727 Forest St: Systems
All the systems in the house were selected for maximum efficiency and comfort.
- Passive solar design was used to increase the solar gain during winter days and to reduce solar gain in the summer.
- Top quality Gienow windows were chosen for the quality of the construction and their performance.
- Concrete flooring (lower and main levels) with in-floor radiant heat provides great comfort by creating substantial thermal mass and an efficient medium for conducting heat into the house. The concrete floors have the additional benefit of being long-lasting and low maintenance while avoiding any toxic off-gasing commonly associated with carpeting.
- The carpet that is specified in the upstairs bedrooms comes in tiles that can easily be recycled and replaced without replacing the entire carpet.
- Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) construction provides an extremely energy efficient and air-tight building envelope while minimizing the use of materials. Nominally the walls are insulated to R28 and the roof to r42 but effectively the performance is much higher when compared with typical "stick-framed" walls and roofs. The SIPs used at 727 Forest St. represent the state of the art in this product type and are non-toxic, fire-resistant, and mold-resistant. Click here for technical specifications.
- The concrete floor in the lower level is insulated from the ground using an R14 reflective, insulating material and the exterior of the foundation is also insulated to minimize heat loss through the foundation walls.
- Super-efficient Buderus boiler provides domestic hot water and hydronic heating with the possibility of adding solar heating system (optional)
- High efficiency plumbing fixtures and dual-flush toilets
- Heat exchange ventilation provides fresh air (especially during the winter) while keeping the heat inside the home.
- Coolerado air conditioning provides plentiful cooling while consuming only 20% of the energy of a typical air conditioner and using no harmful ozone-depleting gases. (see environmental scorecard for more info)
- A 3.7 kw pholtovoltaic system is specified for the house. This system should offset about 50% of the expected electricity load from this house with clean, renewable electricity from the sun. (see environmental scorecard for more info)
- Wired for data, video, telecom, security system and in-ceiling speakers (lower and main).