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Eastford Farm Bungalow

    • Paul Torcellini built this 3,597-square-foot home in Eastford, Connecticut, to the performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • The majority of windows face south to take advantage of free solar heat.
    • Taking advantage of a sloping lot, the builder constructed a daylight basement that provides living space and garages without increasing the home's footprint.
    • A 9.4-kW solar-photovoltaic electric generating system and a high-performance thermal envelope consisting of double-stud walls filled with 12 inches (R-52) of dense-packed fiberglass insulation plus an unvented roof insulated along the underside with dense-packed R-60 to R-80 fiberglass helped provide combined energy cost savings of $5,470 compared to a similar-sized home built to the 2009 IECC.
    • In the kitchen, an ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerator was installed.
    • This home meets the requirements of the EPA Indoor airPLUS program, including the use of low- or no-VOC wood products, primer, paint, cabinets, and flooring to minimize the air contaminants.
    • An ultra-efficient air-to-water heat pump provides hot water for radiant in-floor heating and for domestic hot water. A highly efficient (SEER 26) ductless heat pump provides supplemental cooling as needed.
    • A centrally located 80-gallon storage tank holds hot water from the air-to-water heat pump.
    • These inverters convert the direct current electricity produced by the solar electric system to alternating current. The house is wired with emergency circuits that tie into the inverters for power, refrigeration, and lighting during utility power outages.

      Eastford Farm Bungalow

      Project Address

      Eastford , CT

      Conditioned Square Footage
      3,597 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      3 Beds
      Number of Bathrooms
      2.0 Baths
      Number of Floors Above Grade
      2 Floors Above Grade
      Home Type
      Custom
      Climate Zone Temperature
      Cold
      Climate Zone Humidity
      Humid

      With PV

      HERS Index with PV
      2HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $7Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $5,500Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $235,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      Paul Torcellini

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Winner
      HIA Category
      Housing Innovation Award

      Learn More

      Key Features

      Key Features
      Air-to-water heat pump All-electric home Cold-climate heat pump Energy / Heat recovery ventilator Electric Vehicle Charger Installed or Wired for Charger Heat pump water heater Photovoltaics Unvented insulated attic ACH 50 < 2.5 or CFM50/SF of enclosure ≤ 0.25 Double Walls

      Additional Details

      Additional Details
      Basement

      Read the Case Study

      See the Poster

      Testimonials

      Video Testimonial
      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      It just really made sense to start from scratch and build it the way we want it. Of course it's going to be a zero-energy house! I’ve done energy efficiency for many, many years. You kind of have to think, how does it impact future generations?
      Testimony Citation
      Paul Torcellini, homeowner and builder

      Additional Media

      Finished Elevations

        Finished Interiors

          Other Images

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            Floor Plan