Re: “Letter to the editor: Bridgton cottages not so eco-friendly” (Sept. 1):
As the owner of Main Eco Homes and the developer/builder of The Cottages at Willett Brook, I feel the need to respond to Richard Burt’s letter with facts instead of opinion.
• Solar orientation: All roof angles are at an optimal 40 degrees. The solar arrays on the roofs of eight of the first 10 homes will produce just 9 percent less energy than solar arrays on a roof with perfect orientation.
(These “derates” are derived from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PVWatts online calculator: pvwatts.nrel.gov/.)
• Energy efficiency: We designed our homes to exceed current codes. They are insulated with a combination of rigid foam, spray foam and cellulose, all superior insulators.
Exterior walls are sheathed with R-Sheathing, a structural panel insulation board, plus a conservative 2.5 inches of closed-cell spray foam for an airtight R-23-plus wall.
The foam board around the exterior insulates the wood studs, increasing the energy efficiency over a comparable code home. The roof is insulated to R-53 with 15.5-plus inches of blown-in cellulose. Both the foundation walls and underslab are insulated with 2 inches of rigid foam.
• Vinyl siding: The U.S. Green Building Council, the European Commission and the state of California all looked comprehensively at vinyl’s pros and cons and concluded the overall impacts were in line with those of other materials and is, in fact, better than other alternatives in some applications.
The Cottages at Willett Brook were designed to meet an urgent need for affordable, energy-efficient homes for the aging population in rural Maine.
The goal was to design the homes and site to be ecologically sensitive while also being economical for the target demographic to buy and maintain. Based on the response we’ve received, we have achieved that goal.
Please feel free to contact me anytime directly at Justin@mainecohomes.com.
Justin McIver
president, Main Eco Homes
Bridgton
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