DOE Tour of Zero: Choctaw Ridge by DP Construction
Photos
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DP Construction built this 1,664-square-foot home in Prattville, Alabama, to the performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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Like all DOE Zero Energy Ready homes, the home is wired for solar photovoltaic panels, but even without the panels installed, the home has utility costs of under $80 per month.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The home’s large picture windows are double-paned with an insulating argon gas fill between the panes and low-emissivity coatings that block radiant heat to help keep the heat inside in cold weather and outside in hot weather.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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Only LED lighting is used in this home, and the refrigerator, dishwasher, and clothes washer are all ENERGY STAR-rated appliances that save energy and water.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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All of the home’s finishes are certified as low- or no-VOC, meaning they do not emit harmful fumes into the home.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The home’s heating and cooling needs are met by two wall-mounted mini-split heat pumps with seasonal energy efficiency ratios of 21.7. The highly efficient equipment also saves energy by eliminating ducts and the heat losses often associated with them.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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This home uses EPA WaterSense-rated water faucets and fixtures for increased water conservation. Hot water is provided by a 50-gallon heat pump hot water heater.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The builder employed good water management practices (like grading the surface away from the structure, pouring on a bed of gravel, and using a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from wicking up into the walls) to help keep the uninsulated monolithic slab-on-grade foundation dry.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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This home uses advanced framing techniques such as California corners, open headers, and single top plates to reduce the amount of lumber used and to leave more space in the walls for insulation.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The entire roof of the home is covered with an ice-and-water shield, which helps to protect against moisture damage.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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On top of the ice and water shield, the builder installed horizontal beams that were raised 6 inches off the deck to allow room for spray foam insulation.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The roof was insulated above the roof deck with 5.5 inches of closed-cell spray foam for an insulation value of R-38.5. The installers also sprayed 1 inch of spray foam over the exterior walls providing a continuous blanket of insulation over the home.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The exterior wall assembly consists of 2-by-6 framed walls filled with 3.5 inches of open-cell spray foam, then sheathed with 7/16 OSB and covered with house wrap. Then, 2-by-2 pressure-treated battens are installed over the house wrap and covered with 1 inch of closed-cell soy-based spray foam, which leaves a ½-inch drainage plane behind the metal cladding. The wall has a total insulation value of R-22.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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The dry-by-design walls are clad with standing seam metal siding.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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Roughcut cypress and metal siding provide a durable exterior finish for the rural home.
Photo courtesy of DP Construction
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Onsite inspections and testing were conducted during and after construction to confirm that rigorous energy-efficiency program requirements were met. The home achieved a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 57, much better than the typical HERS score of roughly 80 to 100 that a new home built to code would score.