"Perhaps the GREENEST house ever built!" - The Sungazing House

Owners, Kevin and Svetlana O'Meara, researched and planned every detail of their custom built home in Park City, Utah. The O'Meara couple's goal was to blend architecture, the terrain around them and utilize the power, energy and movement of the sun. This net-zero designed home, named "The Sungazing House" used endless energy efficient and environmental products; however, started with the use of Premier SIPs to meet the stringent airtight requirements of Passive House design standards.

As the O'Meara's researched all framing options (conventional construction, ICF's, dry stacked masonry blocks, etc), they were directed to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory website for the intensive studies made on product performances. Once it was decided to build this home with SIPs, the O'Meara couple decided to use 12 1/2 inch thick SIP wall panels and include an additional layer of 4" EPS on the roof. The wall panels deliver R45 (versus R13 that conventional construction delivers) and roof at R60. Since SIPs are precut at the factory to almost exact precision, onsite waste is drastically reduced....SO MUCH THAT NOT ONE FULL DUMPSTER WAS REQUIRED FOR ONSITE CONSTRUCTION WASTE.

In addition to SIPs, the O'Meara house was designed and built to minimize the need for energy with site orientation, quad-pane Serious Windows, airtight construction, an HRV, Energy Star appliances, all LED lighting, a reflective roof, and thoughtful overhangs. 8” of EPS placed on the ground before pouring the basement cement floor, radiant heating, interactive solar panels, photo-voltaic panels, quadruple pane windows, underwater water tanks to store heat energy, heat recovery drains with no moving parts, LED lights...and the list goes on and on. 

In fact, the ultra-efficient home is not a net user of electricity from the power grid. Moreover, according to the builder, Sungazing House doesn’t require gas for space or water heating because it’s ultra-efficient and relies on solar hot water panels and underground water storage tanks. 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 Sungazing House" not only has earned the highest green building certification, Platinum LEED, but is also built to Passive Haus Institute standards, NAHB Emerald certified and is an Energy Star Home

Agricultural

Singer Farms Natural - Chris Wopperer, R-Control SIP/Thermal Foams

Features:

  • 6 ½" SIP walls & 10 ¼" SIP roof & 3 ½" Super Insulated Studs
  • Straw bale insulation 10kw Solar Voltaic System for electric power
  • PEX radiant floor (to be heated by solar thermal collectors & high efficiency wood burning furnace)
  • Windows are low-E II Argon filled double glazing
  • Preservation of heritage building with sustainable design & construction

Why the judges like it:

  • Rooftop solar collectors
  • Radiant heating
  • Preservation of an older structure
  • Use of SIPs in place of heavy timber for straw bale construction
  • Use of agricultural based materials

SIP Singer Farm Naturals Appleton NY

Commercial / Industrial / Institutional

Audubon Refuge - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPs by Insulfoam

Features:

  • 6" SIP walls & 12" SIP roof
  • LEED Gold Certification Standards
  • Model for efficiency for Government Buildings
  • Solar energy, wind generation & geothermal system

Why the judges like it:

  • Nice interior spaces
  • Excellent example of SIP construction on a large scale
  • Serves as a model for an energy efficient government buildings
  • Used SIP walls and SIP roof

Audubon SIP Visitor Center and Headquarters Coleharbor ND

Honorable Mention Commercial / Industrial / Institutional

Los Banos Community Center - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPs by Insulfoam

Features:

  • 10" SIP roof
  • LEED Silver
  • SIP roofs applied over steel moment frames

Why the judges like it:

  • Excellent use of daylighting
  • Integration of SIPs with steel frame
  • Large roof

Multi-Use SIP Community Center Los Banos CA

Honorable Mention Commercial / Industrial / Institutional

Amavi Winery - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPs by Insulfoam

Features:

  • 10" SIP floor & 10" SIP roof
  • SIPS provide easy climate control for wine and case goods
  • Build to Washington Green Standards

Why the judges like it:

  • Modern design
  • Unique use of a SIP floor

SIP Winery Walla Walla WA

Multifamily

Aeon Alliance Expansion - Denise Thomas, Extreme Panel Technologies, Inc.

Structures Features:

  • 6 ½" SIP walls
  • Concrete sandwich panels for the foundation level
  • 4 story wood structure
  • Affordable housing

Why the judges like it:

  • Nice looking building
  • Excellent utilization of SIPs in multifamily construction
  • Four story SIP structure, SIPs added durability
  • Innovative ductless heating system

Aeon Alliance SIP Multifamily Minneapolis MN

Renovations

Johnson Residence - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPS by Insulfoam

Features:

  • HERS index 74
  • 4" Insul-Lam panels to existing walls & 6 '/1" new SIP walls
  • Reduced heating/cooling energy use by over 83,5%
  • Upgraded to low-E vinyl windows
  • Ductless mini-split heat pump & air-sealed floor and ceiling

Why judges like it:

  • innovatie ise of SIPs to improve efficiency of existing home
  • Ductless mini-split system
  • Improved energy efficiency

SIP Case Study House Renovation Oak Harbor WA

Retrofit Panel SIP House Oak Harbor WA

Single Family Homes - Over 3,000 sq. ft.

O'Meara Residence - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPs by Insulfoam

Features:

  • NET-Zero energy
  • 12" SIP walls, 12" SIP roof & additional 4" EPS insulation on walls and roof, 8" of EPS on foundation
  • Awarded 2010 Green Builder Magazine Home of the year
  • LEED Platinum
  • Built to Passive Haus Institute standards, NAHB Emerald certified, & is an Energy Star Home
  • 6.9kW photovoltaics completely power the home with energy to spare, allowing the owners to sell power back to their utility company

Why judges like it:

  • “Beautiful contemporary design”
  • Used SIPs to the product's advantages
  • LEED Platinum
  • Passive House
  • Innovative design and systems
  • Passive solar orientation
  • Net Zero energy

Net Zero SIP House Park City UT

Runner Up

NW Net Zero Residence - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPs by Insulfoam

Features:

  • Net-zero energy status
  • 10" SIP walls & 10" SIP roof
  • LEED Platinum
  • Energy Star & Built Green Certified
  • Photovoltaic System
  • Panels had custom skins & splines

Why judges like it:

  • 10-inch SIP walls
  • LEED Platinum
  • Net Zero energy use

Net Zero SIP House Yarrow Point WA

Honorable Mention Single Family Homes - Over 3,000 sq. ft.

Far Reach House - Scott Bergford, Scott Homes, Inc.

Features:

  • HERS index 39
  • 10" SIP walls & floors, '1" SIP roof
  • 5 Star Built Green - Olympia Master Builders
  • Energy Star Northwest Certified Home
  • Builders Challenge Certification
  • The entire shell is SIPs

Why judges like it:

  • Very energy efficient
  • HERS Index 39
  • Uses a 10-inch SIP floor
  • 10-inch SIP walls ans 12-inch SIP roof
  • 0.65 ACH50

Energy Star SIP House Olympia WA

Single Family Homes - Under 3,000 sq. ft.

Spear House - Sara Nettleton, Sarah Nettleton Architects, Extreme Panel Technologies, Inc.

Features:

  • HERS index 40
  • 8 ½" SIP walls & 12" SIP roof
  • LEED Gold
  • Energy Star 5 star plus
  • SHGC glass for solar gain and movable sun shades
  • Stayed 60 degrees during a 3 day ice storm without electricity

Why judges like it:

  • Excellent blower door test results
  • Energy efficiency
  • HERS index of 40
  • LEED Gold certification
  • Used 8 ½" SIP walls

ENERGY STAR SIP House St. Peter MN

Runner Up

Zero Energy Casita - Heather Ferrier, Ferrier Custom Homes, FischerSIPS, LLC

Features:

  • HERS index 33
  • Air filtration: 581 cfm @50 Pascals (2.12 ACH @50Pascals)
  • 6 ½" SIP walls & 10 ¼" SIP roof
  • All materials selected on sustainability principles
  • Emerald Level National Green Building Standard Certification
  • LEED Platinum, Builders Challenge Certification & Green Built Texas Certification

Why judges like it:

  • LEED Platinum on a very small project
  • Sustainability building practices with reclaimed materials
  • Excellent energy performance

Zero Energy SIP House Fort Worth TX

Honorable Mention Single Family Homes - Under 3,000 sq. ft.

Cypress Grove - Becky Laybourn, Premier SIPs by Insulfoam

Features:

  • 6" SIP walls & 8" SIP roof
  • Passive house
  • Zero Energy Home
  • Hybrid sandwich SIPs with ½" exterior EPS
  • Domestic solar hot water system & storage tank

Why judges like it:

  • Meets Passive House standards
  • Zero Energy Ready
  • Solar hot water system

Zero Energy SIP House Seaside CA

Honorable Mention Single Family Homes - Under 3,000 sq. ft.

Ethos Homes - Jeff Brooks, Timberline Panel Company, LLC.

Features:

  • HERS index 41
  • 6 ½" SIP walls & 8 ¼" sIP roof
  • 5+ Star Energy Rating
  • SIPs Friendly Design

Why judges like it:

  • Traditional region-specific design
  • Energy perofrmance
  • HERS Index of 41

ENERGY STAR SIP House Niskayuna NY