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View of PowerHouse Shows Advanced Energy Efficiency
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Near zero energy PowerHouse | Home builders in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area received an insider view last weekend of the just completed PowerHouse, one of the first ultra energy-efficient production homes in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The 3,724-square-foot two-story colonial with a full basement and attached garage is typical of many new homes being built in the area, and although it will not attain 100% net-zero annual energy consumption, it is expected to perform about 50% better than a standard home of similar size.
The home was built by Bob Ward Companies of Edgewood, Md., and it represents the company’s first use of renewable energy systems in one of its homes. The home combines state-of-the-art energy-efficiency features with solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies.
The only exterior features distinguishing the homes from its conventional counterparts are an array of photovoltaic panels and two solar thermal panels on the roof. The photovoltaic system will generate electricity that can either be used in the home directly or fed back to the utility during times when excess power is produced.
The solar thermal system will preheat the domestic hot water and in its temperate-climate location is estimated to reduce energy purchased from the utility for water heating by at least 50%.
Among the affordable and effective energy enhancements made throughout the home — in its building envelope, space conditioning systems, water heating, lighting and appliances — are:
- A Superior Walls™ foundation with an R-12 insulating value plus additional R-13 cavity insulation when the basement is finished
- Continuous rigid insulation on the exterior wall of the framing, adding an R-5 to the exterior of the framing
- Wall cavity insulation using loose fill R-15 blown fiberglass — an increase from the standard R-13 batt insulation
- 14 inches (approximately R-49) of loose fill fiberglass insulation in the attic
- Low-e windows with a U-value of about 0.33 — about a 35% improvement over standard double-pane glazing
- An air sealing package to minimize air infiltration
- A tankless water heater that will eliminate the standby losses of a standard heater, resulting in a 10%-20% reduction in energy use for water heating
- ENERGY STAR® refrigerator, dishwasher and washing machine
- Energy-efficient lighting package to include fluorescent fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs and motion sensors on exterior lighting
- SEER 19 heat pump
At the open house, visitors were able to talk with experts about increasing the performance, comfort and durability of their new homes through advanced energy-efficient building technologies that will lower utility bills and increase the value and quality of their products.
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