This stunning passive solar home in Park City, Utah was selected by Green Builder Magazine as their 2010 Green Home of the Year for its innovative design and net-zero energy performance. Designed by architect Jean-Yves Lacroix, the European-inspired home uses 12-inch structural insulated panels (SIPs) from Premier Building Systems for the walls and roof. The passive solar design maximizes solar heat gain during the winter months and retains that heat using a thick concrete facade and the super-insulated SIP building envelope. An additional 4-inches of rigid foam insualtion was added to the exterior of the 12-inch SIP roof panels for an R-value of R-68.
Ninety percent of the home’s heating and hot water needs are provided by a solar powered system that includes a hydronic radiant heating system with solar collectors on the roof and behind the prefinished steel siding. Hot water is stored in two 5,000 gallon storage tanks and delivered through the radiant heating system as directed by temperature controllers throughout the home. Domestic hot water is also provided by the solar-heated system, aided by a heat recovery exchanger on some wastewater drains and a recirculation system for showers.
“We chose this project as our Green Home of the Year because of the way it marries sleek European design with high performance,” says Green Builder media editorial director Cati O’Keefe. “We received many excellent entries, but this home exemplified how green can be both beautiful and affordable.”
A 6.9kW photovoltaic array on the roof provides more than enough energy to power the home, allowing the owners to sell power back to their utility company.
The builder, Garret Strong of Tall Pines Construction, had the home certified to LEED for Homes Platinum and the Emerald level of the National Green Building Standard.
To see more, check out greenbuildermag.com and Jetson Green.
