John Sloot realizes his company is a step ahead when it comes to being a construction industry leader in energy efficiency.
But he thinks the standards set by Sloot Construction Ltd., when it comes to high-performance levels in homes his company is building, will one day become the norm.
For now, though, he can take special pride in the fact that Sloot Construction has been recognized as the builder of the first home in Canada qualified under the new Energy Star for New Homes (ESNH) standard.
In layman’s terms, that means that the home in Guelph is over 20 per cent more energy efficient that others conforming to the minimum building code standards in Ontario.
“The more efficient your home is today the more you will keep on saving as others continue to pay more,” said Mr. Sloot, President of the Guelph and District Home Builders’ Association and President of Sloot Construction. “In the not-too-distant future this will be our normal building practice.”
The home, owned by Andy Goyda, is a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom bungalow in Sloot Construction’s Hale’s Manor Phase 11 community and is expected to provide an extra $600 a year in energy saving costs. Impressive numbers when you consider implementing extra energy efficiency features only added about $4,000 to the cost.
Stringent standards for the Energy Star certification have been put in place by Natural Resources Canada. An independent energy evaluator inspects and verifies each home, with the federal government’s EnerQuality Corp. on hand to observe the process.
There are a number of features in each home that are taken into consideration when an evaluation is conducted.
Some of those include:
Mr. Sloot says he is very happy with the air tightness results in the Goyda home.
“It turned out better than we expected,” he says. “We continue to find better ways to improve air tightness, which will only bring more savings to the homeowner.
“Overall, we were very satisfied with the energy efficiency results of the Goyda home and, better yet, the owners are extremely pleased and comfortable in their new home.”
He says that EnerQuality was very supportive of his company’s efforts to raise the energy efficiency bar with the Goyda home.
“EnergQuality offered any technical support to achieve energy efficiency and Energuide 86, which is the new measuring tool.”
Mr. Goyda, a market development manager/ Canadian builder lead at Owens Corning Canada, who works with builders such as Sloot Construction across the country, raved about how quiet his home is.
“It’s very quiet because of its air tightness and the house has no hot or cold spots,” he says. “All the rooms have an even temperature, in summer and in winter.
“The ERV (energy recovery ventilation) system acts as the lungs of the home and provides the right amount of fresh air while exhausting stale air.
“From a builder perspective, the best bang for the builder’s dollar is a super tight and super insulated envelope. That means the other decisions the builder makes – such as right sizing furnaces and ducts – can be less expensive.”
Mr. Sloot says more and more homeowners these days ask him about energy efficiency options that should be included when they build a new home.
“We have typically offered different types, such as in-floor heat in basements, upgraded insulation packages, upgraded/better air barriers/building envelopes and better windows,” he adds.
“Now we are offering a total package that includes an all-in-one option and we can show owners better overall savings on utility costs. This demand will continue to grow as these costs continue to go up.”
Web: www.slootconstruction.com
Since 1979, the Sloot family has laid the foundation for hundreds of dreams in Guelph and the surrounding area. John Sloot, president of Sloot Construction, is fascinated by taking a simple idea of design and using it as the foundation to create innovative concepts that touch the senses visually and emotionally. Sloot is a hands-on builder who you will find on site working. This approach and attention to detail has quickly earned the company a name for quality construction and customer satisfaction. As the company has grown, so has its reputation, with hundreds of families to date investing their trust in a Sloot home. Years of experience and understanding a family’s needs are reflected in every one of the homes built. A Sloot home includes an imaginative blend of contemporary and traditional design, many features considered upgrades, the most advanced building materials and superior craftsmanship.
