Summary of Features
The Green Balanced Home is all about helping you create a living space that strikes that ideal balance between making sound environmental sense and personal financial sense. By showcasing an assortment of leading-edge green technologies, the Green Balanced Home allows you to mix-and-match practical solutions to balance your desire for global responsibility with your need for personal comforts and conveniences. We invite you to discover the beauty that is the Green Balanced Home.
| At First Sight |
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The Envelope |
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As you approach the Green Balanced Home, you notice the architectural design that highlights the entrance and blends well with the neighborhood. You notice the mature trees, but you may not notice how they shade the home only in the summer, allowing the sun's rays in the winter. You notice the carefully planned landscaping in the yard, but you may overlook that the native plants are drought and weather resistant and keep the area covered by grass to a minimum. |
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The outside of the house is aesthetically pleasing. The OSB based siding and trim is easily mistaken for wood siding, but is friendlier to forests.What's underneath this elegant exterior is equally impressive . . . ultra-energy efficient materials. The outside walls are structural insulated panels (SIPs). These custom-made panels are made with expanded polystyrene laminated to OSB. The panels are lightweight, strong and resilient, non-corrosive and dimensionally stable. They provide continuous insulation to significantly reduce energy use for heating and cooling the home. R60 cellulose and spray foam add additional insulation in the roof and floor areas.
Additional foam around the foundation and under the garage save even more energy and provide moisture protection. |
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| Heating and Cooling |
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Water and Energy Efficiency |
The centrally located fireplace is the primary heat source for the home. It's supported by a variable capacity furnace with three separate heating/cooling zones in the home.
An air exchanger ensures indoor air quality while adjusting air temperature. Coils capture heat from wastewater.
With an eye on the future, the basement has connections for solar power and the floor is ready for radiant heating. |
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A 2,000-gallon tank buried in the backyard collects rainwater off the roof and then uses it for irrigating the landscaping and flushing toilets.
Low flow toilets use 15% less water than traditional toilets.
Sensors in the bathrooms begin recirculating hot water when someone enters the room, helping minimize hot water demand and energy consumption.
To further conserve energy, motion sensors control lights in high traffic areas. Plus, next generation LED lighting in rooms reduces the power draw while allowing a full range of dimming capabilities. |
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