Garbett Construction built this 2,805-square-foot production home in West Jordan, Utah, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

The asymmetrical roof provides ample space for solar panels. All of Garbett’s production homes are constructed with structural support, wiring, and electric panel space in place for future solar photovoltaic installation.

Inside the walls of this efficient home, sprayer-applied sealant and judiciously applied spray foam seal seams in framing, at top and bottom plates, and around plumbing and wiring to reduce drafts and help keep bugs, pollen, and moisture out of the home.

ENERGY STAR appliances, LED lighting, and water-saving plumbing fixtures help reduce energy and water usage in the efficient home.

A highly efficient 96.5 AFUE natural-gas multistage furnace heats the home and cooling is provided by a SEER 15 air conditioner. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) provides continuous fresh air throughout the home.

A quiet and efficient energy recovery ventilator (ERV) operates continuously to bring in filtered fresh air and remove stale air from the home.

A 93% efficient tankless condensing water heater is centrally located in conditioned space near most of the home’s low-flow water fixtures. A push button-controlled recirculation pump speeds hot water to the furthest taps to reduce wait times and water waste.

The home’s double-pane vinyl-framed windows have low emissivity coatings to reduce heat transfer and an insulation value of U=0.30 that far exceeds local codes.

Raised-heel energy trusses increase the height of the roof over the top plates along the outer walls, providing easier access for crews to spray foam the top plates to the ceiling drywall as well as more space for the R-60 of blown fiberglass that will blanket the attic floor. Cardboard baffles will provide a clear air path from the soffit vents to the ridge vents of the vented attic.

Garbett constructed these production homes with 2-by-6, 24-inch on-center walls. With advanced framing techniques like two-stud corners, single headers, and drywall clips, Garbett estimates it is able to eliminate about 300 hundred studs per home, which provides space in the walls for another 120 cubic feet of high-density blown-in fiberglass insulation, increasing the wall total insulation value to R-23.