Project Description
This Net Zero Energy Home (ZEH) is the second green, sustainable home BPC Green Builders built for this couple. They wanted to downsize from the larger near Net Zero Energy home BPC built for them in 2014.
This new home, with its solar panels, generates more clean energy than it uses and is technically a Positive Energy Home. The solar panels also produce the energy the homeowners use to recharge the homeowner’s electric vehicle. The surplus energy is fed back into the electric grid.
The home has three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and is located in the town of Trumbull, Connecticut.
Project Details:
Certifications:
-Positive Energy Home
-Net Zero Energy Home
-Zero Energy Ready Home Certified
-Indoor Air Quality Plus Certified
-Energy Star for New Homes Certified
HERS Score:-13
Special Features:
-Open plan layout on the main floor with gourmet center island kitchen
-Large windows at living rooms southern exposure capture solar gain
-Vaulted red cedar plank ceiling, wood beams, and white oak flooring throughout 1st floor
-Decorative concrete floors at walkout finished basement level
-Custom heavy timber staircase with glass railings
-Extensive landscaping using ledge stone recovered from ledge removal
-Green Building Approaches:
-4 kW roof-mounted photovoltaic solar array that provides 100% of the homes power needs including daily charging for homeowner’s electric vehicle
-Foundation slab insulated with 6” of EPS rigid foam board and 4” at edges
-Foundation walls insulated with 2” of 2lb SPF (continuous) plus 3-1/2” dense-pack cellulose
-Exterior walls are 2×8’s at 16” spacing, insulated with dense-pack cellulose and wrapped with 3” of continuous rigid mineral wool board
-14” roof rafters are filled with dense-pack cellulose and covered with 4-1/2” SIP (structural insulated panel) polyurethane closed-cell foam insulation panels helping create large roof overhangs
-Acrylic sheathing tapes used at all sheathing intersections to achieve exceptional airtightness.
-Orientation/design optimizes passive wintertime solar energy gains while limiting summertime gains
-German triple-glazed aluminum-clad doors and tilt/turn windows with u-values of 0.16 (roughly R-6)
-Ducted air-source heat pump system heats and cools the entire house
-High-efficiency CO2 based split heat pump domestic hot water heater provides domestic hot water
-European independent ducted ventilation system with energy recovery
-100% LED lighting throughout
-Low-flow water fixtures throughout