|
John Chase, who grew up in the foothills outside of Denver, Colorado, was able to realize that dream when he and his wife embarked on their own dream home—one that would not only fit their environmental principles but was also designed with style.
Once the Chases' chose to build eco, they found that one of their biggest challenges was finding an architect, let alone a builder and banker who were willing to work with the environment in mind. "Work crews that understand unconventional framing techniques and working with recycled decking, etc. are hard to find," says Chase. Yet, despite these drawbacks, the Chase's were able to design a home that received a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) score of 91.7; a score of 86 or higher qualifies for Energy Star status. The home is also listed as one of the Department of Energy's Building America projects.
"We use about one-quarter of the propane a typical 3,000-square-foot house would use," adds Chase. The home is also a grid intertie, meaning that it incorporates off-the-grid principles, while still remaining connected to the municipal energy system. Therefore, if a house uses less energy than it is generating (from PV panels for instance), the energy is put back into the system, essentially turning back the meter.
Colorado is known for its endless sunshine, which makes a PV system a key ingredient for energy-efficient living. In addition, the house was designed with passive solar principles and utilizes the heat gain from the south facing windows with .8 SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Co-efficiency) window coatings. The SHGC number tells you how much of the sun's heat will pass through the glass; the lower the number, the less heat. In Colorado, it is important to absorb heat in the winter months in order to keep the overall energy costs down. In addition, the house is also insulated with cellulose, a recycled newsprint insulation that contains no formaldehyde and is treated with a non-toxic chemical in order to make it insect, fire, and mold resistant.
While the Chase home is not small by any standards (2,000-square-feet finished, 1,000 square-feet unfinished), the couple chose to build with expansion in mind, making sure they utilized the space in an efficient way. The couple chose to camp on the property prior to building to really understand how they could work with the land. They reused the felled timbers and the excavated soils. Adds Chase, "I think green is a wonderful goal, but if your green house is an energy hog then you haven't completed the loop."
On the interior, you'll find EcoSpec (low-VOC) paints, Energy-Star appliances, sustainably resourced lumber, and recycled plastic fiber carpet. The couple also built their own private sp a with a Hot Springs Jetsetter hot tub (which costs about $10/month to run) and steam shower.
Eco Principles
Timbertech decking (recycled composite)
Cellulose insulation
Sustainably resourced lumber
Low VOC paints
Recycled plastic fiber carpet
Passive solar design
Grid tied PV system
Low voltage light fixtures
.8 SHGC coatings on all south facing windows
Energy star appliances
50-year fire-rated composite roofing |
