Clifton View calls this 2,408-square-foot solar electric home a positive energy home because it produces enough energy from the roof-mounted 9.945-kW PV system to power the home and an electric car. The completed home with PV yields a calculated negative annual utility bill of -$187 per year!

High-efficiency ENERGY STAR-certified appliances are installed throughout the home, while an ultra-efficient geo heat pump provides heating and domestic hot water.

The concrete slab construction used on both the first and second floors serves as a natural comfort balancing system, absorbing passive solar heat from large south-facing windows during the day and later radiating warmth to the interiors at night.

The walls and roof are constructed with a structural insulated panel (SIP) thermal blanket system that assembles quickly and provides quiet, comfort, and energy savings.

The combination of insulated concrete form (ICF) and SIP construction provides a continuous thermal blanket for significant energy savings along with enhanced comfort and comprehensive draft protection.

Advanced ICF technology, which is made of foam-insulation blocks filled with steel-reinforced concrete, is used for the foundation walls. This results in a quiet, highly insulated wall. In addition, 4 inches of rigid foam is also installed under the floor slab to hold the heat from radiant loops in the concrete slab for barefoot-friendly floors.