Kaye Lifestyle Homes expanding with new high-performance solar home division

Kaye Lifestyle Homes' Seagate Charm is a high-performance energy efficient single family custom home featuring 3,305 square feet under air in a three bedroom, three and one-half bath configuration, located in the Park Shore neighborhood in Naples, Fla.
Kaye Lifestyle Homes' Seagate Charm is a high-performance energy efficient single family custom home featuring 3,305 square feet under air in a three bedroom, three and one-half bath configuration, located in the Park Shore neighborhood in Naples, Fla.

Kaye Lifestyle Homes (KLH), one of Southwest Florida’s largest and most recognized local family-owned homebuilders, today announced its expansion of a new high-performance solar home division to carry out increased home buyer requests for innovative building practices that address energy efficiency, sustainability and durability in new home construction.

“High-performance building is one of the top three energy trends in residential construction today. explains Ben Kaye, KLH Operations Manager, recently named to lead the new building division. “It is a form of green building, but one with a focus on energy performance,” he adds. One of the greatest advantages of building to a high-performance standard is the built-in resilience and durability that comes with an airtight, well-insulated home. Factors such as choosing a basic house shape, roof assembly, and the types of materials used all play a part in reducing costs and increasing energy efficiency.

“Our focus is to first create a well-insulated, well-sealed home envelope, ensuring the indoor air quality in our client's home is clean and humidity controlled,” says Kaye. The process includes building with moisture controlling materials, adding a ventilated dehumidifier, using sealed drywall and applying continuous insulation to reduce energy loss due to air leakage and thermal bridging.

“Our second goal is to offer high-efficiency appliances, fixtures, finishes, and heating and cooling systems that decrease energy draw in a beautiful new home that is safe, healthy and built to last for generations,” he adds, noting that all high-performance homes follow strict guidelines from the design phase through the entire construction process.

Key elements of KLH high-performance homebuilding include:

1. Extra thick Foamular® insulation applied to all concrete block walls and foundation

2. Top rated R-38 BATT insulated A/C ducts act as a secondary ceiling to bring ductwork adjacent to air-conditioned space and effectively seal the envelop of the home. Additional insulation is applied on the ceiling and in the attic where most heat and energy escapes.

3. High efficiency heating & cooling systems -- lower tonnage usage results in a lower power draw

4. Heat pump/hybrid water heater – to offset a water heater’s power consumption (one of the biggest power draws in a home), a heat pump installation pulls heat out of the air then uses the energy to efficiently heat water and help reduce power usage by almost 30%.

5. Low solar heat gain coefficient windows (SHGC) – dual-pane 185-aluminum single hung windows are specifically manufactured to reduce heat and lower energy

6. Quality indoor air ventilation systems -- extra-thick HEPA and UVA filters plus a full home ventilated dehumidifier that both decreases humidity and circulates filtered air, effectively doubles as a secondary home ventilation system

7. Energy Star® appliances, LED lighting, smart thermostats and low-flow water fixtures

Solar Panels

KLH is one of few Southwest Florida builders offering sustainable and environmentally sensitive solar panels. A high-performance built home uses less power (in many cases, power consumption has decreased 50 percent), so fewer solar panels are needed to certify the home as Net-Zero – the balance between the power a home needs and the renewable energy a homeowner can generate to match the need. Adding solar power to a home saves energy costs, helps the environment and can potentially increase a home’s value. According to real estate evaluation company Zillow, last year homes with solar-energy systems sold for 4.1% more on average than comparable homes without solar power. For the median valued home, that savings translates to an additional $9,274. An additional solar power incentive is a 26% federal tax credit.

Founded in 1985 by Stuart and Jay Kaye, Kaye Lifestyle Homes (KLH) is one of the largest and most recognized family-owned homebuilders in Naples, Fla. and has built more than 4,000 quality homes in its 35-year history. KLH services include luxury custom homebuilding, 11 Signature and Designer Series home designs ranging in size from 1,127 to 3,500 square feet of living space in three and four-bedroom configurations, home renovations, a collection of homesites and home financing options. KLH home designs are priced from the $300s to over $5 million. Learn more about KLH by calling (239) 434-5293, online at kayelifestylehomes.com or visit the KLH Discovery Center at 910 39th Street SW (southeast corner of Collier Blvd. and Pine Ridge Road in Naples), daily 10 am until 5 pm.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Kaye Lifestyle Homes expanding with new high-performance solar home division