|
Modest Size Design
This is a three bedroom home covering 1665 square feet.
Orientation for Use of Renewable Energy
This home was designed with photovoltaic and solar domestic hot water in mind. It is also a model for production homes throughout the Artistic Homes subdivisions. The option to build a zero energy home can be applied to all home designs.
Orientation and design for daylighting
Since Artistic Homes is a production builder with a variety of lots and orientations of lots, it is a challenge to always maintain ideal window placement. So, all home designs are modeled to maximize the natural lighting in the living room and bedrooms, and to achieve at a minimum a HERS Score of 57 (worst case), which is still 43 percent more energy efficient than a typical new American home.
Foundation
This home was constructed with a slab on grade foundation. Rigid foam insulation to a depth of 2 inches was placed beneath the slab.
Windows
Energy Star qualified Anderson 100 series windows with Fibrex frames were installed into the home. Fibrex is a patented composite with 40 percent recycled material. The recycled material includes pre-consumer recycled glass and wood fiber mostly reclaimed directly from the company's manufacturing plant operations. The frames are low-maintenance and reduce volatile organic compounds since no wood treatment or painting is required.
These windows are rated with U-factors of 0.310 and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.310.
Exterior Wall Finishes
The stucco for this home was created from materials mined locally.
Other
Gypsum wallboard is manufactured locally with local raw materials.
Efficient Use of Materials
advanced framing techniques were used to reduce lumber and increase continuity of insulation while maintaining the structural integrity of the home. Techniques included:
2 X 6 inch framing, 24 inch on center,
3-stud corner (California Corner),
single top and bottom plates, and
headers recessed to the exterior.
Other
This home is designed to create a final product with zero carbon footprint. By constructing a zero energy home (solar heating, cooling, lighting, domestic hot water), the generation of 21,200 pounds of carbon dioxide per year will be prevented. By optimizing construction of this home and reproducing that on a production builder scale, the zero energy concept becomes a cost-efficient reality.
More detail on this system is available here. 
Products with Minimal Off-Gas
Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paint was used throughout the interior of the home.
Sealed Combustion or Power Vented Appliances
This home is all electric, so there is no potential for hazards associated with combustion gas.
Reduction of Textiles, Maximized Hard Floor Surfaces
All rooms in this zero energy home are hard surfaces with ceramic flooring in all wet rooms (bathrooms, entry). Hard surface flooring is easier to clean and resistant to mold and dust buildup that may be detrimental to the quality of indoor air.
Bathroom and Kitchen Fans and Dryer Vented to Outside; Tested
An Energy Star qualified exhaust fan manages humidity in the bathroom with an automatic turn-on feature. The kitchen fan is direct vented to the exterior of the home.
Ventilation Design (related to climate conditions)
A Venmar 4200 series energy recovery ventilator (ERV) with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and antimicrobial filters maintain adequate fresh air and manage humidity in this well sealed home. The system runs 24 hours 7 days of week to pull 70 cubic feet per minute of fresh air into the home. Before the stale air exits, the energy (heat or cold) is transferred to the incoming air, bringing it to a comfortable indoor temperature and reducing the heating or cooling needs of the home.
The windows in the home are also operable to facilitate natural ventilation during ideal weather conditions.
Water Management for Foundation, Attic and Walls
The typical climate of this locale in New Mexico brings the majority of the moisture through at once, during the monsoon season. To keep moisture from penetrating the frame from below, a capillary break of polymer membrane moisture barrier is created between the slab and the bottom plates using Moistop, which adheres directly to the slab. Flashing around the windows and doors as well and thorough sealing keeps moisture from entering the home around these areas.
The wall assembly is further protected by a drainage plane constructed behind the stucco that allows any moisture in the wall to move down and out of the wall quickly. And finally, landscaping near the home is maintained at least 6-8 inches below the wall assembly.
Detached Garage (or attached with "advanced sealing")
The attached garage has a mechanical ventilation system that operates automatically when the garage door opens to exhaust automobile fumes and other potential air pollutants. In addition to the thorough sealing practices throughout the home, the wall between the home and garage is finished with a 3/4 inch sheetrock.
Harmful Gas Monitoring and Control
All smoke detectors in the home are also equipped with carbon dioxide detectors.
A passive radon vent system was installed during construction of the home, when it is less expensive and relatively easy to install. The system components include a perforated pipe placed under the slab that directs radon gas to a central location under the slab before it vents up through the roof. This system can be easily and inexpensively converted to an active system should the need ever arise. As part of the EPA Indoor airPLUS program a radon test was conducted after completion of the home.
Building Envelope
This home was built airtight to reduce the energy needs associated with heating and cooling. The slab was insulated with 2 inches of rigid foam from below. Advanced framing (see Waste Management) was used to increase the continuity of the insulation in the walls. The stud cavities were filled with blown-in fiberglass insulation that provides an R-value of 21 in the walls and R-50 in the ceiling. The studs were backed with oriented strand board (OSB), which was lined with double paper, topped with a drainage plane and finished with stucco. All joins were sealed and caulked forming an effective air barrier.
All penetrations, walls, top and bottom plates, and chases were sealed with caulk and foam. Mastic was applied to all duct joins. The duct boot, where it passes through the sheetrock, was caulked to prevent "blowback" around the grill. In addition, all heating and cooling ducts were installed within conditioned space.
The attic is not a conditioned space. The attic was wrapped with OSB for more weather resistance and caulked to prevent air transfer between the attic and the exterior or the conditioned space. An air barrier was installed across the ridge of the attic.
Mechanical Systems
A 4.5 kilowatt photovoltaic array generates more electricity than is used by this home for heating, cooling, appliances and occupant energy use. The system is grid-tied, meaning surplus electricity can be sent back to the power company or additional needs will be met by the grid. So far, the homeowners have received a $100 check every month from the power company.
A 9.0 Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) heat pump and 15 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) air refrigeration unit provide efficient heating and cooling year round.
Water Heating
All domestic hot water required by a family of four is heated by two thermal solar panels on the roof. A circulation system filled with glycol transfers heat from the panels to an 80 gallon hot water storage tank. The system has an electric backup for nighttime use.
Lighting
The home is furnished with 100 percent Compact Fluorescent lighting.
Report performance data if available
A blower door test was conducted prior to sale of this home.
Other
With a projected level of annual heating and cooling energy consumption that is at least 50% below the annual level of heating cooling energy consumption of a reference dwelling in the same climate zone, this home meets the requirements for the residential energy efficiency tax credits (Credit for Construction of New Energy Efficient Homes) from the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The building envelope components improvements alone account for at least 10% of those savings. Field inspections by a third-party certifier confirmed the performance of the home.
Water Efficient Appliances, Equipment and Fixtures
Low flow fixtures and toilets were installed throughout the home.
Landscape Design
xeriscaping was used exclusively to minimize water requirements of the landscape around the home.
|