High Performance Homes releases its first model home has received the distinguished U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Zero Energy Ready Home certification. By exceeding the rigorous DOE Zero Energy Ready Home National Program Requirements, this home is effectively in the top 1 percent of homes in the nation for outstanding levels of energy savings, comfort, health and durability.
Located near historic Gettysburg in the Links-style golf course community, The Links at Gettysburg, the 5,500 square foot single-family detached home employs a comprehensive package of leading-edge high-performance home building technologies. This includes DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles, a geothermal heating and cooling system, energy-efficient appliances, structurally insulated panels (SIPs), and advanced air quality systems. High Performance Homes’ proprietary home automation and energy monitoring technology is also included, enabling complete heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) control, as well as remote control of lighting, thermostats, and security from any smart device.
DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes are verified by a qualified third-party and are at least 40-50 percent more energy efficient than a typical new home. This generally corresponds to a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score in the low- to mid-50s, depending on the size of the home and region in which it is built. High Performance Homes model achieved a HERS Index Score (with on-site electricity generation) of 23, meaning the home is nearly 60 percent more energy-efficient than an average new home in Pennsylvania and as much as 100 percent or more energy-efficient than the average existing home. The annual energy cost of this home is $3,506 dollars less than a house built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (which is the current model energy code in Gettysburg) and $6349 dollars less than an existing home of the same size in the same city.
Samuel Rashkin, Chief Architect for DOE Building Technologies Office said, “Zero Energy Ready Homes like this new Links at Gettysburg model are the home of the future because they live, work, and last better with incredibly low or no energy costs. And what’s exciting for American homebuyers, they are available today thanks to leading builders across the country.”
“I am incredibly proud of the merit of this home,” said High Performance Homes President, Kiere DeGrandchamp. “We are a small builder with a big vision. With three hundred lots available, we aim to build the largest concentration of single-family homes built to the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home National Program Requirements.”
The home builder has also received the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certification on another home, achieving a HERS Index Score (with on-site electricity generation) of 16, and has four more homes in production that High Performance Homes anticipates will also receive the prestigious certification.
National and regional leaders of the home building, energy, and real estate industries, along with local officials, will gather at The Links at Gettysburg in June for a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration of the High Performance Homes model, and to raise awareness for the environmental and consumer benefits of homes built to these stringent standards.
High Performance Homes is a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Partner committed to meet all requirements set forth in the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home National Program. Additionally, the home builder is a National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Green Partner, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Indoor airPLUS Partner and ENERGY STAR Partner.
