Performance House: A Cold Climate Challenge Home, Old Greenwich, Connecticut (Fact Sheet)
By working with builder partners on test homes, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program can vet whole-house building strategies and avoid potential unintended consequences of implementing untested solution packages on a production scale. To support this research, Building America team Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) partnered with Preferred Builders Inc. on a high-performance test home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. The philosophy and science behind the 2,700 ft2 "Performance House" was based on the premise that homes should be safe, healthy, comfortable, durable, efficient, and adaptable to the needs of homeowners. The technologies and strategies used in the "Performance House" were best practices rather than cutting edge, with a focus on simplicity in construction, maintenance, and operation. Achieving 30% source energy savings compared with a home built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code in the cold climate zone requires that nearly all components and systems be optimized. Careful planning and design are critical. The end result was a DOE Challenge Home that achieved a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score of 20 (43 without photovoltaics [PV]).
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Building Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1105083
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/GO-102013-4098; KNDJ-0-40342-00
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Building America Case Study: Whole-House Solutions for New Homes, Building Technologies Office (BTO)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The Performance House: A Cold Climate Challenge Home - Old Greenwich
The Performance House - A Cold Climate Challenge Home
Related Subjects
RESIDENTIAL
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
CARB
BUILDING AMERICA
CHALLENGE HOME
PERFORMANCE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
WATERSENSE INDOOR AIRPLUS
ENERGY STAR
LEED FOR HOME
GREEN
SUSTAINABLE
ACCESSIBILITY
SAVINGS TO INVESTMENT RATIO
BEST PRACTICES PRACTICED
HYDRO-COIL HEATING
CONDENSING BOILER
PV
LED LIGHTING