SOuth
Newbury Community
By Gina Mazza
M
ike and Natalie Ryan exemplify
an emerging segment of the
home-owning population:
young, socially conscious professionals
who take active steps to reduce their
carbon footprint. A pharmacist and former
chemist, Mike embraces new technologies,
particularly solar energy. As a social worker
at an agency for the homeless, Natalie deals
a lot with housing and utilities.
When the couple decided to build, going
solar was a priority. They’d researched
sustainable options while living in
Sheraden. “Our 1920s house at that time
was the least efficient house you could
have,” recalls Natalie. “Our gas bills were
around $500 a month. It was like watching
money go out the window.”
Mike and Natalie sought out ecocommunities and settled on Newbury in
South Fayette, Bridgeville, the best-selling
new community in the South Hills. “All
of the houses there are built to required
home performance standards for energy
efficiency and building durability, but
the Ryans’ home is an uber-example of a
green building upgrade,” says Brett Malky,
president of EQA Landmark Communities
in Bridgeville, the majority owner and
managing partner of Newbury. “They prove
that you don’t have to be a tree-hugging
‘granola’ type to care about sustainability.”
The Ryans began by selecting a lot and
floor plan conducive to capitalizing on the
sun’s energy, then made adjustments as
needed. Top on their wish list was installing
a geothermal heating system and solar
panels along the back side of the roof to
capture maximum southern exposure. An
abundance of windows along that side of
the home adds to the warmth.
Their spec list also called for spray foam
insulation throughout, and a tankless water
heater that heats only as water is needed.
The Ryans, who live
in Bridgeville, have
installed solar panels
on the south facing
side of their house.
The master bedroom utilizes radiant floor
heat, and all appliances and windows
have the Energy Star seal of approval. The
kitchen stove is gas.
The Ryans took advantage of government
programs that provide rebates and tax
credits for using solar heat. “Now, if we
produce more energy than we use, we
can sell it back to the grid—Pennsylvania
allows you to do that,” Natalie comments,
adding that a recent heating bill was less
than five dollars. “In 30 years, everyone
will be using this technology.”
With two preschool-age daughters, the
couple plans to raise their family in the
home for years to come. “It’s a great
long-term investment and definitely
worth it in the end.”
The Ryans’ experience resulted in the
addition of a builder, ECOCraft Homes,
to exclusively build near-zero energy
homes in the neighborhood. This
builder joined the Newbury builder’s
guild in part because of the Ryans