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From Green Street to Easy Street
Phoenix Developer Uses Innovative York(R) Heating and Cooling Products to Create First LEED Gold-Certified Home Remodel West of Mississippi River
| Source: Johnson Controls
PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwire - October 7, 2008) - Philip Beere, owner of Green Street Development, a
sustainable design and consulting firm in Phoenix, knew it was just a
matter of time before people noticed his remodel of a 1960s-era,
ranch-style home at 3313 E. Medlock Drive, only 10 minutes from downtown
Phoenix and Scottsdale.
Today, the home is not only an icon in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, it's
also a model of sustainability -- using considerably less energy, water and
raw materials than a traditional, newly constructed home. It's also the
first LEED gold-certified home remodel west of the Mississippi River.
(LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the U.S. Green Building Council's rating
system for recognizing the design and construction of high-performance,
environmentally friendly products.)
Contributing to the success of this sustainable home is a state-of-the-art
heating and air conditioning system featuring two York® Latitude™ heat pumps,
manufactured by Johnson Controls,
Inc. The heat pumps meet the cooling and heating requirements outlined
in the LEED program, while contributing to significantly lower energy
costs. In fact, the home uses only $500 in annual utilities -- compared to
$3,500 before the remodel.
Beere purchased the property, which serves as his residence, for $510,000.
Today, after acting as the general contractor and investing more than
$320,000 in sustainable home improvements, the property has an appraised
value of $895,000.
From top to bottom and side to side, the 2,700-square-foot, four-bedroom
and three-bathroom home is everything sustainable. It features
non-formaldehyde bamboo floors, counter tops constructed from recycled
paper, a charging station for electric cars, clay paints, re-used framing
materials, drought-tolerant landscaping, a satellite-controlled irrigation
system,
low-flush toilets, bio-based foam insulation, natural lighting, ENERGY STAR® windows and
appliances, and a permeable-membrane driveway.
If Beere's experience is any indication, healthy, energy-efficient and
sustainable homes -- whether they're remodels or new construction -- will
continue to be a growing trend nationwide. Beere believes the 3313 E.
Medlock Drive project has already influenced other projects in the Phoenix
area, while motivating homeowners, contractors and developers to use
sustainable building practices.
What's more, the home was recently a finalist in the Valley Forward Association's
Environmental Excellence Awards, which serves as a benchmark for promoting
livable communities, conserving natural resources and sustaining the desert
environment for future generations.
QUOTES
Philip Beere, owner, Green Street Development, Phoenix:
-- "My primary goal was to make a healthy home for myself and future
occupants -- a home that is very energy efficient. I also wanted to set
an example for others who are remodeling homes, to show them that doing
the sustainable thing makes sense. So I chose LEED as the benchmark."
-- "For homeowners, the first step in achieving a sustainable home is
to embrace a premier rating system such as LEED. New and improved
sustainable products are continuously coming to market. So, do your
research and gather as much information as possible before making a
decision. And find a team of contractors who believes in sustainability
or is at least open to sustainable principles."
Jeff Wrublevski, superintendent, Ron Brocks Heating & Cooling, a York
dealer, Glendale, AZ:
-- "We considered installing units with a higher Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio (SEER), but the overall cost compared to the return on
investment was the deciding factor. The energy ratings of the York
equipment contribute a great deal in reducing energy costs. However,
without good windows, foam insulation and a sealed building envelope,
the equipment would not have been able to contribute as much."
-- "The York heating and cooling system helped the home achieve a
'healthy house' certification from the American Lung Association.
Extremely tight and leak-free ducts, as well as a constant source of
fresh air, are very important to a healthy home."
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon:
-- "3313 E. Medlock Drive has set a new standard for single-family home
remodels and new builds in Phoenix. The home is an example for other
developers to follow in making homes healthy and energy efficient. The
City of Phoenix is proud to have the first LEED gold-certified home
west of the Mississippi."
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls (NYSE : JCI ) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to
the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies,
products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the
relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 140,000
employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through
our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million
homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to
sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate
citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and
services we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit
http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/.
