The Proud Green Home at Serenbe has been named a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Housing Innovation Award Winner for 2014 in the Custom Category.

“DOE considers this a significant accomplishment because your leadership is paving the way for the rest of the U.S. housing industry to provide zero energy ready homes that are better for our nation, our communities, and individual homeowners,” Sam Rashkin, Building Technology Office chief architect, wrote to builder Luis Imery, of The Imery Group.

The home is now eligible for the DOE’s Grand Award. The grand award winners will be announced at the Housing Innovation Awards Ceremony in each of three categories: Custom Builder; Production Builder; and Affordable Housing Builder.

The awards will announced at the EEBA Excellence in Building Science Conference & Expo for the Housing Innovation Awards Lunch presented by Dupont and Dow Chemical Company on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel.

This honor from the DOE is just the latest to come to Luis Imery and the Proud Green Home at Serenbe.

Other major recognition includes:

  • EarthCraft House Platinum Level
  • NAHB Green Awards, Project of the Year For Single Family – Small Volume
  • First DOE Zero Energy Ready home in Georgia

As part of recognition of the Proud Green Home at Serenbe as the first DOE Zero Energy Ready Home in the state of Georgia, the DOE developed a case study of the home.

Read the DOE Case Study.

According to the case study, the home, completed in August 2013, was a collaborative effort by builder Imery of The Imery Group, architect and building science consultant Chris Laumer-Giddens of LG Squared, Inc., Residential Design and Proud Green Home.com, an online publisher of green home information.

Proud Green Home.com asked Imery to construct its first “Proud Green Home” and brought in a dozen building products manufacturers as project partners. These partners supplied some of the high-performance and resource-efficient products used in construction of the 2,811-square foot modern home.

See a slideshow of the Proud Green Home at Serenebe

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home builders are in the top 1% of builders in the country meeting the extraordinary levels of excellence and quality specified by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Every DOE Zero Energy Ready Home starts with ENERGY STAR for Homes Version 3 for an energy-efficient home built on a solid foundation of building science research. Then, even more advanced technologies are designed in for a home that goes above and beyond current code to give you the superior quality construction, HVAC, appliances, indoor air quality, safety, durability, comfort, and solar-ready components along with ultra-low or no utility bills. This provides homeowners with a quality home that will last for generations to come, according to the DOE.

Green building design

The walls were sheathed with an OSB product with a waterproof exterior coating and 1.0 inch of rigid foam adhered to the interior side for an insulating value of R-6.6. All seams are taped with a proprietary tape to provide a weather-resistant barrier that takes the place of house wrap. A yellow plastic mesh rain screen is installed over the OSB to provide a 0.25-inch ventilation and drainage gap between the sheathing and the siding. The exterior edge of the raised foundation slab is covered with a waterproofing coating, 1.5 inches of rigid foam fiberglass insulation, drainage board, and brick for an R-7 foundation.

The home has earned an array of green building certifications:

  • DOE Zero Energy Ready Home
  • ENERGY STAR Version 3
  • EPA Indoor airPLUS
  • EPA Water Sense
  • DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Quality Management Guidelines

Key green building features

  • DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Path: Performance
  • Walls: above-grade walls 2×6 advanced frame, R-20 BASF open-cell spray foam plus R-6.6 coated Huber ZIP System OSB with 1.5-inch adhered rigid foam; Benjamin Obdyke mesh rainscreen; fiber cement and corrugated siding.
  • Foundation: Raised slab edge with waterproofing, R-5 fiberglass rigid foam, and brick.
  • Roof: ENERGY STAR 24 gauge aluminum standing seam metal roof from Metal Sales; 1×2 spacer, waterproof membrane, OSB. R-32 BASF open-cell spray foam on underside of roof deck, plus R-5 rigid insulation above deck, sealed attic.
  • High-performance coated aluminum clad, dual- pane windows from Ply Gem delivered a U-factor of 0.29, a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.20, and low- emissivity coatings.
  • Air Sealing: 0.21 ACH 50
  • Ventilation: 90% efficient ERV from Zehnder America
  • HVAC:LG mini-split heat pump with 1 exterior unit, 3 interior units ducted to rooms, 8.20 HSPF, 14.30 SEER, 10.10 EER
  • Hot water: solar thermal, with 80-gal. tank and electric backup, 0.95 efficient.
  • Lighting: 63% LED, 32% CFL, two ENERGY STAR ceiling fans
  • Appliances: ENERGY STAR-rated appliances from LG
  • Solar: 10-kW PV system
  • EPA WaterSense fixtures: All Kohler fixtures WaterSense certified; central manifold distribution with PEX piping to each faucet
  • eMonitor management system by PowerWise.
  • Other: Low- or no-VOC paints and finishes; programmable thermostats; shading provided to all windows; durable, non-rot, low-maintenance fascia, soffit, and trim; native and drought tolerant plants; rain sensor for irrigation system; perimeter subgrade drain system
  • Deep overhangs, structural awnings, and a porch trellis provide protection from summer sun while allowing winter sun to enter the space.
  • All 42 of the home’s recessed can lights are LED fixtures and 34% of the lighting is CFL pin-based.

Read more about the Proud Green Home at Serenbe.