EnergyWise House: An EnergyWise House Takes Smart Building

Homeowners often forget the roof, the largest heat-gaining surface in any home. For the EnergyWise House, a metal roof was selected for its high reflective capability. Studies show that a light-colored metal roof reflects anywhere from 66 to 77 percent of the sun's energy. Used with a reflective sheathing like LP TechShield, this roof is truly a cool roof, designed to lighten the cooling load for the home and built to last for up to 50 years. Metal roofs are made from up to 56 percent recycled steel, a savings both in resources and in energy. Systems that Save Within the home, there are a number of systems that can increase overall efficiency, including the heating, ventilation, and cooling system (HVAC), the appliances, the lighting, and hot water. The EnergyWise House made it a mission to install energy-saving systems and appliances that are available to all of us. Starting with the heating and cooling systems, it is critical to size, maintain, and operate these systems so that energy use is maximized and waste minimized. An oversized furnace will provide too much heat in one burst and require frequent energy-wasting cycles to turn itself on and off. For the EnergyWise House, the decision was made to install radiant heat, which warms the objects in a room, not the air that surrounds them. With radiant heat, the warmth stays low, near the people, rather than drifting high toward the ceiling as with forced-air heat. The water that circulates to carry warmth in a radiant system is kept at a moderate temperature and is controlled by its own hot-water delivery system. For the domestic hot water, a decision was made to go tankless, which means a huge energy saving when hot water is not in demand. Instead of maintaining 20, 40 or more gallons of water per tank at a given hot-water temperature 24-hours per day, tankless heaters warm the water on demand, as it passes through a heat exchanger. They are small, fit in a closet, and mean never having to sacrifice warm water for a shower or dishwasher that runs at the same time. Energy-wise building can happen everywhere in our homes. Decisions to buy a more energy-efficient hot tub, an Energy Star rated washer, to install timers and automatic controls on lights, awnings, or heating and cooling appliances, can reduce demand and waste dramatically. Energy-saving products are all over the market, for the structure of the home, the systems that power it, and the appliances that run inside it. The EnergyWise House project proved that smart, affordable, energy-efficient products and solutions are available right off the shelf. Consumers just need to identify them and use them. Featured EnergyWise House Videos The Building Envelope - Building science consultant Steve Easley joins Bob Vila to discuss a few of the key elements that help our home in the desert beat the heat. R-Control structural insulated panels, Bonded Logic natural fiber insulation, Philips Products Marquee 9000 Series windows, Touch N’ Foam sealants, CertainTeed FiberCement Siding, and L-P TechShield roof sheathing, all featured in the project, are discussed. Watch Video!   Energy Efficient Appliances - Bob Vila and Steve Easley take a sneak peak at a few of the appliances that will be used in the EnergyWise House. A Kenmore He3t Energy Star washer and dryer will handle laundry chores, and Kenmore Elite Energy Star appliances will be outfitted in the kitchen. An added touch for cool desert nights is the Heat-N-Glo direct-vent fireplaces gas fireplace. Watch Video!   In Hot Water - Bob Vila and building consultant Steve Easley examine how hot water is efficiently used and distributed in the EnergyWise House. Eemax tankless, on-demand water heaters supply hot water for bathing, cooking, and cleaning. Seamless PEX tubing from Vanguard Industries is used to distribute hot and cold water around the house. Radiant heat for the home is supplied by a zoned Wirsbo in-floor radiant heating system. Watch Video!   LP TechShield - TechShield radiant barrier sheathing can help homeowners conserve energy by keeping up to 97 percent of the sun's radiant heat from entering the attic. TechShield, the only radiant barrier sheathing with post-lamination incising, effectively allows moisture to escape from the foil side of the board should it get wet. Studies have shown that using a radiant barrier can effectively reduce the amount of energy required to cool the home by up to 20 percent. And TechShield radiant barrier sheathing adds no additional time or labor costs to the construction, because the foil is already laminated to the board. Watch Video!   Philips Products Marquee 9000 Windows - Philips Products Marquee 9000 Series windows offer an innovative design comprised of 3 pieces of insulating glass, with two sealed airspaces filled with Argon gas. When combined with Low-E glass, these windows provide an energy efficiency increase of up to 90 percent over the average Low-E, Argon-filled vinyl window on the market. Solar heat gain coefficients are also improved by up to 40 percent with Philips' unique insulated vinyl windows. Philips' insulating glass package is up to 1 1/2 inches thick, compared with the 3/4 inch to 7/8 inch packages of other vinyl windows, and comes in a variety of styles and finishes. Watch Video! The EnergyWise House in an ongoing project that examines energy efficient building techniques, materials, and methods. For more information on the materials and companies participating in the project, see the EnergyWise House Video Resource Library.

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