deltec and arrived at the project site on trucks. The Envinity crew assembled the parts and finished off the main structure. It features an ICF (insulated concrete form) basement foundation and double-stud wall panels for extra insulation.
The owner of the house says, “I’m excited really about every aspect of the house: the energy efficiency of the round shape, the views, the windows, the decks. The energy efficiency is great, but it’s the looking forward to living in it that excites me. The living space integrates indoor and outdoor spaces by decks of various sizes, and I'm enthusiastic about the views. This is almost the first I’ve really paused to think about what excites me most about this, and that’s really it. Views, indoor to outdoor connectedness, and potentially awesome outdoor areas that are diverse."
State College’s Newest Winery Goes Solar (State College, PA, April, 2012)
The Envinity solar crew recently installed a 9.2 kW PV System on State College's newest winery, Happy Valley Vineyard & Winery. The owner, who specified that he wanted all system components to be made in the USA, constructed the winery building facing directly south because solar had always been part of his long-term plan for the winery.
The PV system will offset about 75% of the electricity used in the winery operations, producing about 11,000 kWh of electricity per year. The owner knew solar worked and put it to good use on the new winery: 10 years ago he installed a small solar system to charge the batteries for the vineyard's electric golf cart, battery powered tools, a tractor/car battery charger, and, in more recent times, cellphones.
Envinity will also be building the tasting room for the winery this summer.
Home Energy Improvements Reduce Annual Energy Consumption by 15%
(State College, PA, March, 2012)
An Envinity energy audit and subsequent efficiency improvements helped State College homeowners save $803 annually on their energy bills. The 1950’s home had additions built on in the 70s and the 90s, which made the energy audit quite challenging. It took time to decipher between the various construction types, and to determine the best way to handle the shortcomings of each. In the end, we came up with a very effective work scope. Since the work was completed, the homeowners have told us several times that they can really feel the difference in their home.
Dense pack cellulose insulation was installed to the exterior walls of the 1950’s section of the home, and attic insulation and air sealing were implemented throughout the home. Two exterior doors were repaired, and two new 1.5 gallon per minute shower heads were installed.
This was a relatively affordable project, and the work that was completed should pay for itself in no more than 8-10 years. Most importantly, the homeowners are finally comfortable in their home. In addition, they are now well aware of the different construction styles in their home and they can rest assured that everything is up to date.
The house has been built over the past 60 years and it was interesting to see how the different sections of the home worked with/or against each other.
Energy-efficient New Home Construction
(Boalsburg, PA, February 2012)
Envinity's newest energy efficient home construction project features a unique design which pays homage to Pennsylvania’s rural architectural heritage. It will resemble a refurbished and repurposed Pennsylvania Bank Barn on the exterior, but lean toward a sleek and contemporary look on the interior. It features extra-thick walls which combine spray-foam insulation (for extra R-value and air-sealing) with dense-pack cellulose cavity insulation, and R-60 Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the roof. The SIPs are applied over exposed laminated beams for open cathedral spaces on the interior. The home will use an efficient open-loop geothermal system for heat and air-conditioning.
40 kW PV Array Provides 85% of Electricity for Dairy Farm
(New Berlin, PA, February 2012)
Envinity recently installed a 40 kW solar PV ground mount system at Harmony Springs Farm in New Berlin, PA. The dairy farm will produce over 47,000 kWh of electricity per year—the environmental equivalent of removing 6.5 vehicles from the road. Between SRECs and the electricity offset, the system will produce between $7,500 and $15,000 each year. One of the biggest motivational factors for this project was to protect the farm from rising energy costs to keep the operation viable for future generations.
Home Energy Improvements Result in $1923 Annual Savings
(Philipsburg, PA, January 2012)
Philipsburg homeowners were able to install energy improvements to improve comfort, save energy, and save money. The improvements — high efficiency windows, high efficiency heating equipment, attic insulation, and air sealing — were financed through AFC First and their Keystone HELP Loan.
The monthly energy savings nearly equals the monthly payment on the loan. Thus, the homeowners were able to significantly upgrade their home without affecting their tight monthly budget. Their annual energy consumption was reduced by 36%, for an annual savings of $1,923.
One of the homeowners, Brian Henderson, is the Manager of Residential Energy Services at Envinity.
Home Air Sealing and Insulation
(Tyrone, PA, December 2011)
A home in Tyrone, PA, had substantial air leakage from the conditioned indoor space into the unconditioned attic, resulting in both wasted energy and building durability issues. Moisture from the leaking air condensed on the underside of the cold roof sheathing, causing mold and decay.
The Envinity construction crew removed the damaged roof sheathing, air-sealed the ceiling, and added both rigid foam and cellulose insulation to the roof and attic spaces. The crew then installed new roof sheathing with adequate ventilation underneath to eliminate the chance of any moisture becoming trapped in the roof system.
The result is lowered energy use, increased occupant comfort, and building durability.
Residential PV and Solar Hot Water Installation
(Yeagertown, PA, December 2011)
Envinity recently installed a solar PV system and solar thermal system on a home in Yeagertown, PA. Two project goals were met: 1) We eliminated the need to burn fuel oil for the purpose of heating hot water by installing a solar thermal system that utilizes electric backup. 2) We installed a PV system to that allows the homeowner to produce as much of their own electricity as possible (10,000 kWh per year). Additionally, Envinity conducted an energy audit at the home and identified opportunities to further reduce energy costs by up to 25%.
Campus-Wide Energy Management Plan, Kiski School
(Saltsburg, PA, November 2011)
Envinity was contracted by The Kiski School to develop a campus wide energy management plan. The twenty-two facilities to be audited include a Library, Art Center, Field House, Dormitories, and a waste water facility. Envinity will use EnergyCAP to benchmark all facilities and to measure and verify project savings. Envinity and The Kiski School have set an aggressive goal of reducing annual operating costs by 30%.
Envinity also submitted a Commonwealth Financing Authority Alternative Clean Energy Grant on behalf of Kiski to implement a 10 kW solar array for education and curriculum development. This project is aimed solely to serve as an educational tool by the school through the installation of a solar dashboard technology to be observed by all students, faculty, and alumni.
NELC Partnership
Envinity has partnered with the National Energy Leadership Corps (NELC), a Building America Team, which is centered out of Penn State. The mission of the NELC is to develop more effective energy assessments, and to upgrade delivery methods and systems focused towards community scale implementation.
The NELC is structured around three central energy efficiency bodies of knowledge: energy assessment procedures and upgrade operations design, Home Energy Monitoring and Control Systems, and Energy User Behavior Assessment.
By collecting data from community-wide energy audits, the NELC hopes to implement practices that can save communities 30% of their energy costs by 2016, and 50% by 2020.
Window replacement/exterior insulation/re-siding
(State College, PA, October 2011)
Envinity is making some renovations on a State College home to lower utility bills and increase occupant comfort.
New windows will be installed to replace single-pane windows with rotten frames; flashing and water management issues will be corrected; 2” of insulation board will be installed exterior to the wall assembly to minimize thermal bridging and create a continuous layer of insulation around the home; and new overhangs will be created on the gable end walls where there previously were none to provide additional protection. New durable low-maintenance steel siding, soffit, and fascia will also be installed to complete the job.
Envinity solar installation will offset 50% of residents’ electricity use
(PA Furnace, September 2011)
The Envinity solar team recently installed a grid-tied 5.52 kW SunPower PV system on a new home (still under construction) in Centre County. The Energy Star certified home has been planned for over 10 years—it is the dream home for recent retirees. The solar system is projected to offset 50% of the residents’ electricity use.
Reducing heating costs of an 1800's home by 60% with a deep energy retrofit
(Danville, PA, August 2011)
As a follow-up to a home energy audit, the Envinity home performance crew conducted a deep energy retrofit to an 1880's home. We installed dense pack cellulose insulation in the uninsulated exterior walls, as well as attic air sealing and insulation. We also insulated the crawlspace ceiling and installed a crawlspace vapor barrier.
As a result, we were able to reduce the homeowners’ heating costs by
60%— saving money and energy. We were also able to reduced air leakage
by 25%, which enhanced the comfort of the home.
We made the home so energy efficient that the homeowners are now able to install a ground source heat pump to heat and cool the home. (Older, inefficient homes typically are not able to be effectively heated with a heat pump system because of the inherent inefficiencies of the buildings.)
Two-story 800 square-foot addition to an existing mid-1900's 2-story home
Lemont, PA (August 2011)
The Envinity construction crew added a 2-story green addition to a mid 1900s 2-story home. Energy-saving features included:
- Double-stud wall construction. This method both reduces thermal conductivity and increases the total amount of insulation that can be put into the wall. 8" of dense-pack cellulose insulation (made up of recycled newsprint) was used for the wall cavity, for a total insulative value of at least R-28. This gives the wall assembly an effective insulative value of R-24, compared to a typical wall at R-16.
- The roof trusses have a "raised heel" to allow for greater attic insulation levels on top of the wall.
- The concrete slab floor in the basement is thermally isolated to reduce the amount of indoor heat being lost to the ground through conductive heat loss.
Other "Green" aspects:
- Re-use of 2 windows and 1 entry door (all in good condition) from the existing house. This helps preserve resources as well as helps the client save money on the project.
