DOE Tour of Zero: The Illinois First Zero Energy Custom by Evolutionary Home Builders LLC (formerly Weiss)
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This 3,600-square-foot custom home built by Evolutionary Home Builders LLC (formerly Weiss Building and Development) is the first certified U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home in Illinois.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The high-performance, three-story home is expected to cost its homeowners about $40 per month in heating and cooling bills, thanks in part to high-efficiency comfort equipment, high-efficiency insulation, and advanced home sealing technology.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The use of low-/no-VOC stains and finishes helps this home comply with the EPA Indoor airPLUS guidelines for a healthier indoor environment.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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Ultra-efficient triple-pane windows include insulated vinyl frames and clear advanced technology coatings that keep heat out in summer and inside in the winter.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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High-efficiency, ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and water-saving, low-flow EPA WaterSense-labeled fixtures provide water and energy savings in the high-performance homes.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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Advanced lighting technology, including LED and compact fluorescent fixtures, supplements the natural daylight in this home.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The home was literally built over a peat bog, so the builder sunk steel-reinforced caissons 35 feet into the ground, then erected steel framing on the piers about 4 feet above-ground and set the floor joists on the framing. To handle storm water runoff, a series of underground tanks and drain pipes were installed beneath and behind the house to collect and slowly release water that might flow under the house during large storms. During a 100-year flood that occurred a month after construction, the site and the neighbor’s yard drained in three hours.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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A variety of advanced home-sealing technologies provide comprehensive draft protection. These include sprayer-applied sealants at all framing seams; caulk, gaskets, and tape around piping and wiring; and quadruple flashing around windows with pitched sills.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The 2-by-6 advanced-framed walls were dense-packed with R-23 of fiberglass insulation then wrapped with a continuous exterior thermal blanket of coated rigid foam insulation (R-23). The wall water barrier system includes taped house wrap over the taped rigid foam. Vertical furring strips were installed to provide a drainage gap behind the engineered wood siding as part of the dry-by-design wall construction.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
“I can't fathom building a home that doesn't use the most up-to-date building science.”
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"When we set out to build a house we knew that it was somewhere we wanted to live for the rest of our lives, and we didn't want to think back in 10, 20, or 30 years and be kicking ourselves for not taking advantage of the technological advances in home building. We like that it is intelligently engineered to achieve the maximum in efficiency. I can't fathom building a home that doesn't use the most up-to-date building science."
– Weiss homeowner
