Carl Franklin Homes and Green Extreme Homes Community Development Corporation built this 1,594-square-foot two-story home in Garland, Texas, to the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

This affordable energy-efficient home was built for a husband and wife, both veterans, and their young children.

House wrap provides a drainage plane behind the wood siding, while high-efficiency windows have an argon gas fill between two panes of glass along with an advanced low-emissivity coating to minimize heat loss.

The 3.5 kW of solar electric panels installed on the roof contribute to the $1,905 in annual energy savings the homeowners will experience in this home compared to a home built to the 2009 energy code.

The structural insulated panel (SIP) thermal blanket uses 4.5-inch-thick wall panels (R-20) that sit on a bottom plate sealed against the post-tensioned slab foundation with a flexible foam sill gasket.

The SIP thermal blanket uses 8.25-inch roof panels (R-38) that are lowered into place on the SIP walls.

Because SIPs come to the job site precut to the dimensions that will be needed, on-site construction time is shortened and very little material is wasted.

The joints between the solid SIP panels are sealed, helping to provide an airtight, draft-free structure.

Volunteers helped construct the affordable, high-performance home, which includes solar electric panels to help ensure lower energy bills well into the future.