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High
oil prices, and their effect on heating and cooling bills for home
owners, create a 'double whammy' competitive advantage
for American RTMs with Enviro System™.
First
Enviro System™, as RTM production technology,
increases construction efficiencies to lower the price of a new
home substantially from conventional U.S. new home construction.
Second
Enviro System™, as a super energy efficient home building
process, provides a cost effective energy conservation
solution that reduces the energy needs for a new home to lower the
cost of home ownership.
Enviro
System™ - Reducing the Cost of Home Ownership
Enviro
System™ was developed as an RTM Home production system
by Rick Downs based on super energy efficient home building
research done by the National Research Council of Canada. As a new
home building system, Enviro SystemT out performs common Canadian
insulation standards, which in turn outperform typical U.S. standards.
The
Enviro System™ RTM Home production system utilizes
a floating double wall system that provides R28 wall insulation,
R50 ceiling insulation with 'high heel' trusses to eliminate mold
growth in 'cold spots', an envelop 'air seal' system to eliminate
convection heat losses, and mechanical ventilation to provide Indoor
Air Quality by continuously replacing inside air every 3 to 4 hours.
The
thermal performance of a new home with Enviro System™
can not simply be compared based on insulation levels because
R-values only address conduction heat losses. An 'air sealed' new
home increases overall thermal performance, or energy efficiency,
by 50% over homes that do not eliminate convection heat loss, which
is commonly referred to as 'draftiness'.
This
means is that overall thermal performance of a new home with Enviro
System™, because of the envelope 'air seal'
system, effectively has wall insulation greater than R40 and ceiling
insulation greater than R70 when compared to typical, unsealed Montana
new home construction. And by using a heat recovery ventilation
system, the indoor air is as fresh and clean as outside, winter
or summer.
Enviro
System™ has been used in RTM Homes since 1984 proving
to be a superior RTM Home production system that 'moves' or delivers
better, and that experiences fewer interior finish problems due
to glued sheet rock application on all walls, made possible by the
double exterior walls.
When
asked why Enviro System™ is not commonly used, Rick Downs
answers "There are two reasons, first is that it
has always been a guarded trade secret, with trademark protection.
This was done to provide its users with a sales advantage in the
highly competitive Canadian RTM Home market."
"The
second reason is that, until recently, super energy efficient
homes were like a religion, it was something you did because you
believed in it. Today, however, with high oil prices Enviro System™
provides a practical energy conservation solution that lowers the
cost of home ownership by reducing monthly heating and cooling bills"
"For
American RTMs Customers Enviro System™ will not be an additional
cost, rather it will be an investment that pays them hard
cash dividends in the form of lower energy bills, month after month,
for as long as they own their home."
What
are Super Energy Efficient Homes?
Super
energy efficient homes comply with energy efficiency guidelines
established by the Canadian R2000®
and US Energy Star® programs. While these programs
establish a target energy budget and guidelines in a number of areas,
they do not prescribe or specify how to achieve the objectives.
Current
standards require super energy efficient
homes to address critical 'whole house' performance
in two areas:
- Reduced energy or heating costs achieved
by increased insulation levels which, in northern climates,
means greater than the typical R20 wall & R40 ceiling insulation
specifications (US R19 & R38 equivalent) combined with air
tightness requirements determined by the amount of air leakage
that occurs from the home's interior
- Controlled indoor air quality which, practically,
can only be achieved by the use of mechanical ventilation systems
designed & installed in accordance with Canadian HRAI, R2000®,
or current Canadian National Building Code standards
Unfortunately
most Home Builders failed to develop new production systems
for super energy efficient homes, although many aspects of this
type of construction have been incorporated into conventional Canadian
homes.
Enviro
System™ is the only production system
specifically developed and fully proven for cost effectively
building super energy efficient RTM Homes, and can also be used
for conventional 'stick built' construction.
For
program information click on their name
R2000®
Energy
Star®
Revised
October 10, 2005
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