Press Release

Warwick Home Part of the Nationwide Solar Tour

Tours Available on Saturday, October 4, 2014

Warwick, NY, September 19, 2014 — The American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour, currently in its 19th year, is the largest grassroots solar event in the nation, involving about 150,000 participants and 5,000 solar-energy sites nationwide. This year, the Fitzsimmons family in Warwick will debut their new contemporary hybrid zero energy/Energy Star house as part of the national tour.

On Saturday, October 4, 2014, the Fitzsimmons family will open their home at 28 Cascade Road with four tours at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30 pm to explain the energy saving features of the house, with professionals on hand to answer in-depth technical questions. House features include: triple pane European swivel-tilt windows that are much more air tight than double-hung windows and open in for easy cleaning; passive solar system via large windows on south side with high solar heat gain glazing to profit from heat gain during the winter months, and sun louvers to protect the rooms during the summer months from direct sun infiltration; photovoltaic net metered solar panels; metal roof and siding with a 50-year life span, that are fire resistant and recyclable and stay cooler than conventional roofing materials; geothermal HVAC system with hot-water assist feature that is 3 – 4 times more efficient than a conventional heating/cooling system; LED lighting, and much more.

“We are delighted to be a part of this national event and to share our new home with like-minded people,” says homeowner Susanne Meyer-Fitzsimmons, who writes and blogs on holistic living and sustainability and came up with the design concept for the house. Brian Fitzsimmons adds, “It took an enormous amount of diligent research and hard work to get the mechanical systems and energy saving features the way we wanted them, but the end result is spectacular, extremely energy-efficient and was well worth the wait.”

While there is no registration for the tour, the Fitzsimmons request that people arrive promptly for their selected tour time, turn around at top of driveway and park downward for easy exit.

Kevin Gremli Construction Company built this home. Kevin himself will be on site during tour hours to answer any questions.

For more information, visit the American Solar Energy Society website at http://www.ases.org.

Contact:Inez Freund/Creative Vision
(845) 469-3133
Inez@creativevisionpr.com

How to Get Started with your Energy Star Home

Energy STAR Process

Step 1: Builder Chooses to Parnter with ENERGY STAR

Through a Partnership Agreement with EPA, a builder agrees to affix an ENERGY STAR label on homes that are independently verified to meet program guidelines and to build at least one ENERGY STAR certified home every 12 months to maintain their partnership. Through the Partnership Agreement process, the builder also selects a Home Energy Rater to work with to qualify their homes. It is important for consumers to recognize that an ENERGY STAR builder partner does not necessarily build exclusively ENERGY STAR certified homes. Some builder partners offer ENERGY STAR in specific home models, subdivisions or developments, or as an upgrade option. However, there are also many builders that have made a commitment to building 100% ENERGY STAR certified homes across their entire operation and developers who require all ENERGY STAR construction in their developments.