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When you’re building a mountain home, you’ll want to incorporate as many energy-efficient products and features as possible.  It makes sense from a cost-saving standpoint and helps to reduce your personal footprint in terms of our environment.  Living at The Coves Mountain River Club, in the pristine Blue Ridge foothills, you will become acutely aware of nature – both its beauty and its fragility.  Gated communities near Asheville NC are designed to take full advantage of their surroundings without having a negative impact.

Let’s explore some of the ways North Carolina mountain homes are employing the latest energy-saving technology.

• Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing – A layer of aluminum is placed in the airspace between the heat-radiating surface inside and the heat-absorbing surface outside.  The foil used in the  sheathing keeps up to 97% of the radiant heat from passing through to your attic. In the heat of the summer, having a radiant barrier roof will keep your home up to 30% cooler.  And the hotter it gets, the better it works.

• Roof Insulation –  Simply stated, insulation is the most practical and cost-effective way to make a house more energy-efficient.  Without it, you can lose up to half of your heated or cooled air through leakage.  Proper and sufficient insulation can improve the effectiveness of  your HVAC system by up to 80 per cent.  Another benefit can be less condensation in your home.  This, in turn, provides health benefits by reducing the dampness that allows mold to develop.

• Insulated Doors/Windows – Your home’s exterior doors and windows can contribute significantly to air leakage through conduction.  It’s important that they be insulated and air sealed. The use of weatherstripping can reduce energy loss.  Many exterior doors have a steel skin with a polyurethane foam insulation core, plus a magnetic strip to ensure a tight seal when they’re closed.  They don’t need weatherstripping if they’re installed correctly.  And modern glass patio doors with metal frames have a plastic insulator between inner and outer parts of the frame that serves as a thermal break.

• Heating/Air Conditioning Systems – More than half of the energy used in a typical home is for heating and cooling.  That’s why making the right decisions regarding your HVAC system when building a mountain home will have a major impact upon your utility bills—and your level of comfort.  High efficiency systems can provide consistent air flow throughout your home, which translates to better regulated temperature.  An experienced contractor can recommend other useful steps, such as making sure your vents are sealed properly and insulating your system’s components.

• Low Emissivity Glass – Low-E glass filters the specific 310-380 nanometer wavelength that is the frequency pathway of ultraviolet (UV) light.   It has no effect upon visibility or brightness, but it does work to protect your furnishings from fading and deterioration.  And, the coating that covers the surface provides an enhanced layer of protection again damage from micro-abrasive material like dust or sand.  So your windows will remain clear longer.  It also prevents water particles from sticking to the glass surface and leaving residue that has to be cleaned off.

• Instant Hot Water Heaters – The lifespan of a tankless water heater can be up to twice as long as a conventional storage-type unit.  It can reduce your water heating energy costs by 10 to 15 per cent, because there’s no standby loss from the tank and piping.  The risk of tank leaks and water damage is eliminated.  And, because your hot water arrives immediately where it’s needed, there’s none of the time and waste associated with running a faucet or shower while you’re waiting for it. 

• Dual Flush Toilets – Among the modern energy-saving improvements such as low-flow plumbing and fixtures, dual flush toilets stand out for their environmental impact, cost savings and ease of upkeep.  They’re found in many of the gated communities near Asheville NC, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that they save the average residential household 4,000 gallons of water each year.  The name comes from the fact that there are two mechanisms that allow you to select either a low volume flush for liquid or a higher volume flush for solid waste.

• Programmable Thermostats – Using a programmable thermostat with your heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit offers many benefits to your wallet and your level of comfort.  They’re quickly becoming the standard in homes across the nation.  You can create a schedule that’s consistent with your routine.  When you’re at home, it keeps the temperature at your exact desired level of warmth or coolness.  But when you’re not there, the setting changes to keep you from heating or air conditioning a vacant space. 

• Energy-Saving Lighting – The cost of new LED bulbs continues to drop, and there’s now a wide variety available for use in the home.  They require quite a bit less energy to operate than old-style incandescent bulbs and last a great deal longer.  The initial higher cost is easily recouped over time.  LED bulbs don’t heat up, so they don’t affect your room temperature.  And, because they’re solid and have no filament, they hold up well against jarring and bumping.

Our beautiful North Carolina mountain homes are ideal for discriminating buyers who want to minimize their environmental impact, enjoy a better quality of life and achieve significant savings in the process. Coming soon – watch for our new collection of tiny houses.

We invite you to stop by for a tour when you’re in the area.  Let us show you all the many benefits of living well here at The Coves Mountain River Club.

Call us at 828.754.0700 to schedule a tour!