BrightLeaf Homes built this 4,608-square-foot production home in La Grange, Illinois, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
The home was designed on a 2-foot grid, starting with its 32-by-48-foot footprint, and incorporated several advanced framing concepts including two-stud corners on exterior walls, ladder blocking on interior partitions, right-sized and insulated headers, and window sizing aligned with the wall studs to minimize extra framing. These steps reduced the amount of wood in the walls, leaving more space for insulation.
ENERGY STAR-rated reflective shingles cover the roof while minimal roof penetrations leave more space for photovoltaic panels.
The home is equipped with a balanced whole-house ventilation system consisting of an electronic controller that coordinates a damper on the fresh air intake with the variable-speed furnace motor and a high-performance exhaust fan to provide fresh air as needed based on the occupant load.
The home is equipped with a balanced whole-house ventilation system consisting of an electronic controller that coordinates a damper on the fresh air intake with the variable-speed furnace motor and a high-performance exhaust fan to provide fresh air as needed based on the occupant load.
Domestic hot water is provided with a natural-gas-fired tankless hot water heater with an energy factor of 0.97. A motion-sensor-activated recirculation pump speeds hot water to master bath fixtures, while fixtures for the other bathrooms and the laundry are located along a shared wall, minimizing the distance the hot water needs to travel.
All of the home's light fixtures have LED bulbs. Although the basement has recessed canned lighting, BrightLeaf minimized the chances of air leaks to the attic by installing very few recessed can lights in the second-floor ceiling.
The basement walls are covered with a dimpled plastic water barrier then wrapped with 3 inches of XPS rigid foam with seams taped to keep out water.
A coated OSB product with taped seams covers the walls to serve as both sheathing and weather-resistant barrier.

BrightLeaf Homes LLC

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Brainard Avenue

La Grange, IL

4,608 sqft

6 Beds

4.0 Baths

2 Floors Above Grade

Production

Cold

Humid

With PV

35HERS (PV)

$140Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)

$2,550Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)

$124,50030 Year Savings (PV)

ZERO

2018

Honorable Mention

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Key Features

Compact (core) plumbing design Electric Vehicle Charger Installed or Wired for Charger Photovoltaics Raised-heel trusses Triple-pane windows ACH 50 < 2.5 or CFM50/SF of enclosure ≤ 0.25 Staggered Stud Walls Hot Water Recirculation Pump

Additional Details

Basement

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(PDF Download)

Testimonials

Home owner (or occupant) Testimony

The DOE Zero Energy Ready Home … has rigorous requirements that ensure outstanding levels of energy savings, comfort, health, and durability. A better home provides a living experience unlike anything else. Unparalleled comfort combined with a certified healthy living environment.

Testimony Citation

BrightLeaf Homes

Additional Media

Finished Elevations

Finished Interiors

Under Construction

The basement walls are covered with a dimpled plastic water barrier then wrapped with 3 inches of XPS rigid foam with seams taped to keep out water.
A coated OSB product with taped seams covers the walls to serve as both sheathing and weather-resistant barrier.

Floor Plan

Download Home as PDF