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    DOE Tour of Zero: Pittsburgh Panel House by Module Design

    1. Buildings
    2. DOE Tour of Zero: Pittsburgh Panel House by Module Design
    Photos
    1/10
    Module Design built this 700-square-foot custom home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    2/10
    Brightly painted fiber cement panels provide a durable covering for the highly efficient home.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    3/10
    ENERGY STAR appliances reduce energy use in the home.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    4/10
    No-VOC interior paints and low-VOC kitchen cabinet materials and finishes add to good indoor air quality.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    5/10
    EPA WaterSense-certified appliances save water and energy.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    6/10
    An energy recovery ventilator brings fresh air into the home and exhausts stale air while transferring heat from the warmer air path to the cooler air path.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    7/10
    The walls are built in a factory under controlled conditions. Continuous laminated veneer lumber at roof framing acts as header. Furring strips form an interior wiring chase behind the drywall that minimizes penetrations in the thermal envelope.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    8/10
    The highly efficient wall panels consist of (from inside to outside) 1/2-inch drywall; a 2-by-3 wiring and utility chase; 7/16-inch OSB; 9.5-inch lumber and OSB I joists set at 24 inches on center; joist bays filled with 9.5 inches of dense-packed cellulose; 7/16-inch coated OSB sheathing; rainscreen; fiber-cement panel siding.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    9/10
    The foundation is wrapped in insulation. The stem walls are built of 10-inch concrete masonry units that are filled with foam then damp-proofed and wrapped in 3 inches of EPS rigid insulation that is covered with cementitious parging while a 6-inch layer of EPS rigid insulation lines the entire underside of the slab.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
    10/10
    The home uses advanced LED lighting inside and outside and the lighting is operated by controls that are integrated with the home automation system.
    Photo courtesy of Module Design
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