Project Details

The H.R Weaver Building team has been researching and designing the ZERO ENERGY HOME for nine months based on a theory that the home could be heated by a lightbulb. The result was a plan for a 2,300-square-foot home with 15 rooms and a two-car garage placed on a 5-acre lot.

The team tackled the biggest energy user first the HVAC system. The rest of the home was then broken into phases of energy usage. Charts and graphs were generated to simulate the home being lived in. An accurate home energy usage model was created and then the rest of the home was built around that model. The combination of the geo-thermal system, solar panels and the best materials for the building envelope created a home that should be insulated from future energy rate increases.

Building Envelope Design

The exterior walls from basement to the roof are made of insulated concrete forms. Combined with additional insulation in the roof, we more than triple the code required R values. Using state of the art technology, the team combined performance with aesthetics. In addition the designer added highly efficient appliances, lighting and windows. Everything from the footers to the rafters was redesigned and now maximizes cost, functionality, performance and aesthetics.

Lot Placement

The placement of the home on the 5-acre lot is extremely important. The home is placed to get the most benefit from the sun with the pitch of the roof at maximum efficiency.

Solar Panels

The homes electrical needs will be met with rooftop solar panels placed in maximum sun and a roof pitch at maximum efficiency. The solar array will cost about $140,000, but more than half of that cost will be returned through tax rebates and cash-back offers. In addition, the homeowner expects to receive about $500 a month in commodity certificates from the utility company.