| With hard costs of $75 per foot, this model home in central Vermont is one of the top-rated energy efficient homes in the state.
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It is somewhat rare in this industry for a builder to not only jump into business with an elaborate model home, but to build that model with alternative materials and earn one of the highest energy efficiency ratings in the nation is truly out of the ordinary.
Al Rosetto, owner of A. Rosetto Construction, Manchester, Conn., was looking to showcase a model home that would generate a buzz about his entry into the business, and his 2600-square-foot home in the Mad River Valley of Vermont has done just that. His EPA Energy Star home earned a 90.0 rating score from Energy Rated Homes of Vermont, putting it in the top 5% of all homes rated in the state.
"I attribute the rating mostly to the Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) construction. It is an extremely tight and efficient way to build," says Rosetto.
The three bedroom 2 1/2 bath home also features heat mirror windows, twin heat recovery ventilation units and a 94% efficiency radiant heat floor system. The estimated total energy cost for this home, according to ERHVT, is $1740 per year. This includes heating, cooling, hot water and lights and appliances. Rosetto states that he qualified for nearly $1000 in rebates from the local utility, paying for most of the materials upgrades.
"I’m no inventor," says Rosetto of his first attempt at building an environmentally friendly model home. "I’ve just taken off-the-shelf products and bolted them together.
