01 / DesignWhat actually makes a South Florida house efficient?
Controlling solar gain and humid air. In this climate almost the entire load is cooling and dehumidification, so the things that matter most are how much glass faces where, how well it is shaded, how airtight the envelope is, and whether the ducts sit inside conditioned space. Insulation matters, but on its own it will not rescue an envelope that leaks or a west elevation that is all glass.
02 / DesignDoes orientation really make a difference?
Yes, and it is free. East and west glass is the hardest to shade because the sun is low; south glass is straightforward to shade with an overhang. If the lot gives you any freedom in how the house sits, spending it on orientation buys performance that costs nothing to run and never breaks.
03 / EnvelopeWhat is an air barrier and why does it keep coming up?
It is the continuous layer that stops air moving through the assembly. In a humid climate air leakage carries moisture into walls, which is both an energy and a durability problem. It only works if it is genuinely continuous, and it can only be verified while the assembly is open — which is why it is a construction sequencing issue rather than a product you buy.
04 / EnvelopeWhere should the insulation go in a masonry wall?
It depends on how you want the wall to dry. Insulation outside the mass keeps the structure at a stable temperature and generally performs better; insulation inside is more common and cheaper. Both work when detailed properly. The wrong answer is to change the position without changing the detailing.
05 / GlazingHow do I balance big windows against heat gain?
Shade first, then specify. A deep overhang, a cantilever or a fin blocks sun before it reaches the glass and costs nothing to operate. After that, glass can be specified for lower solar heat gain. Doing it in the other order means paying for high-performance glass to solve a problem the building could have solved.
06 / GlazingDoes impact glazing hurt efficiency?
No — impact assemblies are laminated and often perform better thermally than the single glazing they replace. In Miami-Dade and Broward the impact requirement is not optional anyway, so the practical question is which approved product you specify, not whether to have it.
07 / SystemsWhy does HVAC sizing matter so much here?
Oversized equipment cools the air quickly, switches off, and never runs long enough to remove humidity. The house then feels clammy at a temperature that should be comfortable. Right-sizing depends on knowing the real envelope, which is why the envelope has to be decided before the equipment.
08 / SystemsShould ductwork be in the attic?
Avoid it where the plan allows. Ducts in an unconditioned attic lose capacity and pick up heat and moisture. Keeping them inside the conditioned envelope is a design decision made on the plan, not something that can be fixed later.
09 / PermitsDoes the permit set include energy compliance?
Yes. Florida requires the design to demonstrate energy compliance as part of the permit documents, and the calculation is based on the envelope, glazing and equipment you actually specify. Changing those after permit can require a revision.
10 / PermitsHow long does permitting take on a new house?
It depends entirely on your municipality and whether the review comes back with comments — which it usually does at least once. We will not print a number of weeks on a web page, because a figure that ignores your building department is not a real answer. You get a schedule with the proposal.
11 / CostWhat drives the cost of an efficient home versus a standard one?
Usually less than people expect, because the biggest levers — orientation, shading, duct location, air sealing quality — are design and workmanship rather than expensive products. The cost tends to rise where glazing area is large, where the envelope specification is upgraded, and where equipment is more sophisticated.
12 / CostWill I get the money back on the power bill?
Some of it, over time, and how much depends on the house, the tariff and how you live in it. We would rather talk about comfort and durability than promise a payback period, because an honest payback calculation needs your actual usage and nobody has that at design stage.
13 / ScheduleWhat sequence does the build follow?
Site and foundation, structure and roof, dry-in, envelope and glazing, rough-ins and insulation, then finishes and inspections to certificate of occupancy. The envelope stage is short but decides most of the eventual performance.
14 / South FloridaHow does the hurricane zone affect an efficient design?
It constrains the glazing and the structure, because both have to resist impact and uplift. That is not in conflict with efficiency — approved impact assemblies are laminated and generally perform well thermally — but it does mean glazing decisions are made against two requirements at once.
15 / South FloridaWhat about moisture and mould in a tight house?
A tight house needs deliberate ventilation, not accidental leakage. Done properly, controlled ventilation with dehumidification gives better indoor air and lower moisture risk than a leaky house. Done carelessly, tightening a house without planning ventilation is the one way to make things worse.
