Stitt Web Page Info Spot
Welcome to the Stitt Energy Systems Information Spot. With our more or less weekly entries, we will give you short bits of information about lots of different subjects from pending legislation, to current Stitt Energy projects, to interesting web sites or stories and lots of subjects in between. Check back regularly to see what is new. While this is not intended to be a blog, we do welcome your input. Send your thoughts and ideas to Info@StittEnergy.com.
Entry for February 14, 2008:
The EnergyValue in Housing Awards were announced at a banquet last night at the International Builders' Show in Orlando. We are pleased to announce that our entry received a Gold Award in the Custom Home, Moderate Climate Category. This award was determined by an elite panel of judges based on construction techniques, energy efficient features, and the home's actual energy performance.
From all the homes in all categories, the general public was given the opportunity to vote, via the Internet, for their favorite. We are pleased to announce that our entry also received the People's Choice Award. This is the second People's Choice Award for Stitt Energy Systems.
The owners of the home, Mitch Ross and Cheryl Marcum, planned to be at the banquet but icy weather kept their plane from leaving the airport. However, Mitch had been invited to provide comments about what it is like to live in an EnergyValue Award winning home. In his absence, Orlo Stitt accepted the award and read some of Mitch's comments. Here is what he had prepared:
"Only a few decades ago a builder advised my grandfather that the new feature he desired in his next home was extravagant, unnecessary, and expensive. It was called indoor plumbing. Yet today, indoor plumbing is so common, no one would even think of building a home without it.
We are approaching a tipping point where educated homeowners expect green building practices just as they expect indoor plumbing. Awareness is increasing about green issues, energy efficiency, and the global impact of our choices. The public is beginning to understand, albeit slowly, that our choices today impact our children's resources and opportunities for a sustainable future. I foresee a day when green building codes are as common as electrical and plumbing codes.
The challenge is largely on the shoulders of knowledgeable professionals in the building industry to advise and educate prospective homeowners about sustainable home building choices. Who better to meet that challenge than the membership of the NAHB. It is a challenge you cannot refuse. When Cheryl and I decided to build an energy efficient home we were advised by various designer-builders about the "extravagant" nature of green building. Most of what we heard was uninformed advice focused not on our desires for sustainable building but on the limited capabilities of the builder to address our needs. We are thankful we found Stitt Energy Systems and for their expertise to guide our "green" thoughts into a practical and comfortable home. We like having a warm home with lights when the grid power goes out.
I believe green building is now a necessity and it does not have to be extravagant or expensive. The next time an uninformed prospective homeowner suggests that "green" or "efficient" features may be extravagant and unnecessary, explain to them, "so is the master bathroom - where would you like the outhouse?" "
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
Until next time
Your Stitt Energy Team
Entry for January 4, 2008
Happy Birthday!
Welcome to the new year – 2008! It’s our 30th birthday and we plan to celebrate all year long! You’ll see new items added to our web site and to the Stitt Kit. We’re offering our spring seminars at no charge to help you begin your planning process. We’re sharing our 30 years of experience in designing and building energy efficient, healthy homes with our prospective home owners and building professionals. Throughout the year, we’ll focus on some of our long-time home owners to see how their homes have stood the test of time.
Congratulations!
But today, we want to focus on one of our newer homes that is competing for a national award. This southern Missouri home is an EnergyValue in Housing Award finalist. We know it will receive either the Gold or Silver Award in the Custom Home, Moderate Climate Category. We won’t find out which award until the presentation banquet to be held February 13th at the International Builders Show in Orlando. When the home was on the National Solar Tour in October, the owners posted some pictures and charts showing the home’s performance at: http://cu.motherearthnews.com/pages/gallery.php?gallery=296374. They update the charts periodically. Go check it out.
The EnergyValue in Housing program has a web site that allows the public to select their favorite home from among all the finalists. Go to: http://nahbrc.org/evha/voting.aspx to see all the homes and to vote for your favorite. Our home is the 9th one and, of course, we hope you like it best! But the real object of the People’s Choice competition is to spread the word that energy efficient homes are beautiful, competitively priced and a good choice for home buyers. Forward the link to your friends so they can learn about the program and competing homes also.
Until next time!
Your Stitt Energy Team
