Oriented to capture the western views of the magnificent Front Range, this Broomfield zero net energy home presented an interesting challenge to our designers on how to achieve a zero net energy goal with limited “free” energy in the form of passive solar gain.
As a result, the home was outfitted with a 10-kW photovoltaic system installed by Simple Solar Systems, and 240 evacuated tube hot water collectors mounted at a 65 degree tilt for maximum efficiency. This luxury custom home was completed in May, 2008.
The Broomfield Net-Zero Energy Home proves that a zero energy home does not need to be constrained by architectural style, size, or site conditions. Mechanical engineers who designed the heating and cooling system set out with the goal that residents would experience ideal indoor environmental conditions – 68-70 degrees year-round indoor temperatures – without ever having to think about the renewable energy systems powering their home.
This home was skillfully designed by Robert Rosenthal of Rosenthal Associates.
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Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Elevation: 6,400 Feet
SF: 5,390 ft2 conditioned space
Year Completed: 2008
Projected HERS Performance: 19
Confirmed HERS Index: 19
Electricity
Grid-tied 10 kW roof-mounted PV array, producing 14,400 kWh per year with expected household consumption at 15,000 kWh per year
Primary Heat Source
180 evacuated solar thermal tubes feeding big tank and hydronic fan coils in ductwork
Backup Heat Source
18 kW Thermolec electric boiler boosting water temperature to fan coil units
Primary Hot Water Source
180 evacuated tubes
Solar Thermal Storage
One 600-gallon stainless steel tanks (photos) insulated with 12″ open-cell foam on all sides
Exterior Walls
2×6 stud walls with 1.5″ resilient channel on the interior surface. 7″ of Icynene foam filled the cavity. Thermally broken ~R-27
Roof
12″ rafters with 1.5″ resilient channel. Icynene in the rafter cavities on the underside of the roof sheathing. Thermally broken R-48
Exterior Finish
Grailcoat flexible stucco membrane and Robinson Thinbrick
Foundation
4″ concrete slab basement floor over 2″ XPS
Windows
Triple-pane glazing in foam-filled fiberglass frames by Fibertec
- Construction photos (Flickr)
- Builders Challenge Eco Label Certificate (PDF)
- Energy Monitoring LIVE!
- Letter-size home profile (PDF)
Taking lessons from our flagship ZNE home, Solar Harvest, Ecofutures is building and retrofitting a number of new homes each year with a zero energy goal. We are regularly tracking the specifications and performance of each homes’ ZNE features for the sake of comparison and education. View the ZNE Comparison Chart.
Want to see how the home is performing right this minute? Check out its live Web Energy Logger (WEL) installed by Sunnyside Solar Colorado.
Ready to learn more about us? Read about our whole-systems approach to building and why we should be your choice for a new or retrofitted zero net energy home. Don’t take our word for it, though. Check out what our clients have to say about us.
