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Community Housing Innovations

    • United Way of Long Island built this 2,588-square-foot affordable home in Coram, New York, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • Energy-efficient construction plus a 7.8-kW PV system will bring monthly energy bills down to about $36 per month for this nonprofit group home.
    • ENERGY STAR appliances and EPA WaterSense-labeled plumbing fixtures add to energy and water savings.
    • Ducts are located within the conditioned space of the home to distribute heat from the gas-fired hydrocoil split air system, which is attached to a 96% AFUE wall-hung boiler. Cooling is provided by a 16 SEER air conditioner. The system has an attached MERV 16 HEPA filter and an ERV for balanced whole house ventilation.
    • The wall-hung boiler that provides heating also provides domestic hot water that is stored in a 40-gallon indirect super-insulated tank.
    • The photovoltaic system helps to cut annual energy bills by more than $2,600.
    • The highly efficient wall-hung boiler provides both heat and domestic hot water.
    • The basement wall is insulated on the exterior with 2 inches of rigid foam; an additional 2 inches was installed under the slab to wrap the foundation in a continuous thermal layer.
    • Drywall was installed before installing the duct chase to ensure the ducts will be separated from the attic.
    • The walls are advance framed with 2-by-6s at 24-inch on-center and sheathed with 5/8-inch cdx plywood. Over the sheathing the builders installed house wrap, then two layers of ¾-inch polyiso rigid insulation with staggered and taped seams. Furring strips were applied to provide a drainage gap between the rigid insulation and the vinyl siding.

      Community Housing Innovations

      Project Address

      Coram, NY

      Conditioned Square Footage
      2,588 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      5 Beds
      Number of Bathrooms
      2.0 Baths
      Number of Floors Above Grade
      2 Floors Above Grade
      Home Type
      Affordable
      Climate Zone Temperature
      Mixed
      Climate Zone Humidity
      Humid

      With PV

      HERS Index with PV
      8HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $40Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $2,650Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $130,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      United Way of Long Island

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Winner
      HIA Category
      Housing Innovation Award

      Learn More

      Key Features

      Key Features
      Energy / Heat recovery ventilator Photovoltaics

      See the Poster

      Testimonials

      Video Testimonial
      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      Maintenance costs are a heavy burden for low- to moderate-income families as well as for nonprofit housing providers. It costs LESS for nonprofits to own a ZERH than a code-built, low-cost-per-square-foot home due to low to no energy costs and minimal maintenance and upkeep.
      Testimony Citation
      Rick Wertheim, United Way of Long Island

      Additional Media

      Finished Interiors

        Under Construction

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          Other Images

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            Floor Plan