DOE Tour of Zero: High-Performance Bungalow by Imery Group
Photos
1/23
Imery & Co. constructed the High-Performance Bungalow, a 2,194-square-foot home in Roswell, Georgia, to the performance criteria of the U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
2/23
High-performance features and a 6.3-kW solar electric generation system help the home cut energy costs by almost $1,900 per year compared to a similar-sized home built to code.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
3/23
Large overhangs protect south-facing slider doors to minimize unwanted summer solar heat gain.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
4/23
The home’s white metal roof reflects sunlight, reducing solar heat gains through the roof in this hot-humid location.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
5/23
The home’s 6.3-kW solar electric system is expected to reduce energy bills to $200 a year, for monthly bills of about $17.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
6/23
Water-saving fixtures and ENERGY STAR-rated appliances add to energy savings.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
7/23
Natural daylight is filtered through double-paned windows with a U-value of 0.35 and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.25, keeping warmth in during the winter and out during the summer.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
8/23
The home’s stained concrete flooring takes advantage of passive solar heating, absorbing heat from the sun during the day and releasing it into the home at night.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
9/23
A double layer of insulation over the unvented attic helps keep the loft warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
10/23
Despite having several doors and windows throughout the home, the high-performance R-32 wall insulation and R-45 attic insulation helped the home achieve a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 41 before photovoltaics were added to bring the score down to a HERS 6.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
11/23
Low-VOC building materials help this home meet the EPA Indoor airPLUS requirements.
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12/23
The sides of the slab foundation are insulated with rigid foam with an insulation value of R-10.
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13/23
The concrete slab is entirely insulated underneath and on the sides with R-10 of rigid foam insulation to retain heat in the concrete flooring.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
14/23
This home uses advanced framing techniques to reduce thermal bridging, reduce lumber costs, and increase space in the walls for insulation.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
15/23
Two layers of rigid foam wrap the home’s walls and roof in a continuous R-5 thermal blanket. The seams of the two layers are staggered and taped to maintain a continuous weather and air barrier.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
16/23
On top of the home’s sheathing and under the cladding is a rain screen of 2-by-4 battens to allow proper water drainage and moisture control.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
17/23
Under the home’s reflective white roof, two layers of rigid foam were installed over a coated OSB roof deck. Ice and water shield covered the taped rigid foam and battens were installed over this to provide a ventilation gap beneath the ENERGY STAR-rated cool metal roof.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
18/23
The home and garage were both sheathed with OSB that comes with a coating that helps to protect the structures from moisture damage.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
19/23
Carefully taped seams help the coated sheathing serve as an air barrier as well as a weather-resistant layer over the wall studs.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
20/23
Underneath the roof sheathing and two exterior layers of rigid foam, the builder stapled netting to the underside of the rafters and filled the roof cavities of the unvented attic with thick R-38 blanket of blown-in fiberglass insulation.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
21/23
A fresh air intake was installed in the attic to provide fresh filtered air to the home.
Photo courtesy of Imery Group
“We set out to design … a home that would consume very little energy … last a long time … have great indoor air quality and … be consistently comfortable year round no matter where they are in the house.”
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“We go beyond standard code requirements to build homes that will be compliant far into the future. All Imery Homes follow energy-efficient building practices and utilize the latest energy-efficient technology in a smart and affordable way to build stronger, healthier, green homes.”
– Luis Imery, founder, Imery Group
