Marks 7th Project with Building America Program, IBACOS
October 01, 2011
Construction has started at Stone Mill by K. Hovnanian Homes® in Roseville, California on a new home that is being built to test improvements in energy efficiency with the modification of a variety of construction techniques.
The home, a 2,311 square foot, three bedroom, two bath, single story with a three-car garage, “will share architectural style with others in the neighborhood,” said Ray Putnam, senior community manager for K. Hovnanian Homes, “but it will include features and be built using enhanced construction techniques to assess possible improvements in our already high energy efficiency standards.”
The buyer of the home, which is now for sale and priced at $338,840, will agree to the monitoring of energy use, room temperatures and humidity for one year.
“The goal is to see how much a typical family of four or five will save over the course of a year while maintaining their normal style of living and enhanced comfort levels in the home,” said Putnam. “It’s an exciting opportunity for a family that wants to be on the cutting edge of residential design to own a home that includes features and designs that may become the standard in years to come.”
In addition to sensors in the attic and on the gas and electric meters, the home will include seven monitors about the size of a deck of cards that look similar to thermostats mounted on the walls throughout the home, said Kevin Brozyna, building performance specialist with IBACOS. IBACOS is managing the local test under agreement with the U. S. Department of Energy’s “Building America” program. The year-long collection of data will be done via wireless communication. At the end of the test period, the sensors and testing equipment will be removed from the home.
In addition to a 2.4 kilowatt solar system, tankless water heater and higher performance windows, the home will include “higher insulation levels, additional air sealing of penetrations through the ceiling plane, perimeter insulation on the slab foundation and a unique, hidden soffit in the attic space that brings the air distribution ductwork and mechanical equipment into conditioned space,” said Brozyna. “We are working with the local trades and construction crews to determine the most cost-effective methods for achieving the energy standards that will be part of future building codes.”
IBACOS is using this test house to demonstrate that moving the HVAC units and ductwork to conditioned space and incorporating shorter duct runs will allow for smaller, more efficient heating and cooling units in new homes.
“The goal is to create efficiencies that maintain comfort levels while more effectively distributing heated and cooled air throughout the home,” said Brozyna.
The modifications planned for the home include the 2.4 kilowatt solar system; tankless water heater; 16 SEER air conditioning system; two inches of polysterene insulation around the exterior perimeter of the foundation’s slab edge; a sealed vapor barrier under the slab; high-density insulation filling all exterior walls; additional R-3 insulating sheathing for the exterior stucco base; R-49 attic insulation; an insulated bulkhead in the attic for ductwork; spray foam insulation on the attic floor; dual-pane, low-E windows; air return transfer grilles above bedroom doors; a central exhaust fan to balance ventilation of the home; and additional compact fluorescent lighting.
This is the seventh test home built by K. Hovnanian Homes under the Building America program. Others were built in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Southern California, said Brozyna.
“The national program works with builders that already have a history of higher levels of energy efficiency.”
Energy-saving features already built into the homes at Stone Mill include highly efficient air conditioning systems and furnaces with insulated ducts; low flow faucets, toilets and showerheads to reduce water use; radiant barrier roof sheathing and low-E windows with vinyl coated frames to reduce heat and cold transfer; and fully programmable thermostats.
More information on the homes at Stone Mill can be obtained by calling (888) 697-4306 toll-free, or visiting online at www.khov.com.
About K. Hovnanian
Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1959 by Kevork S. Hovnanian, is headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey. The company is one of the nation's largest homebuilders with operations in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The company's homes are marketed and sold under the trade names K. Hovnanian Homes, Matzel & Mumford, Brighton Homes, Parkwood Builders, Town & Country Homes and Oster Homes. As the developer of K. Hovnanian's Four Seasons communities, the company is also one of the nation's largest builders of active adult homes.
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K. Hovnanian test home outside Roseville, California
