A Local Extreme Home Makeover

March 10, 2010

If you’ve ever wondered what a net-zero energy house looks like, check out the local transformations ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition team did last summer for a Maryland family and a Northeast, D.C. community center.

In addition to giving the recipients more space and creature comforts, the projects also were designed to help save them money and reduce their carbon footprints in the long-run. With input and guidance from the U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the projects featured green building materials such as high R-value SeriousWindows, solar panels and insulated concrete foundation forms to serve as examples for cost-effective near zero energy building design.

“We are thrilled to participate in this project to showcase for consumers and building owners the dramatic difference super-insulating windows can make,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials, who donated to the build. “By installing SeriousWindows, you can not only cut up to 50% off of your energy bills, but you can also use more windows in the design of any home or building, and benefit from greater visibility, daylight, and more comfort all year round.”

According to ORNL, the computer simulation for the new construction of the near-zero energy home is designed to deliver an energy performance of 27, based on a scale of 100 being typical new residential construction and 0 being a true net zero energy home. The total estimated energy costs of the new home is expected to be less than $3 per day, compared to $10 per day of a conventional new home of the same size in the D.C. area.

The annual whole house savings of the new near-zero energy home will be approximately $2500 per year.

The D.C. episode aired February 14, 2010 on ABC. To view the full episode online, click here.

To learn more about some of the products and companies featured in the build, check out the following links:

Winter Panel

Aurora Energy, Inc.

Leep Green, LLC

SeriousWindows

To learn more about The Fishing School, the community center featured in the build, click here.