Pella® Partners with Green Builder® Media to Showcase Products in VISION House® in INNOVENTIONS

PELLA, Iowa, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- It sounds like a futuristic movie scene: a woman at work uses her smart phone to remotely unlock her front door for a repairman. As the sunny winter day turns into evening, her time-activated home automation system lowers the blinds in the family room to help prevent heat loss.

Innovative home technology like this — including a new product from Pella Corporation — will soon be a reality in the new green home exhibit at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The VISION House® in INNOVENTIONS at Epcot® — an experiential exhibit created by Walt Disney Imagineering in collaboration with Green Builder® Media, highlights the major themes of whole-home automation, energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, security, multi-generational design and durability. The home will utilize Pella Designer Series® windows in its design.

"As an industry leader dedicated to innovation, Pella is pleased to participate in this project that helps visitors learn how to make sustainable, energy-efficient choices in their own homes," said Polly Tousey, Pella strategic programs manager.

Throughout the exhibit, opening in early spring in honor of Earth Day 2012, children and adults are encouraged to consider how they can reduce their personal impact on the planet, as well as changes they can implement in their own homes to help make them more sustainable, healthier, safer and more durable.

Why Pella Designer Series windows?
From their energy-efficient design to the stylish and innovative technology options, Pella Designer Series windows and patio doors are a smart choice for any home. Benefits include:

• Home automation – Designer Series windows with the new Pella SmartSync™ technology can control optional snap-in shades or blinds with a smart home automation system, like Nexia™ Home Intelligence. Pella SmartSync technology — available for the emerging smart home market later in 2012 — is designed to quickly and conveniently adjust blinds or shades in Pella windows to control light, privacy and help save energy in a home or business.
• Energy efficient – With their solid wood construction and superior insulating qualities, Pella Designer Series windows with triple-pane glass are up to 74 percent more energy efficient(1) and can help save nearly one-third on heating and cooling costs(2).
• Improved indoor air quality – Optional between-the-glass blinds or shades help prevent and reduce certain indoor airborne allergens from accumulating on the surface area of blinds or shades. Windows with ordinary roomside blinds accumulate 200 times more of certain airborne allergens than Designer Series products with between-the-glass blinds.(3)
• Safer design – Between-the-glass blinds and shades are a great choice for multi-generational homes because the blinds and shades are protected from dust and damage, requiring less maintenance and cleaning. They're also safer for homes with children and pets because there are no potentially hazardous roomside cords.
• Good for the environment – The water-based Pella factory finish for Designer Series windows and patio doors means fewer chemicals are used in the process, contrasted with solvent-based finishes that may be applied on the job site.

About VISION House in INNOVENTIONS
Inspired by Green Builder Media's VISION House demonstration home series, the INNOVENTIONS exhibit teaches visitors that each house is a set of interactive systems and that proper management of those systems can maximize comfort and minimize operational costs.

Incorporated into the exhibit will be Pella SmartSync technology — an integrated system that allows shades or blinds to be controlled simply by a remote control or by a home or building automation system through Web-enabled devices like computers and most smart phones. In the VISION House, Pella SmartSync technology is powered through the Nexia™ Home Intelligence home automation system supported by brands like Schlage® and Trane® from Ingersoll Rand.

It's a green world
Pella earned the ENERGY STAR® partner of the Year 2011 award and ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award 2011 — recognizing the commitment Pella has shown in successfully managing energy use and promoting ENERGY STAR products.

"Pella started recycling in 1925, the year our company was founded," Tousey said. "Today our roots still run deep in recycling, sustainability and innovative ideas. SmartSync is our newest product designed with a purpose to help add convenience and peace of mind to today's time-pressed and energy-conscious consumers."

In addition to Pella Designer Series wood windows with SmartSync technology, the home will include these advanced products and technologies:

• Electronic vehicle charging station by SIEMENS
• Chevy Volt electric vehicle by GM
• High efficiency heating and cooling systems and controls by Trane, door hardware by Schlage and an innovative whole-home automation system supported by both Ingersoll Rand brands
• Durable and environmentally friendly exterior systems, including smog-eating tile roofs, cultured stone, bricks, permeable pavers and trim by Boral
• Ventilation solutions by Panasonic
• Water-conserving fixtures, faucets, showerheads and home standby generators by KOHLER

(1) Calculated based on U-Factors for a Pella Designer Series Advanced Low-E triple-pane wood window compared to a single-pane wood window in winter conditions.
(2) Calculated based on average projected energy savings in a computer simulation using Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Resfen 5.0 standard criteria for a 2,000 square foot home.
(3) Based on data from research conducted by the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Iowa.

About Pella
Pella Corporation is a leader in designing, testing, manufacturing and installing quality windows and doors for new construction, remodeling and replacement applications.

As a family-owned and professionally managed privately-held company, Pella is known for its 87-year history of making innovative products, providing quality service and delivering on customer satisfaction. Headquartered in Pella, Iowa, the company is committed to incorporating new technologies, increasing productivity and practicing environmental stewardship to create satisfied customers.

Pella manufactures quality windows, patio doors and entry door systems sold through a Direct Sales Network operating Pella Window & Door Showrooms across the United States and Canada and select building materials retailers. For more information, call 888-847-3552 or visit pella.com. Follow Pella on Twitter.com @Pella_News, on Facebook at facebook.com/pellawindowsanddoors and on YouTube at youtube.com/pellawindowsanddoors.

About VISION House in Innoventions
Opening this spring, the VISION House® in INNOVENTIONS at Epcot® is a groundbreaking green show home exhibit presented by Green Builder Media® in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering. This experiential exhibit in the heart of Epcot® highlights the very best in green residential design and sustainable living. Visitors will leave with a greater understanding of green design, technology, and products as well as a host of sustainable living ideas that they can incorporate in their lives the minute they get home from vacation.  

In addition to Pella, other sponsors for this exciting project include Siemens, GM, Ingersoll Rand, Armstrong, Boral, Hanwha, Kohler and Panasonic.

About INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®
INNOVENTIONS is located in the heart of Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Creativity and imagination abound as guests celebrate inspiration and innovations that improve their lives and expand their horizons. Hands-on, interactive exhibits allow children and adults to be immersed into ideas that inform, entertain and inspire. For more information about INNOVENTIONS, visit www.innoventions.disney.com.

SOURCE Pella Corporation