Addison Homes built this custom 3,300-square-foot home in Greenville, South Carolina, to the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
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The home qualifies for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor airPLUS air quality and WaterSense water efficiency labels as well as the National Association of Home Builders’ National Green Building Standard.
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The R-18 exterior wall assembly is wrapped in a continuous blanket of rigid foam that is taped at the seams to help provide a complete thermal break from the exterior as well as an air barrier and drainage plane for dry-by-design walls.
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Advanced solid-state lighting technology is installed throughout the home: 95% of the fixtures are LED.
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A ceiling fan provides cooling air movement, reducing the need for air conditioning. The variable-speed heat pump adjusts automatically, using only the energy necessary to maintain even temperatures throughout the house.
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Sources of indoor pollutants such as moisture and cooking fumes are vented to the exterior, while a fresh air intake system incorporated into the HVAC system brings in filtered fresh air.
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The dishwasher, refrigerator, and washing machine are ENERGY STAR appliances that help save energy and water.
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Low-flow water fixtures are used in the kitchen and bathrooms.
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The vinyl-framed ENERGY STAR-rated windows have double-paned glass with two layers of advanced low-emissivity coatings that reduce heat loss in winter and solar heat gain in summer while providing natural daylight.
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A web-connected smart thermostat monitors interior and exterior conditions and can be adjusted remotely using the Internet or a smart phone.
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The home is piped with an insulated hot water recirculation loop that speeds hot water to each fixture while helping to reduce water waste.
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The curbless shower allows for safer entry and exit. Solid blocking was installed behind the walls to accommodate future grab bars.
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The encapsulated, conditioned crawlspace foundation is clean, warm, and dry thanks to the foil-faced R-13 insulation installed on the inside surface of the exterior walls, a thick vapor barrier liner that will cover the crawlspace floor, and a paint-on waterproofing that covers the exterior walls and tops of the concrete block foundation walls and piers to block moisture moving up through the concrete.
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The exterior extruded-polystyrene insulated sheathing is taped at the seams to improve air-tightness and functions as a weather-resistive barrier and drainage plane.
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The hip roof design provides added resistance against high winds.
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Open-cell polyurethane spray foam is sprayed on the underside of the roof for an R-28 thermal blanket of insulation that turns the attic into a conditioned space for the HVAC system while sealing out external allergens and pollutants.
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Insulation levels, duct air-tightness, and whole house leakage were among the building components tested in this high-performance home.
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Carefully sealed and insulated ducts provide filtered air to every room in the house as part of this high-efficiency interior comfort system.