The equipment itself has not changed but different combinations of equipment and loops has evolved as heating contractors have learned more efficient and cost effective ways to install the system in a price competitive market.

2. How many installations will you do on newly constructed single family homes this year? How does this compare to previous years?

            We will install approximately 900 single family systems for newly constructed homes.  This is about 35% less than in years previous to 2008.  2008 and 2009 were about 700 and 800 respectively.

3. How many retrofit installations will you do on existing homes this year? How does this compare to previous years?

            We will put in about 100 retrofit systems in single family homes and another 180 for multifamily retrofits for contractors.  The single family number is up 20% from last year and the multifamily number is about the same

4. How much does a geothermal system cost?  

            It depends on the size of the home.  Excluding drilling, they typically cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.  Drilling can run anywhere from $1200 to $2000 per loop with an average of one loop per ton of cooling.

5. Why would I as a homeowner spend my money to install a geothermal heat pump instead of, for instance, solar panels?

            It is the most efficient way to heat and cool your home and has the largest impact on your energy bills per dollar invested. Additionally, goethermal units qualify for a 30% Federal Tax Credit.

6. Anything else you would like to note?

            It is absolutely vital that homeowners educate themselves on geothermal.  The lowest price is not always the right choice.  Many contractors take shortcuts to win the bids such as not grouting their loops.  There is a multitude of problems that this can cause with the least of which being an inefficient system.

7. Please provide your contact info for interested persons, including your website address.

David K. Spaeth

 Vice President – B.S.M.E

            Del-Monde Heating and Air Conditioning

 Office : 859-371-7780  Direct: 859-525-5138

 Toll Free: 800-455-8977

 Email: david@delmonde.com

 Website: http://www.delmonde.com/

Qualified Military personnel have until April 30, 2011 to sign a purchase contract on a new home and must close by June 30, 2011 to qualify for up to $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit or up to $6,500 for the repeat buyer tax credit.

Military personnel qualify for this extension if they served on active duty outside of the US for at least 90 days during the period beginning after December 31, 2008 and ending before May 1, 2010. 

Potterhill Homes may be able to help you use your tax credit as down payment, leaving you with little or no out of pocket costs. Contact a Potterhill Homes representative for more details at http://www.potterhillhomes.com/

Certain restrictions, including income restrictions, apply to the tax credits.  For more information, consult a tax advisor or visit http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/

Congratulations to Amanda from the Sibcy Cline office in Florence! She was the winner of our gift card giveaway.

Don’t forget the Grand Opening continues this weekend.  The Public Grand Opening starts Saturday, from noon-5 and we will have a BBQ all day to celebrate! Join us for free food and a tour of our new Hemingway model home.  

The open house continues Sunday from noon-5.  All weekend long you will have a chance to register for another $250 gift card.  The winner will be pulled out of a hat at the end of the weekend.

The address is 696 Mallard Drive in Alexandria, KY.  Pond Creek is located directly behind the new Campbell County High School.  Call Sue Jones for directions at 513-910-4008.  Hope to see you all there!

Where: Pond Creek Crossing, Potterhill Homes’ newest community in Alexandria, KY, priced from the $130’s

What: Lunch and a presentation by Potterhill Homes’ President Carolyn Rolfes on New Home Construction, how to build affordable homes that achieve Net Zero Energy Bills. Tour Potterhill’s newest model home, The Hemingway

Why: Because it’s a free lunch. Because there is a $250 gift card drawing just for Realtors. Because you can earn a 4% commission on all contracts written before August 31, 2010. Need we say more?

Call Sue Jones to RSVP to this Realtor’s only event at 859-356-0828

Click on the image below to see how the other spots shook out-

WATERING TIPS

When to water:
Watering early in the day is best. The cooler temps and lighter winds will reduce evaporation and wash dew from the leaves. Waiting until late in the day may not allow enough time for drying, which could encourage diseases.

How to determine how much you’ve watered:
One popular method is to place several empty straight-sided cans at various spots around your lawn or garden. Then as you water, measure the depth of the water in the cans.
Another method is to dig a handful of soil about 5-6 inches deep in the watered area. When the soil is moist, but not dripping, you’ve watered about 1 inch.

Variables to consider:
The maturity of the landscaping has a lot to do with how much watering is needed.  Established/ more mature plants and lawns have a much lower watering need than newly planted or seeded areas.

You should also consider your soil type when making watering need adjustments.  Soils that have a lot of clay need less watering than sandy or gravely soils.

Sun exposure obviously plays a part also.  If the site is in shade, then less watering will be needed than areas hit by bright extensive sun.

You can check with the website http://www.weather.com/ for a daily updated watering need index in your area.

We have combined our standard best building practices with geothermal heating and cooling and solar panels to create this home that is “Net Zero Energy Cost”. 

The solar power production causes the meter to run backwards when there aren’t any clouds in the sky and the sun is high. In other words, at that moment in time, our house is producing more energy than it is using, so we are feeding it back to the utility company.

In fact, the first time the meter reader from utility company came out to read our meter, it was running backwards.  He said, “This must be broken, I have never seen an electric meter run backwards in all of my 20 years on the job.”  WOW! We’re glad to be the first!

So, does that mean that the utility company is paying us?  Not exactly…here’s how it works.

Duke Energy and other Ohio & Kentucky power providers have what is called a “net metering” agreement.  They come to your house (or our model home) to read the meter at the beginning of a month and they come back at the end of the month. 

So, while our meter might be running backwards at a given point in time on a sunny day, over the course of the month we will still use energy.  We will still have some (although a small amount) net energy usage.  We will still pay a small bill each month (on average $70/month).

So, if we still pay a bill, how can you say the house is Net Zero Energy Cost?

Well, you have to factor in SREC’s.  SREC’s are Solar Renewable Energy Credits and a solar panel system produces approximately 1.2 SREC’s per Kilowatt each year.  Each SREC can be sold on the energy market…it’s sort of like a carbon credit.  So, even though our house in Northwind will have to purchase approximately $850 per year in energy, we will receive back $900 in SREC income over the course of that same year.  In essence, we’ll be $50 ahead of the game in terms of out of pocket expenses! SREC’s are not available in all states, but they are available in Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana to name a few.

This may sound very sci-fi and expensive to install, but it’s not.  Visit a Potterhill Homes representative today to learn how you can build the most energy efficient homes around.  You can own a home that has Net Zero Energy Cost from under $200,000. http://www.potterhillhomes.com/

One of the perks of being in this business is that I get to work with professional architects & decorators who know their stuff and can make any home look like a custom home with a few simple tricks.  Move over HGTV…here are Potterhill’s tips & tricks to making your home feel custom built!

1. Save magazine articles & ads that show room styles you want to copy. Save these for a few months prior to picking any colors or selections for your home.  You’ll begin to see patterns in your style.  For instance, every time I see a kitchen with white cabinets, dark hardwood floors and tile accents, I tear it out.  That style just speaks to me.  I have a box full of ideas, all taken from magazines. Be sure to tear out multiple rooms, not just kitchens or bathrooms. 
2. Don’t be afraid to mix and match wood stains in your home.  For instance, lighter maple color cabinets look great with walnut color floors. This gives your home a custom look without spending a bundle.
3. If you can’t afford hardwood, consider vinyl floors that look like hardwood, but don’t cost as much as hardwood. If you’re on a budget I would recommend this product for most rooms. 
4. Use paint wisely.  Refer to my first point above.  Do you notice that you have 10 articles in your stack that all have light blue walls? A little paint will give any room a fabulous face lift. Also, don’t be afraid to use contrasting paint colors from room to room.
5. A painted front door & / or garage door will give a facelift to the exterior of your home. Don’t be afraid to contrast colors on your home.  The Sherwin Williams website has a great tool to help you decide on exterior paint…and you can even upload a photo of your own home so you can see what the paint will look like BEFORE you buy it! http://www.sherwinwilliams.com
6. Lighting and bath faucets are a relatively inexpensive way to change up a room. Any home improvement store will have more choices than you can handle! These are also relatively easy installations for the do-it-yourselfer.
7. Ikea.  Need I say more? I love their billboard that says, “A Sofa Can Be an Impulse Buy.” So true.
8. Slip covers over your furniture can help you get the room you’ve always wanted without buying new furniture.
9. Be sure to set a budget and target one room at a time.  You’ll feel better about your project if you actually complete one room as opposed to partially completing 3 rooms.

Pond Creek is located in Alexandria Kentucky, at 696 Mallard Drive (directly behind the new Campbell County High School). Potterhill homes will start in the $130,000’s and feature energy efficiency and architectural design that far exceeds the competition.  Pond Creek features beautiful wooded home sites that are up to 1/4 acre in size.

From Noon-5 on Saturday August 21, Potterhill Homes will host a block party cookout, open to everyone who would like to see Potterhill’s new Hemingway model home.  Please join us for some good food & good company!

The Open House continues on Sunday from Noon-5.

Throughout the weekend, you will also be able to enter to win a $250 Gift Card to the location of your choice. 

The Hemingway model being built at Pond Creek features single-floor living, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, formal dining room and a bonus room upstairs.

Come join us for this Grand Opening Event.  For more information please contact Sue Jones at 859-356-0828.

Here are some photos of the Hemingway model to tide you over until the Grand Opening.  They were taken with a camera phone so cut us some slack…we know they aren’t the best quality but we wanted to give you a sneek peek!