Tonight's St. Albans Messenger had this article in which a Fairfax Business, Wayne Construction LLC of Fairfax was a winner. Anybody know who they are. I have been unable to locate them in the phone book:
Two Local Businesses Earn
'Best of the Best' Awards'
FAIRFAX / EAST FAIRFIELD - Across Vermont, architects, builders and contractors are working to create more energy-efficient businesses and homes. Efficiency Vermont is proud to recognize a select number of those projects with its annual "Best of the Best" Awards.
Wayne Construction LLC of Fairfax won this year's Best of the Best in Vermont ENERGY STAR Homes Award for a Single Family Detached Home more than 3,000 square feet, located in Westford.
Wayne Construction LLC's winning home is a ranch style house with a walkout basement that takes advantage of its hillside location to create a living space full of natural light. The orientation of the site was utilized not only to provide beautiful views, but to allow for passive solar gain and active solar electricity production.
On the roof, 10 solar panels attached to separate microinverters will produce over 6,000 kWh annually. The home also features ENERGY STAR appliances and lighting.
Ashton Thermal of East Fairfield was recognized with an honorable mention in Efficiency Vermont's "Best of the Best in Home Performance with ENERGY STAR" for a retrofit in the $5,000-$15,000 range for a home located in Enosburg Falls.
Ashton Thermal's winning home is a barn-turned-family home where they made retrofits to address the home-owners' concerns about un-insulated walls, freezing pipes, and uncomfortable rooms. Ashton Thermal installed high-efficiency cellulose insulation in the main attic as well as the slanted ceilings, beneath the attic addition floor, and in a few walls that were previously completely empty.
The basement rim joist was sealed and insulated with spray foam. In addition to insulation, extensive air sealing throughout the home reduced air leakage by almost half.
"After the improvements, I noticed a significant difference both in comfort level and in the amount of wood I am using. Buttoning up your home requires an investment but you get it back in the short run. It was so worth it," said homeowner Deborah Hastings.
"Best of the Best" Awards
All of the award recipients were recognized at Efficiency Vermont's Better Buildings by Design 2011 conference in February. The conference focused on energy-efficient building design, construction, and renovation, and was attended by more than 1,000 professionals.
The work of Vermont builders and contractors was considered in three areas of energy efficiency: commercial new construction and major renovation, residential new construction, and residential renovation. The "Best of the Best in Vermont ENERGY STAR Homes" honors exceptional achievement in new homes receiving ENERGY STAR qualification.
ENERGY STAR qualified homes achieve energy savings through established, reliable building technologies. Builders must achieve high efficiency standards when planning and building homes, including effective insulation; high-performance windows, tight construction:
efficient heating, ventilation, and cooling equipment; and efficient lighting and appliances.
The work.displayed by all of the ''Best of the Best" winners shows that Vermonters can save energy and money while also creating comfortable spaces for homeowners, businesses and schools for the long-term.
For more information and a complete listing of all award winners, please visit
www.efficiencyvermont.com/ for _our.partners/bbd/ efficiency _ vermontawards.aspx.
