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The Koenig's Residence located in Limerick, PA has recently achieved a LEED Platinum rating and is the first LEED Platinum single-family home in the state of Pennsylvania.
The Limerick Residence was recently chosen as a finalist for the 2010 EnergyValue Housing Award. The EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) recognizes builders who successfully integrate energy efficiency into all aspects of new home production, as exemplified by a specific home. The award promotes increased awareness of the value of energy efficiency among home builders, homebuyers, and others within the new-home market.
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Project Overview
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Sustainable Solutions Corporation (SSC) assembled and directed the sustainable design and construction team for this
LEED-H registered project with Platinum rating. SSC prepared the green building design analysis, including detailed materials
specifications, and directed the integrated green design process with Kerry Kowalchuk of Artefact, Inc. and Brian Creswell of
Creswell & Company, the green builder for the project. SSC completed the energy analysis and systems design for the home
including mechanical and plumbing design. This project incorporates passive solar design and a geothermal heat pump system
for HVAC, including energy recovery ventilators. The result is one of the most energy efficient homes in the state.
- HERS score of 25, which means it is 75% more energy efficient than the average home
- 5 kW photovoltaic system that was installed during construction, providing the homeowners with a 4500 kWh (approximately $720) credit on their electric bill
- Geothermal heating and cooling to maximize energy efficiency
- Passive solar heating and cooling integrated into home design
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Site Selection
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Large Floodplain and many trees on the site. |
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Natural Character of the site maintained by preserving trees while avoiding floodplain. |
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The site planning focused on maintaining the natural character of the site, while situating the home for the best solar orientation. This included:
- Removing as few trees as possible
- Avoiding building in the floodplain
- Maximizing the southern exposure of the home
- Minimizing the impact to the site by reducing site disturbance
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Solar Orientation
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Winter sun penetrates into home to provide passive heating. |
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Stone floor provides thermal mass to store energy from the sun in winter. |
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The highly efficient building envelope and solar orientation are key to the exceptional energy efficiency of this home. The south-facing windows provide passive heating and light in the winter while overhangs provide shading in the summer to reduce air conditioning loads.
- Longest axis of the house runs East - West
- Overhangs on the southern side block the summer sun but allow winter sun to enter
- Windows on southern side allow for passive solar heating
- Thermal mass allows heat to collect all day and radiate at night
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Materials
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Pre-fabricated insulated basement wall system reduces materials use and waste and maximizes energy efficiency. |
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Engineered wood products reduce the consumption of old growth forests and maximize resource efficiency. All engineered wood products selected have no added urea formaldehyde. |
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Energy efficient windows that are flashed and air sealed save energy and provide exceptional durability. |
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Detailed analysis was utilized to select the most environmentally appropriate materials. Pre-fabricated foundation and Structurally Insulated Panel (SIP) walls reduced construction waste. The comprehensive construction waste management program was implemented throughout the design and construction process.
- Superior Walls and SIP's used to create an extremely high R-value envelope and minimal waste during construction.
- High U-value windows maximize energy efficiency.
- All dimensional framing lumber was FSC certified.
- Advanced construction waste management practices that resulted in recycling more than 90% of construction waste.
- Bio-degradable chain saw oil was used during land clearing.
- Some of the trees taken down were milled and used in the home mill work.
- All of the stumps and other vegetation that were removed were recycled into mulch.
- Recycled aggregate was used under the foundation slabs and in the driveway.
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HVAC & Plumbing
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Manifolded PEX plumbing system saves water resources and minimizes plumbing joints. Tankless hot water heater saves energy to
heat hot water. |
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High efficiency geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling the home combined with energy recovery ventilators to provide fresh air to highly insulated and tightly sealed home. |
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Exceptional highly insulated and air sealed building envelope combined with passive solar heating reduced HVAC system size by 50% compared to a similar size home built to standard construction practices and code.
- Building blower door test indicated only 1.42 air changes per hour, which is significantly lower than the 5-7 air changes per hour for a standard built home. This result indicates that the home will have very little uncontrolled air infiltration, which increases its energy efficiency.
- Geothermal heat pump system provides radiant floor heat and forced air heating and cooling.
- A desuperheater connected to a storage tank preheats domestic hot water, reducing gas consumption for the tankless hot water heater.
- All duct work joints were sealed and insulated to save energy. Duct pressure testing indicated close to zero leakage, which saves energy.
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Photovoltaics
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5 kW PV system produced power throughout the final construction phase and provided 4500 kWh ($720) of electricity credit on the homeowners' electric bills. |
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SunSeeker portable solar-powered generator was used to provide electricity during construction in lieu of a gasoline powered generator. |
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A major goal of this project was to reduce the carbon footprint during construction and provide the homeowners with an electricity bill credit from excess electricity generated from the PV system during construction.
- The solar generator produced 12,500 amp hours of electricity and reduced consumption of gasoline by over 400 gallons. This saved $1,000 in fuel costs, reduced noise and air pollution, and eliminated over 7,500 pounds of carbon emissions.
- The PV system was installed in March of 2008 and it produced all of the electricity necessary for the final stages of construction.
- The homeowners moved in with a credit of 4500 kWh of excess electricity generated by the PV system during construction on their electric bill.
Project Team
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