Would you believe me if I told you there was an Energy Star house that was 259% more energy efficient than Energy Star requirements? Care to take a guess at how much money that would save you in your monthly utility bills?
To be certified and earn approval for an Energy Star Home the home must meet stringent guidelines for energy efficiency. These guidelines are enforced by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The home must be at least 15% more energy efficient than international building code set in 2004. In general these homes tend to be 20% to 30% more efficient than conventionally built homes.
There is a man by the name of Bruce Carpenter in Southern Oregon has designed a home that is 259% more energy efficient than Energy Star requirements. A blower door test in one of the properties he built produced a result of 2.7 ACH50 which is amazing. This means the structure was more than 259% more energy efficient than what Energy Star requires for their certification process. This was in an all electric structure. In the cold, wet and just plain chilly month of November 2009 the utility bill was only $74.
This energy efficiency design of house building is composed of a 4 piece system. The system is as follows, steel framing, continuous exterior ridged insulation, pad foundation and radiant barrier sheathing..
The steel framing with 2×4 and 2×6 studs is the building block for this energy efficient home. Compared to wood which twists, bows and warps creating inefficiency in a structure, steel framing with 2×4 and 2×6 studs are precision manufactured so that it fits together perfectly. Steel framing creates a solid base for the rest of the system to fall in place..
The next part to this system is the radiant barrier. Radiant barrier is ,plywood or OSB, that has a reflective material that is glued on one or both sides. Radiant heat is certainly the main perpetrator of heat loss and heat infiltration into a home. Radiant barrier blocks up to 97% of radiant heat coming into the house during the summer. It also blocks up to 85% of the radiant heat trying to break away during the wintry weather.
The next large part of this system is the continuous ridged insulation. This is 4 to 5 inch foam board. This creates an air tight envelope around the structure. This continuous insulation eliminates thermal bridging as well as air infiltration. Air infiltration is the second largest area of heat loss and infiltration right behind radiant heat.
The final part to this system is a concrete foundation. Concrete has thermal properties in that it retains heat during the winter and stays cool during the summer. A pad foundation also helps with stopping air infiltration. As hot air rises, cold air is sucked in from any point below the attic. A stem wall foundation allows air infiltration through the floor on the entire foot print of the structure.
By mixing and combining these simple materials and processes an exceptionally energy efficient home was invented. This is the beginning of a new era in single family house building. We can only hope so for the sake of our children and the environment.
Want to see this extremely energy efficient Energy Star Home then then click on Energy Efficient Energy Star Homes Medford Oregon
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