“What we plead for is discriminating labor, not mere slavery or unthinking play. It is productive work beyond mere financial returns that we believe will carry the final benefit for the human race.”
Gustav Stickley, 1857-1942
Blue Ridge Energy Systems designs and builds houses to be super energy efficient, incredibly comfortable and easy to live in, and to last with minimal maintenance beyond the foreseeable future.
With a custom home built by Blue Ridge Energy Systems, you can expect utilities bills to be one quarter that of a typical house. A 5,000 square-foot Blue Ridge Energy home can be comfortably heated and cooled for under $200.00 per year.
A few simple principles guide our building practices:
- Minimize air leakage
- Insulate thoroughly
- Minimize air stratification
- Minimize non-south facing windows
- Provide fresh air using a heat recovery ventilator
- Use high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment
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"All of our decisions are made from the perspective of long-term durability, which we translate into sustainability," said company owner Robin Woodward, a transplanted New Englander who studied Physics at Carnegie Tech and the Asheville-Biltmore College, now the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
After a stint in the textile industry in the early 1970s, Woodward began a solar business in 1975, providing solar water heating systems for Shoney’s Restaurants, and building wood stoves, including the “Blue Ridge Downdrafter,” a unique model that enjoyed modest popularity at the time.
“We were a couple of guys in a garage who managed to escape the textile industry,” Woodward said. |
Robin Woodward |
Soon, Shoney’s executive Paul Young asked Blue Ridge Energy Systems to build his residence. Blue Ridge Energy Systems shifted from solar products and began building custom homes by 1981.
Sustainable construction is quite simple, according to Woodward. “The goal is to build no more house than you need on the smallest footprint, with the best materials, and the simplest construction technologies. Using this approach, you get a home that will last at least 200 years,” he said.
At the same time, you are striving to keep energy consumption to a minimum, which is accomplished through Blue Ridge Energy System's unique approach to the building envelope—a super-insulation package that includes large, south-facing windows.
Sustainable building is cost-effective—the builder choosing to spend the client’s money in different places—better quality windows, a tight building envelope, and an air-to-air heat exchanger.
A house with many non-southfacing windows greatly increases energy consumption. In early client meetings, Blue Ridge Energy focuses on how to reduce client energy usage—something that is not always foremost in a client's design/build vision. Blue Ridge Energy helps guide clients through that process.
Today, Blue Ridge Energy is a design/build construction company. They minimize the use of subcontractors, preferring as many of their craftsmen as possible to be employees of the company, who share one half of the profits. The company employs a strong mix of local craftsmen who approach their work with a combination of traditional construction experience, creative energy and enthusiasm. In the spirit of Stickley, Blue Ridge Energy enjoys an eclectic blend of craftsmanship and "thinking play" that offers clients a unique team capable of building custom homes.