Elmhurst, IL - Nitti Development and Priority Energy; Partners in Healthier, High Performance Home Construction

At Priority Energy, our mission is simple - we want to better the lives of our customers by improving the buildings they live and work in.  Everyone at Priority Energy is driven by this one goal, and this often leads us to customers and partners with the same mindset. 

Nitti Development embodies these principles.  For the past three years we have been working with the City of Elmhurst and the Nitti construction team on the 56 homes in the Bearteau Developent near downtown Elmhurst. During this time, it has been our pleasure to meet with all involved; to watch them embrace the high performance and sustainable building principles that truly differentiate them in the new construction market.

From their initial plans, we knew their project would be unique. Upon review of the early site drawings and home sketches, we saw beautifully inspired designs and top-of-the-line amenities including Wolf and Subzero appliances, Control 4 Home Automation, Pella windows, Kohler plumbing fixtures and more.  Our excitement grew as we learned about Joe and Nico Nitti’s sustainability vision as well.  “We want to build the most high-performance, comfortable, and healthy homes possible. Period,” said Joe.  And he wasn’t kidding. The company even recycled and reused the concrete from the pre-existing structure (Elmhurst Memorial Hospital c. 1926).

What is a "high performance" home? By high performance we mean that these homes were designed and built according to building science methods to provide the highest level of energy efficiency, indoor air quaity, comfort and durability.  This also means that the performance of these homes has been measured and tested at various stages of construction to guarantee results that far exceed that of a conventional house by no less than a certain amount. To build homes to this standard, Nitti Development utilized Priority Energy's full line of home performance products and verification services.   

Priority Energy’s mechanical design team helped Nitti’s group attain the advanced, Energy Star-certified goals they were aiming for and still maintain a fair sales price.  By working together, Nitti’s homes were able to far exceed IECC energy code requirements and also include the latest indoor air quality and building envelope durability enhancements.
Each home includes:

• A better building envelope (think insulation and air sealing), that exceeds energy efficiency requirements by 20%+, meaning these homes will meet energy codes for years to come.
• A properly balanced ventilation system or HRV which supplies fresh air to the house, making sure these air tight homes have fresh air 24/7, 365 days a year; a proven method of improving the health of your family.
• A perfectly sized and designed mechanical system which will provide optimal humidity levels and temperature control year-round to maximize comfort and indoor air quality.

Better comfort, durability, indoor air quality, and lower energy use are important to today’s conscientious consumers; but the trick is to provide all these features while still leaving room in the budget for creature comforts and upscale amenities.  Priority Energy designed a customized hybrid system of cutting edge building products that to fit Nitti’s strict construction budget.

Priority Energy’s CEO, Robert Schildgen reports, “We are extremely happy with the end product. Many builders are convinced that high performance homes can only be ugly boxes or that they cost too much to build and nobody will buy them… Not here! Nitti’s beautifully designed and executed high performance homes will serve families well for decades and generations to come!”