Revival Homes built this 1,380-square-foot home in Litchfield, Connecticut, to the performance criteria of the DOE Ready Home (ZERH) program.

The energy- and water-saving measures incorporated in this efficient home combined with the 7.6-kW solar electric generation system should save the homeowners an estimated $3,860 per year and $167,000 over a 30-year mortgage compared to a similar home built to code.

The house is so well-insulated that even when the heating system was off for several weeks the first winter the inside temperatures never dropped below 50°F.

The refrigerator, dishwasher, bathroom fans, washing machine, and ventless heat-pump clothes dryer are all ENERGY STAR-rated appliances. All of the home’s lighting uses advanced, energy-efficient LED technology.

The thick concrete walls and durable concrete floor provide thermal mass that keeps temperatures in the house very stable even without the comfort system turned on.

This home meets the EPA Indoor airPLUS requirements including the use of low- or no-VOC paints and finishes in the home.

One high-efficiency mini-split ductless heat pump provides for all of the home’s heating and cooling needs.

The triple-paned windows have an insulating argon gas fill between the panes and low-emissivity coatings to keep heat inside in cold weather and outside in hot weather.

The hot water system has a dedicated line to each fixture to bring hot water to the user quickly, thereby minimizing wasted water.

A heat-pump water heater supplies the bathrooms while an electric on-demand water heater produces endless hot water instantly at the kitchen sink.

The home’s first-floor walls are constructed of precast concrete panels backed by a continuous layer of rigid foam separating the concrete from the integrated plastic and steel studs. Mineral wool batts fill the wall cavities for a high total wall insulation value of R-35.5.

The concrete and steel panels are resistant to fire, rot, mold, and insects and increase the overall disaster resistance of this high-performance home.

Spray foam seals rim joists for draft-free construction.

The professionally installed mineral wool batts are cut to precisely fit around electrical boxes in the wall cavities, preventing cold spots in walls.

Water drawn into the on-demand water heaters is pre-warmed in corrosion-proof polyethylene tubing in the concrete slab floor. The tubing can be configured to act as a radiant floor system.

The home does not require a traditional foundation; instead the pre-cast concrete panels sit at grade on 3-foot-wide trenches filled with crushed stone that drain to daylight. After setting the concrete wall panels, pieces of rigid foam were stacked in the 8-inch-deep wall cavities, then the ground was covered with an R-15 layer of rigid foam and a thick plastic vapor barrier, before pouring the concrete floor slab.

The second-floor walls and roof are made with structural insulated panels (SIPs) with an insulating value of R-39 in the walls and R-45 in the roof. Robust SIPs can withstand severe storms, tornadoes, and earthquakes, and the solid foam core minimizes thermal bridging, air leakage, and condensation risks.

All joints between SIPs are sealed with tape and foam insulation seals the joints between the roof and walls for draft-free construction.

Draining house wrap provides an air gap and drainage plane behind the vinyl siding on the second-story walls.

The entire roof is covered with a membrane leak barrier to provide comprehensive water protection.

The gable end walls were finished with fire- and rot-resistant vinyl shingles.

Solar-powered skylights can be programmed to open and help cool the home on summer evenings; they close automatically in case of rain.

Exterior lights have sensors that keep them off during the day and turn them on at night when they detect motion.

This home has a 7.6-kW solar electric system on the roof that provides more electricity than the home needs. The excess energy can be used to power an electric vehicle.