Beat the Heat: Energy-Efficient Custom Home Building
Florida summers are no joke, and if you’ve lived on the Space Coast for any length of time, you know how the high temperatures impact your energy bill. Whether you’re mainland in Melbourne, or beachside in Indialantic, the same challenge applies: how do you keep a home comfortable through a long, humid summer without your cooling costs climbing too high?
At DiPrima Homes, energy efficiency isn’t an afterthought bolted onto a custom home after the fact, it’s built into the process from the ground up. As a luxury builder with decades of custom home building experience on the Space Coast, we’ve learned that the right combination of materials, equipment, and design choices makes a measurable difference in comfort and cost, without sacrificing the look and feel our homeowners want. Here’s how we approach it.
Windows That Do More Than Let in Light
Windows are one of the biggest sources of heat gain in any home, so it’s where our energy efficiency conversation starts. We use PGT Low-E Energy Shield Max windows across our custom homes, which are specifically engineered to reduce solar heat transfer while still giving you clear, unobstructed views of your property.
Homeowners can choose between vinyl and aluminum window frames. Aluminum frames are popular for their durability and ease of operation. Both frame types are available in a range of colors, but the paint adheres to aluminum better than it does to vinyl, which is why our supplier recommends aluminum whenever a homeowner wants colored frames. Vinyl frames, on the other hand, offer better thermal performance. So, if energy efficiency is the goal, vinyl is the preferred choice. For those who want to go a step further, we can also incorporate Argon gas between the panes upon request, adding another layer of insulation against outdoor heat.
Insulation: More Choices Than You Might Expect
Insulation is critical to a home’s real energy performance, and it’s an area where custom construction allows for tailoring. In the attic, homeowners can choose between R30 blown-in fiberglass, R30 fiberglass batts, or R20 open cell spray foam. The fiberglass options sit above the ceiling in a traditionally vented attic, while open cell foam is sprayed directly to the underside of the roof deck, creating a sealed, unvented attic space. Open cell foam is often credited with better energy performance, as the sealed attic keeps the ductwork and living space cooler than the fiberglass alternatives. Each approach has its advantages, and we’re happy to walk through which makes the most sense for your home.
We always include R5 foam board on the interior side of our block walls in air-conditioned areas. Homeowners looking for even more thermal performance can add R9 foam block injection, where the insulation contractor injects foam directly into the cells of the concrete block, further reducing heat transfer through the home’s walls.
Shade Where It Counts
Sometimes the simplest strategies are among the most effective. Most of our custom homes are built with 16-inch to 24-inch overhangs on the soffits, which provides a meaningful amount of shade to windows and walls throughout the day. For homeowners who want even more protection from direct sun, we recommend the larger soffit sizes.
Inside, motorized Lutron shades are a popular addition. Beyond the convenience of controlling natural light at the touch of a button, they give homeowners another tool for managing solar heat gain throughout the day, especially on west-facing rooms that catch the harshest afternoon sun.
HVAC Systems Built for Florida
The efficiency of your cooling equipment is incredibly important to your home’s electrical consumption. Our standard offering is the Goodman SEER2 15.2 AC system, available with either conventional cooling and gas furnace heating, or as a heat pump system. We’re increasingly installing Daikin FIT units, which offer higher SEER2 ratings for homeowners who want to prioritize efficiency even further.
Daikin systems come with their own proprietary thermostat, but for homeowners who prefer smart home integration, we can install smart thermostats, like Nest or Ecobee units. As every custom home is different, we’re also glad to install equipment from another manufacturer of the homeowner’s choice, such as Trane or Carrier, depending on preference or existing brand loyalty.
Ductwork matters more than most people realize. R6 duct insulation is our standard, but for homeowners looking to minimize energy loss as conditioned air travels through the home, we offer R8 ductwork upon request.
Finally, we install ceiling fans throughout our homes. It’s a simple addition, but pairing good air circulation with a well-designed HVAC system helps rooms feel cooler without over-relying on the thermostat.
Building Smart from the Start
Every one of these choices, windows, insulation, shading, HVAC, and ductwork, plays a role in how a custom home performs through a Florida summer. As a Space Coast home builder, our goal is to help homeowners make informed decisions at each stage, so their custom home stays comfortable and efficient for years to come.
If you’re planning a custom home build and want to talk through energy efficiency options for your project, our team at DiPrima Homes is here to help you build smart from day one.