DOE Tour of Zero: Hickory Drive by Glastonbury Housesmith
Photos
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Glastonbury Housesmith built this 4,288-square-foot home in South Glastonbury, Connecticut, to the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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A 13.8-kW array of solar electric panels is mounted on a steel pole near the home. The array is motorized with dual-axis rotation to track the sun, maximizing electrical power generation so it can produce enough electricity to meet all the energy needs of the home plus an electric car.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The ultra-efficient foundation insulation system includes 10-inch-thick concrete foundation walls with a 4-inch layer of rigid XPS foam (R-20) sandwiched between two layers of concrete and 5 inches of FOAMGLAS (R-17) underneath the slab.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The continuous basement thermal blanket employs 4-inch-thick rigid foam insulation (R-20) sandwiched between two layers of concrete.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The home’s 2-by-6, 16-inch on-center framed walls use energy-saving advanced framing techniques such as open corners, ladder blocking at interior wall intersections, and open headers to provide more room for insulation.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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After sealing all top plate and bottom plate joints, the builder filled the wall cavities with 5.5 inches of blown fiberglass, then installed coated sheathing on the exterior with the joints taped for added air sealing. He installed 2.75 inches of rigid mineral wool insulation over this to form a continuous exterior thermal blanket around the house for a total R-35 wall insulation value. All rim joists were insulated with spray foam.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The high-efficiency attic insulation includes 5 inches of closed-cell spray foam on the underside of the roof deck plus 6.5 inches of blown fiberglass covered with sheetrock as a firebreak for a total R-58 roof assembly insulation value.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The whole-house fresh air system in this draft-free home uses a continuously running energy recovery ventilator (ERV) tied into the ground source heat pump’s air handler. The air is pulled in through a high-capture filter (MERV 13).
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The comprehensive draft protection system includes sheathing laminated with a weather barrier and taped at all seams.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
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The home’s high-performance wall system includes advanced framed walls, sheathing that has a laminated weather barrier and is taped at the seams, 2.75 inches of rigid mineral wool insulation, vertical strapping to ensure drainage, and fiber cement siding.
Photo courtesy of Glastonbury Housesmith
“I wanted to do something that was right for the world I was leaving to my kids and my grandkids.”
“I wanted to do something that was right for the world I was leaving to my kids and my grandkids. When we first saw this property … the whole environment felt right. That’s how I feel when I walk into this house; it was designed well, was built well … it just feels really good and comfortable and right.”
– Homeowner
