DOE Tour of Zero: The Preserve by Greenhill Contracting

This Greenhill Contracting U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home has estimated utility bill savings of $1,900 a year without solar panels or $3,000 a year when solar panels are added.

Greenhill Contracting Inc. of Esopus, New York, built this community of certified DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes in upstate New York.

Advanced lighting technology is used throughout the home with LED lamps in 80% of the fixtures and CFLs in the remaining 20%.

The home’s high-efficiency appliances include an ENERGY STAR-labeled refrigerator, clothes washer, and dishwasher.

High-efficiency ENERGY STAR ceiling fans reduce cooling costs and noise.

The ultra-efficient windows feature three layers of glass; anti-glare, heat-retaining coatings; and an insulating argon fill.

Low-VOC paints and finishes help provide a healthful environment while high-efficiency ceiling fans provide cooling air movement.

A professionally installed balanced fresh air system called a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is installed in this airtight home. The HRV brings in fresh filtered outside air while continuously exchanging heat with stale air removed from the kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms.

Water-saving EPA WaterSense-rated faucets inside and drought-tolerant landscaping outside ensure low water bills.

On-demand hot water plumbing speeds hot water to fixtures with minimal waste. In addition, the ultra-efficient geo heat pump provides combustion-free water heating and space heating and cooling.

Insulated concrete form (ICF) construction provides a thermal blanket of quiet comfort and comprehensive draft protection.

ICF construction provides a very durable structure that can withstand severe winter weather and other natural disasters.

Advanced ICF wall technology can better withstand disaster risks such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and pests.

The professionally installed interior comfort delivery system includes ducts within conditioned space under the spray-foam insulated roof deck.

Three inches of closed-cell spray foam is applied directly onto the ground before pouring the slab, creating an R-20 layer of high-efficiency foundation insulation.

The ultra-efficient wall insulation system utilizes 11-inch ICF block construction consisting of two sheets of rigid foam held together by plastic spacers and reinforced with steel rebar to form a hollow wall that is filled with concrete. A fully cured system results in a remarkably airtight, sturdy structure.

The ultra-efficient geo heat pump provides the home with forced-air heating and cooling, and hot water.

The ultra-efficient R-60 attic insulation system includes 2 inches of closed-cell spray foam and 10 inches of open-cell spray foam applied to the underside of the roof deck.