The Chittem Residence   - HERS rating of 14 on a 5000 + sq ft custom home

"Winner: 2009 HOBI award for Best Energy Efficient Custom Home"

Green Energy Custom Homes: When we first decided to build the house our design ideas focused on the DOE's builder's challenge. Rather than meeting the LEED criteria for custom homes, we were very interested in building a near-net zero energy home for our family of eight. Here in the northeast a zero energy home on a large structure has not been mastered and we were intrigued with the challenge.

Our sustainable building design is unique in that our goal was to build a comfortable, beautiful custom home that used very little energy to run. Although it is tailored to our needs (we both work from home and are raising six children), it has a flexible layout so that future owners can take advantage of the large square footage (approx. 5000 sq ft) while still being "green". We focused on an air tight shell, and used seven HVAC zones to produce a large energy efficient dwelling. We heat and cool only the space in the house that we need to use at any given time.

The property we chose is near the water and thus was a narrow and long piece of property. The house is 20 ft wide by 86 ft long; providing a great roof line for the solar panels, yet presenting a challenge for the interior design to not feel long and narrow. The corner lot affords us control over future shadowing on our solar panels as the street is on two sides of the property. (i.e.; neighboring trees will not be an interference with the solar panels ability to perform).

We used both passive and active solar (8.6 kW Photovoltaic), including hydronic solar. Insulation used 4 ½" of closed cell foam in walls and rim joist along with 1" EPS continuous exterior - R33 roof 8" R-50 and 1st floor used 6" .8lb open cell - R26; finished basement and 1st floor have radiant heat off of wall hung condensing gas fired boiler that also provides back - up for domestic hot water. Solar storage is at 150 degrees. Prior to our water heater mixing valve, we piped 150 degree water directly to the dishwasher and washing machine to reduce the need for electrical water heating. HVAC is duel fuel Carrier Infinity hybrid with 7 zones on one 80MBTU 95% AFUE variable speed 3-stage furnace combined with 2 speed 19 SEER heat pump. A digital control system can control all 7 zones from 1 thermostat and determine outdoor changeover temperature easily. Indirect returns combined with foam insulation between floors allow for greater temperature set-back zone to zone. ERV has all 5 baths piped into it with individual fans for boost. Cooling system utilizes ECM blower to provide enhanced dehumidification in summertime. T-stat controls winter and summertime humidity as well as ERV.

Indoor air quality for custom homes: IAQ was addressed by having constant fresh air brought in, Electronic Air Cleaner, humidifier and seven Infinity controlled zones. Hardwood floors and tile were used throughout the house to decrease dust collection. (We insulated between the floors to decrease sound travel and increase warmth since we choose not to carpet)

Our due south orientation was perfect for our passive solar ideas: we strategically placed 91% of our fenestration facing east and south, and only 11% fenestration overall. The meticulous window layout includes: vertical glass in the hallways (maximized the light we wanted and provided wall space to hang art), high horizontal windows in the laundry room and master shower,(maximized the necessary wall space yet provides natural lighting), the stairwells (adds light and views of the L.I. sound). In each room we specifically chose only the necessary amount of windows to be operational, most are fixed (reduced cost and air-loss). Extensive planning went into the CFL and LED layouts. We created bays of lights in certain rooms so we could control the amount of light needed in a given area without dimmer issues.

Another sustainable concept was to use recycled items - the living room millwork, office cabinetry and 2 bath vanities came from Green Demolitions along with almost all of the kitchen appliances. The two bathrooms that have granite countertops are remnants we found. Two bathrooms have towel dryers on digital timers which reduces towel washing. The other 2 full baths have 36" wide towel bars to allow towels to dry quickly. We chose Low-E Anderson windows and installed with a special air-tight technique. To reduce wood usage and thermal bridging special framing techniques were used. We incorporated many aspects of sustainable building practices and proudly feel we have accomplished the task of demonstrating that beauty, functionality and energy efficiency can go hand in hand. Our most unique accomplishment on this project is our HERS rating of 14 on a 5000 + sq ft home.

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