DOE Tour of Zero: The Johns Island Custom by Amerisips Homes, LLC
Photos

1/26
Amerisips Homes, LLC, of Charleston, South Carolina, built this traditional home on Johns Island that achieves a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 1, indicating it produces as much energy as it uses in a year.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

2/26
Amerisips Homes’ 2,085-square-foot coastal cottage is a certified U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

3/26
In addition to the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certification, which includes ENERGY STAR and EPA Indoor airPLUS certifications, this home is also certified to the EPA WaterSense criteria and is rated LEED platinum.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

4/26
A 6-kW solar electric system meets all of the electricity needs of this home.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

5/26
This home is equipped with an ultra-efficient air-to-water heat pump, which provides heated and cooled air and hot water for domestic use. The heat pump has an efficiency rating of 4.5 COP for heating and 17.5 SEER for cooling and uses a fan coil system, which is extremely efficient at removing humidity from the practically airtight home.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

6/26
The home has a detached garage, which helps ensure the myriad of contaminants commonly found in garages stay out of the home.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

9/26
The home’s high-efficiency appliances include an ENERGY STAR-labeled refrigerator and dishwasher.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

10/26
The home’s ultra-efficient, professionally installed comfort system incorporates filtered fresh air that is delivered throughout the home via leak-free, high-velocity, narrow-diameter ducts.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

11/26
The Amerisips home’s ultra-efficient, professionally installed comfort system includes a right-sized comfort delivery system consisting of high-velocity, narrow-diameter, 2-inch ducts that are barely visible in the ceiling soffits along the great hall.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

12/26
High-capture filtration technology ensures a nearly dust-free interior environment.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

13/26
High-efficiency, professionally installed ENERGY STAR windows have double panes, insulated frames, and low-emissivity coatings to provide quiet, comfortable interiors.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

15/26
Professionally installed high-performance windows let in light but keep out heat.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

16/26
The air-to-water heat pump is integrated with a solar-thermal water heater to provide combustion-free hot water.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

17/26
Advanced solid-state lighting technology is installed throughout the home -– 90% of the fixtures are LED.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

18/26
The home features a water- and energy-saving hot water distribution system that distributes hot water quickly and efficiently to faucets and plumbing fixtures throughout the home.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

19/26
The home’s water- and energy-saving hot water distribution system distributes water quickly and efficiently to faucets through PEX piping from a home-run distribution manifold.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

20/26
The home combines a solar hot water system with a high-efficiency heat pump water heater.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

21/26
The home’s advanced solar hot water heating system integrates roof-mounted solar hot water panels with an air-to-water heat pump; both sources feed into an 80-gallon stainless steel tank.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes
22/26
Amerisips uses advanced structural insulated panel (SIP) technology to build its homes.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes

23/26
Amerisips uses a SIP precision construction system with structural insulated panels consisting of a rigid foam layer sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB) that come to the worksite sized to order and ready for quick assembly.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes
24/26
The solid, airtight SIP panels provide comfortable, quiet interiors and comprehensive draft protection.
Photo courtesy of Amerisips Homes
"We got in our first full-month electric bill and it’s $30.02. How’s that for green!"