As you renovate , consider these environmentally friendly rebates and incentives .
Mary Brewster . “ We wanted to make sure we were on the same page and it was looking the way that they wanted it to ; it was not me working in my ivory tower .”
The historic house , with owners that included Civil War heroes , manufacturing barons and former Governor Don Carcieri , had undergone a series of awkward additions over the years . But little had been done , in recent times , to undo that work .
“ We just lovingly changed it ,” Brewster says , by adding windows overlooking the backyard and a door connecting the terrace to the kitchen , with cabinets by Rome Point Woodworking selected by Millard ’ s wife , who handled the interior design . A pinched-off family room was opened up with a new entry point and fireplace , and a phantom hallway became a pantry space . They even added a cute mudroom .
“ All these spaces that didn ’ t work well all of a sudden fell into place with this reorganization ,” says Brewster . “ Lots of times , we want to take a bad area of the house and add onto it . This way , it ’ s greener and less expensive to re-work what was there to make it work better .”
The project wasn ’ t without
INSIDE THE RENO
YEAR BUILT : 1894
PROJECT TIMELINE :
Nine months , completed in the summer of 2019
TEAM : Brewster Thornton Group Architects ; MRD Woodworking ; Rome Point Woodworking ; Cornerstone Masonry
BIGGEST SUPPRISE : “ How long do you have ? The biggest surprise was all the structural work needed to be re-done ,” including flooring systems and framing , says Millard . surprises ; things were a little out of square and a little out of plumb . But the end goal — for the homeowners to pick produce outside , bring it in to prepare , then serve it under their big terrace tree — was wholly accomplished , says Millard .
“ Who knew there was a global pandemic right around the corner when we finished this thing ,” he says . “ We had a space that was really comfortable to be in to sit and watch the world go by for a while .” brewsterthornton . com
Through National Grid , Rhode Island residents can receive rebates by using high-efficiency heating and cooling systems . For high-efficiency boilers and furnaces , residents can claim rebates up to $ 800 while saving 30 percent on energy bills . Electric heat pump water heaters qualify for a $ 600 rebate . On-demand and storage water heaters can qualify for rebates up to $ 600 , while a combination condensing boiler and on-demand water heater unit can earn a $ 1,200 rebate . National Grid offers rebates for air purifiers , air conditioners , dehumidifiers , low-flow showerheads and even advanced power strips and Energy Star light bulbs . For renewable heating and cooling , the state ’ s Office of Energy Resources recommends an air source heat pump , which is three times more efficient at heating than systems that burn fossil fuels , or a ground source heat pump , which is carbon neutral . Solar panels are highly recommended as a renewable energy source . Wood pellets , biofuels and induction burners are other ways to save energy .
For more information on how to make energy-efficient changes at home , including details on how to schedule a free energy assessment through National Grid , visit energy . ri . gov . – K . T .
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MARCH 2022 47