A new start-up in Moncure NC, home of the new VinFast Electric car factory, has licensed the award-winning Enertia® solar thermal storage technology to produce zero-energy houses. Andrew and Michelle Duncan have formed EnertiaHomes.com to design and manufacture single family dwellings, and custom homes, under the Enertia® patent where the structure stores the energy instead of trapping conditioned air in an airtight interior. Heavy mass timber walls not only store energy, but resist Hurricanes and Tornadoes.
MONCURE, N.C., Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A new start-up in Moncure NC, home of the VinFast Electric car factory, has licensed the award-winning Enertia® solar thermal storage technology to produce mass timber geothermal solar homes. Andrew and Michelle Duncan have formed Enertia Homes, to design and manufacture single-family custom homes, under the Enertia® patent where the structure stores the energy. They expect this technology to revolutionize housing the way electric cars are invigorating the auto industry.
Using thermal inertia, instead of air tightness and super "R" value, for energy efficiency is a disruptive new technology in house building. Raleigh NC builder Michael Sykes recognized this in the 1970s when the building codes required slitting the plastic wraps they mandated to be put on houses. The requirement to perforate the house wrap was an effort to remediate a new concern coined "Sick Building Syndrome". Fumes from the new vinyl, particle board, and a variety of other construction materials which were outgassing in the new super tight "energy-efficient" houses were affecting air quality. Michael realized that if the energy could be stored in the structure itself, not the insulated-tight "Icebox" concept of trapping the air, everyone would be much healthier.
Michael Sykes designed a completely new building system in 1982, and Andy Duncan was his first employee. Andy built many of the first machines needed to manufacture the phase-change lego-like wooden elements, or "Green Building Blocks®" that are the basis of the Enertia® Building System. In 1987 the early system won an Energy Efficiency Award from the US Department of Energy. In 2007, the second-generation system, using Gluelam wooden blocks, was voted America's most significant invention by the US Patent Office. Enertia® was featured in TIME Magazine and named a Modern Marvel.
Enertia® is a green technology using 100% renewables and has no downside like solar panels and electric cars which need lithium, cobalt, and other toxic materials. Its fuel and pollution-free design life is 100 times that of solar panels, electric cars, and windmills, which have to be replaced periodically. Besides sustainability and economy, the design goal was safety, provided by the thick mass timber walls which are fire resistant and can survive hurricane winds.
Andy Duncan brings his 35 years of experience in manufacturing and production to lead the manufacturing plant to automated production in the near future. His wife, Michelle Duncan CEO, brings 35 years of real estate experience and business management to the company. Their son Zachary Duncan, an NC State Mechanical Engineering graduate, who spent his early years at the Enertia® factory with his dad, will do design and engineering. David Duncan has start-up experience and will get social media exposure to this now virtually-unknown technique of building. Laurie Allen, also a grad from NC State, Art, and Design college, will bring a strong background in branding to head marketing, branding, and sales strategy. Jacob Duncan is the professional artist in the family. He was involved with the design of the new Singapore Airport expansion and has had his work exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington DC. Jacob plans to collaborate with design and marketing to bring his experience to the team as well.
Enertia Homes is bringing the proven Enertia® technology to a wider audience so that more people can enjoy a safer, healthier, stronger, longer-lasting home.
Media Contact
Michelle Duncan, ENERTIA HOMES, 1 919-800-9927, [email protected]
SOURCE ENERTIA HOMES
Share this article