Green Homes

An Environmentally Friendly Swimming Pool.

We are very pleased to announce that American Pools and Spas has joined our team to construct the swimming pool for Green Builder® VISION House Orlando 2008.  After an extensive selection process, American Pools and Spas is the obvious choice for the VISION House Orlando project.  Not only are they one of the most respected pool builders in Florida, they're also widely recognized as the market leader in the Florida pool and spa industry.  As members of the National Association of Home Builders, American Pools and Spas is committed to constructing a beautiful swimming pool for VISION House using fine products such as Pebble Tec pool finishing material, SAm and SAL lighting, Pentair IntelliTouch automation, and others.  And just as importantly, the pool will be built in a manner that demonstrates environmentally friendly pool construction principles.

To ensure the VISION House Orlando swimming pool satisfies the green standards defined by the Florida Green Building Coalition, American Pools and Spas will incorporate the following construction principles into the pool's design:  salt chlorine sanitation (Pentair IntelliChlor), oversized cartridge filter and piping, solar heat technology (Superior Solar), and high performance variable speed pumps (Pentair IntelliFlo 4x160).  It's important to note that American Pools and Spas has chosen to install the most advanced energy efficient pumps available on the market.  The Pentair IntelliFlo pump employs an advanced motor and microprocessor to ensure the pump operates at the exact power level needed, and no harder.  The result is energy consumption savings up to 90% or higher!

American Pools and Spas is not content with simply meeting the FGBC green standards, but instead, they've willfully chosen to far exceed the standards in their construction of the VISION House Orlando pool.  For example, American Pools and Spas will install an oversized Pentair diatomaceous earth filter to capture microscopic contaminants as small as 3 - 5 microns!  DE filters also minimize flow restrictions which translates into a decreased amount of required pumping power to achieve a needed flow rate.  The net result is reduced energy consumption.

American Pools and Spas has also chosen to install an advanced Paramount PV3 automatic in-floor pool cleaning and circulation system.  The installation of the PV3 will be custom designed for the VISION House swimming pool to ensure a minimum of 99% of the pool is always cleaned.  In addition, the circulation capabilities of the PV3 system provide additional environmentally friendly attributes.  Ordinary pools circulate water near the surface of the pool where chemicals and heat are quickly lost into the atmosphere.  This often leads to wasted chemicals, wasted heat energy, and poorly circulated algae-prone areas throughout the pool.  However, these problems are eliminated by efficient water circulation generated by the PV3 system.  The net result is lower operating costs in maintaining the pool by reducing the amount of chemicals and heat energy lost to the atmosphere, not to mention cleaner and healthier pool water!

The Paramount Clear O3 water purification system is the final environmentally friendly component to be installed by American Pools and Spas.  By adding the Clear O3 system to the VISION House swimming pool, ozone is generated in the pool thereby creating a water cleaning process similar to the process for purifying bottled water, and it also reduces the demand for pool chemicals by up to 70%.  By introducing ozone into the pool's pump, chlorinated compounds are removed from the pool which in turn increases the lifespan of the pool filter and other pool equipment.

Clearly, American Pools and Spas is committed to constructing an exemplary swimming pool for the VISION House Orlando project....an impressive demonstration of how a swimming pool can be both glamorous and environmentally friendly at the same time.  We welcome the fine and talented employees of American Pools and Spas to the VISION House Orlando project and we look forward to everything we will learn from them as they build an exceptional environmentally friendly swimming pool.

To learn more about American Pools and Spas, please visit www.american-pools.com

Welcome EcoDecor!

Careful planning and attention is essential to construct a true green home.  And to the credit of many builders across the country, they're willfully accepting this responsibility to ensure their homes are built in an environmentally friendly manner.  However, despite their best intentions, it's unfortunate that often times their well intended efforts are diminished by poor choices in interior design.  With the assistance of EcoDecor Inc., these poor choices will not be replicated in the interior design of Green Builder® VISION House Orlando 2008.

The highly talented team of Bernadette V. Upton and Daniel R. Giordano, principles of EcoDecor, Inc., have joined VISION House Orlando to oversee the home's interior.  Through Bernadette and Daniel's leadership, only earth friendly materials will be incorporated into the interior design.  By using, for example, environmentally sensitive furnishings, fabrics, and wall coverings with natural dyes that are both beautiful and healthy to breath, EcoDecor is committed to sustaining the integrity of eco in decor for VISION House Orlando.

Bernadette Upton is a Florida licensed interior designer, lecturer, and consultant specializing in environmental interior design.  She is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Past President of the Florida South Chapter, and a founding member of the national ASID Sustainable Design Council.  Bernadette has earned the coveted accreditation of the United States Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program which sets standards for sustainable construction and design.  She is also a member of the Florida Green Building Coalition and the National Environmental Health Organization.

Serving on the American Lung Association Southeast Florida Board for nearly a decade, Bernadette has designed numerous Health Houses and co-authored "A Baby's Breath" program for ALA, which educates expectant parents to the importance of creating a healthy nursery and home.

Bernadette's partner, Daniel R. Giordano, is an Industry Partner of ASID, a present board member of ASID Florida South Chapter, and a member of the Florida Green Building Coalition.  Daniel brings a 35 year career in custom window treatments and installations to EcoDecor.

Welcome aboard EcoDecor!

To learn more about EcoDecor, please visit www.ecodecor.com

Welcome Schwenn Mechanical.

Schwenn Mechanical HVAC Services has come on board to design and install the HVAC system for Green Builder® VISION House Orlando 2008.  With over 23 years of experience in the HVAC industry, Schwenn Mechanical is fully capable of installing the most advanced HVAC systems.  In collaboration with the Florida Solar Energy Center and Calcs-Plus, Inc., President Jeff Schwenneker will design and install a highly efficient HVAC system for VISION House Orlando which will likely incorporate geothermal technology, supplemental whole house dehumidification, air filtration, fresh air intake(s), and high performance duct work.  Ongoing energy consumption of the HVAC system will be monitored for one year by the Florida Solar Energy Center through remote data gathering computer systems.

Schwenn Mechanical has been awarded the VISION House Orlando project primarily because of their strong track record.  With a vast array of clients ranging from Lake Sumter Community College to Seminole Harley Davidson, Schwenn Mechanical's commitment to quality and customer service has allowed them to earn and maintain strong business relationships, grow their company, while continuing to provide personal service for all their customers.

The HVAC system design and installation for VISION House Orlando will be one of the most critical components of the home's overall energy efficiency performance, therefore, it was imperative we acquire a highly accredited HVAC contractor staffed by skilled technicians who have a strong reputation for delivering high quality work.  We are most pleased because we've obtained all of this and more by bringing Schwenn Mechanical to our team.

Schwenn Mechanical Commercial HVAC Services: (321) 299-3277

Florida Solar Energy Center.

It is with great pleasure we announce the participation of the Florida Solar Energy Center in the Green Builder VISION House Orlando project.  Led by Senior Research Engineer Eric Martin, FSEC will provide our team with support in the design, equipment selection, installation inspection, and ongoing performance monitoring of VISION House Orlando's HVAC system.  And on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program, Eric will also lead an effort to evaluate the overall level of green incorporated into VISION House Orlando.  The criteria by which Eric's assessment will be performed will be based on the Florida Green Building Coalition's Green Standards.  And as a reminder, with the assistance of Green Builder Media, VISION House Orlando will also be evaluated using the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines.

FSEC was created by the Florida Legislature in 1975 to serve as Florida's energy research institute.  FSEC's main responsibilities are to conduct research, test and certify solar systems, and develop education programs.  FSEC's mission is to research and develop energy technologies that enhance Florida's and the nation's economy and environment, and to educate the public, students, and practitioners on the results of FSEC's research.

To learn more about the Florida Solar Energy Center, please visit:

www.fsec.ucf.edu

Welcome Environmental Services, Inc.

We are pleased to announce Environmental Services, Inc. is lending their support of the Green Builder VISION House Orlando project.  ESI will partner with Florida Dock, Inc. to oversee the boat dock permitting process and work with various entities (Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns River Water Management District, Lake County, etc.) to ensure all proper procedures are followed in securing permits.

In addition, ESI will partner with the University of Florida to consult us in the lake shore restoration portion of the project.  As previously discussed in this blog, the lake shore portion of the lot will be cleaned and restored to remove all invasive vegetation and replaced with aquatic vegetation that is conducive to a healthy lake shore and fosters an inviting haven for the surrounding wild life.

ESI is a highly respected company in the field of environmental, natural, and cultural resource needs.  The suite of ESI's services cover a host of service categories, such as, ecology, forestry, marine biology, wetland mitigation, stream restoration, protection of endangered species (animals and plants), and site planning, just a to name a few.

To learn more about Environmental Services, Inc. please visit:

www.environmentalservicesinc.com