This Indian Hills Zero Energy Home proves that zero energy does not have to mean zero style. From the home’s beautiful architecture with complex roof lines, intricate interior woodwork and high-end custom finishes it is difficult to see that the home is solar-powered; but it is. In order to achieve zero net energy, the home is oriented for optimal passive solar gain with a large expanse of Loewen windows on the south side.
180 Thermomax evacuated tubes are mounted on the south roof, providing 100% of the homes domestic hot water and hot tub needs. To provide all supplementary electric power, the home also boasts a 10 kW ground-mount structure on its south lawn.
This home was masterfully designed by Jeff von Breichtenfeld of Sears Barrett Architects.
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Location: Indian Hills, Colorado
Elevation: 7,500 Feet
SF: 6,000 ft2 conditioned space
Year Completed: 2008
Projected HERS Performance: 0
Confirmed HERS Index: 14
Electricity
Grid-tied 10 kW roof-mounted PV array, producing 14,400 kWh per year with expected household consumption at 14,400 kWh per year
Primary Heat Source
Passive solar gain through south glazing and solar thermally-heated hydronic fan coil in ductwork
Backup Heat Source
15 kW electric fan-coil in ductwork
Primary Hot Water Source
180 evacuated tubes
Solar Thermal Storage
1,500 gallon stainless steel tank insulated with 13″ open-cell foam on all sides
Exterior Walls
(Outside to inside) 2×4 stud wall + 1/4″ airspace + 2×4 stud wall + 2 layers drywall. 7″ Icynene spray foam in cavity. Thermally broken R-28. 2×4 walls staggered, foam between king studs for extra thermal break.
Roof
12″ Icynene on underside of roof in unvented attic = R-45
Exterior Finish
Wood and stone
Foundation
4″ max. fly-ash concrete slab-on-grade on top of 4″ EPS insulation
Windows
Triple pane windows by Loewen
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.
