Richard Cannavino
St. Thomas Homes, Naperville, Ill.
Richard Cannavino, president of St. Thomas Homes, says three products in particular helped him build a show home that met standards for both the Energy Star program for new homes and the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
The first product, a geothermal system from WaterFurnace, uses energy from the ground to heat and cool a home. It can save homeowners up to 70 percent on heating, cooling, and hot water costs, the maker says. Cannavino says in his show home, the product had a six-and-a-half-year payback period.
He also installed three of Rinnai’s tankless, on-demand gas water heaters in the home. “The advantage is that you pay nothing for your hot water until you turn it on,” he says. “Once you do turn it on, you get a never-ending flow; it never runs out, like your water heater.”
Finally, Cannavino used Icynene’s open-cell spray foam insulation because it does not off-gas. “It was the first time I used all three of these products,” says Cannavino, but it won’t be the last. He pre-sold two homes to customers who came through the show home, and both customers chose to include all three products in their homes. – Victoria Markovitz
Rinnai. 800.621.9419. www.rinnai.us.
Icynene. 800.758.7325. www.icynene.com.
