Tolaris Built Home in Lake Forest: 3,614 Square Feet of Living Space, July Electric Bill: $88.14 including taxes

LAKE FOREST, Fla. – When the owners of a 3,614 square foot luxury home Tolaris Homes built in Lake Forest early this year, got their July electric bill they couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite record temperatures that kept most air conditioners in the neighborhood working overtime, their electric bill — including taxes — was just $88.14.

And while that’s not unusual, says Rick Bavec, president of Tolaris Homes, it’s no accident either.

“We spent several weeks to determine the optimum placement of the house on the home site to minimize direct sunlight into the home and maximize exposure to the solar systems we installed,” Bavec said.

Those systems — including 10 photovoltaic panels to generate electrical power and passive panels to heat the home owner’s swimming pool and hot water — were part of an energy efficiency package Bavec designed to work in conjunction with Icynene® insulation, PGT Low-e windows, and eight inch concrete block walls.

Bavec said he installed a renewable energy system that sells electrical power back to Florida Power and Light whenever the solar panels generate excess current.

Bavec also adapted an old Florida trick, designing and building almost 1,000 square feet of roof overhangs and screened patio to cool the air surrounding the home and provide extensive “outdoor living” areas.

“Altogether, the home has 5,545 square feet under roof,” Bavec said.

Too, the home owners had a little help. For 10 days they flipped the switch on their electric hot water heater to “vacation mode”, turned up the thermostat on the Carrier Infinity® Control heat pump digital air conditioning controls and took a vacation.

“Measured against their neighbors’ electric bills they saved about $400,” Bavec said. “That’s not quite enough to pay for their vacation, but it sure helped,” Bavec added.