Gardner Custom Homes built this 2,404-square-foot custom home in Prescott Valley, Arizona, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

Beneath the stucco siding, the walls are wrapped in 1 inch of rigid foam and the wall cavities are filled with 5 inches of spray foam for exceptional air-sealing and insulating.

ENERGY STAR appliances and LED lighting add to energy savings in the efficient home.

A tankless water heater and smart recirculation pump provide endless hot water with low water waste.

The vinyl-framed double-pane low-e windows fill the home with daylight while a continuously operating ERV helps to provide fresh air to the home.

A fireplace adds ambiance, but the home is heated with a 96% AFUE furnace with a two-stage gas valve and high-efficiency ECM constant torque blower motor while a 3.5-ton 16 SEER air conditioner provides cooling for the large home.

Insulated headers over windows are among the many advanced framing techniques incorporated in the 2-by-6, 24-inch on-center walls to reduce lumber usage and provide more space for insulation.

The chimney is the only vent that goes through the roof. All other vents and exhaust pipes are routed through the gable ends. This improves the thermal performance of the unvented spray foam roof, and reduces the chances for future water leaks.

Two inches of rigid foam wraps the post-tension slab foundation in R-10 of insulation. The above-grade framed wall sill plate and sheathing overhang the slab by 2 inches, providing protection over the top edge of the foam.

Tape is carefully applied to seal every seam in the rigid foam exterior insulation. The builder also carefully caulked or foamed around every pipe and wire through exterior walls or sill plates, around electrical boxes, around windows, along framing seams, and around duct boots.