Green Scene
Using the products detailed in this diagram, Vision Zero home could be duplicated for approximately $275,000 (excluding the land).
climates.” If you were to build a house like this in your area and didn’t want to include renewables, here’s how the $78,000 in upgrades would break out: 85% is attributed to renewables,
including three types of solar in addition to geothermal 15% is attributed to insulation (rigid
insulation and one- and two-component spray polyurethane foam products)
Getting to Net Zero
Home Data 3,400 square feet, three bedroom, two bath
Estimated Energy Savings Net annual energy costs: -$275 Total annual energy savings: $3,507
Estimated CO2 Prevented (lbs./year) 44,855
Estimated return on investment (ROI)
Cost of energy upgrades over code: $78,400 Payback period: 22 years* Net savings over 100-years: $210,800**
Notes: All data has been verified by Building Knowledge Consulting. *Payback will be reduced as energy costs increase. **Energy costs and savings based on current energy prices.
The energy-efficient upgrades and renewable energy solutions in the home cost about $78,000 over the cost to construct a home to code in the state of Michigan. While that may sound like a significant investment, the building team estimates the home will save as much as $3,500 in annual energy costs, compared to 1970s construction. A home built to Michigan code would only save $861 of energy each year versus the 1970s baseline, while an energy-efficient home would save approximately $1,754.
1 Dow Structural Insulated Sheathing (SIS) on exterior walls 2 Enerworks Solar Panels for water heating 3 Dow Closed Cell Rigid Spray Foam & Blown-in Cellulose inside attic 4 Basement ERV System (energy recovery ventilation system for mechanical ventilation) › Graywater Heat Recovery Unit › Dow Tounge & Groove Styrofoam (under basement floor) › Dow Perimate Insulation (exterior basement wall board)
5 Energy-efficient lighting by Kichler and Juno (compact flourescent lighting throughout) 6 Low-e glass, Paradigm Triple Pane w/Krypton gas (On all windows) 7 WaterFurnace Geothermal Heating & Cooling is buried in the earth; ground source heat pumps harness the earth’s constant temperature to heat in winter and cool in summer
8 Utility meter spins backwards when solar power exceeds house demand selling power back to the utility company
9 Closed cell rigid spray foam inside wall cavity 10 Tongue & groove Stryofoam in exterior walls 11 30” overhang manages solar heat gain 12 Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingles 13 Energy Generating Solar Panels made with Dow Corning components
In the Vision Zero home, the non-
renewable portion of the upgrades is about 4% of the total cost of the home or approximately $12,000. According to the builder, the home could
be duplicated to net-zero energy for approximately $275,000 (excluding the land). To learn more, take the virtual tour of the project and watch a video that talks about how the house was designed and built as well as the cost savings at
www.visionzerohome.com.
16 GreenBuilder September 2010
CALLBACK In our July/August issue, we were discussing the merits of Beam’s
www.beamvac.com
central vacuum system and ran the wrong photo with the piece. This photo shows Beam’s Serenity IQS central vacuum. With 640 air watts of cleaning power—up to 25% more than competitive systems— this model improves indoor air quality by completely removing more dirt and allergens from the living area. Beam also offers AlphaSan, a permanent anti-microbial agent infused into the collection bucket that prevents formation and growth of mold.
Where housing and the environment connect
www.greenbuildermag.com
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