TC Legend Homes built this 1,800-square-foot custom home in Bellingham, Washington, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
Metal roofing and fiber cement siding provide a durable exterior for this marine climate home.
The home’s rectangular shape and simple gable roof decreases construction costs and provides more space for solar panels.
The open loft design encourages the convective transfer of heat from the first-floor radiant heating system.
Highly efficient ENERGY STAR appliances and WaterSense fixtures reduce water and energy use.
Most of the home’s triple-glazed vinyl-framed, low-E windows and sliding doors face south to allow sunlight to warm up the concrete slab under the flooring for passive solar heat.
The home’s foundation walls were made of insulated concrete forms, which consist of rigid foam blocks that are stacked, reinforced with steel, and filled with concrete, providing insulated sides for the concrete floor slab.
TC Legend Homes prefers structural insulated panels for walls and roofs because they are precision made in a factory, assemble quickly on site, provide near continuous insulation, and are known for exceptional structural strength and earthquake resistance.
Domestic hot water is provided by the air-to-water heat pump, which also provides space heating.
An air-to-water heat pump provides hot water for faucets, the first-floor radiant floor heat, and a fan coil air handler that heats the second-floor space.
“When a net-zero-energy home can be built at a cost on par with traditional construction, everyone wins.”
– Ted Clifton Jr., builder, TC Legend Homes
“By conserving as much energy as possible, this home will be able to offset 100% of its usage with a roof-sized solar electric system. When a net-zero-energy home can be built at a cost on par with traditional construction, everyone wins. TC Legend Homes is helping to usher in a new era of green construction in which homeowners don’t have to choose between cutting-edge efficiency and staying on budget.”
– Ted Clifton Jr., builder, TC Legend Homes
