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Hillsdale House

    • Passive Dwellings built this 4,250-square-foot custom home in Hillsdale, New York, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • Beneath the fiber-cement siding is an unusual building material -- the home was constructed as the first aerated autoclaved concrete certified Passive House in the United States.
    • A variable refrigerant flow air-source heat pump provides high-efficiency heating and cooling for the home. The air handler and ductwork are located within the conditioned space of the home.
    • The 9.6-kW pole-mounted PV and super-efficient construction help the homeowners save more than $3,000 in energy bills annually.
    • All of the paints and finishes used in this EPA Indoor airPLUS certified home are low-/no-VOC-emitting.
    • Triple-glazed, argon-filled, Passive House-certified windows fill the home with natural light.
    • The home's above-grade walls are made of 8-inch-thick aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC) blocks. AAC is formed by mixing fine aggregate with water and other minerals that form gas bubbles in the mix causing it to double in size. It can be molded, fired, and easily cut into lightweight blocks with structural and insulating properties.
    • The roof consists of 12-inch structural insulated panels (SIPs).
    • On the exterior of the aerated concrete walls, the builder attached 4.5 inches of foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid foam and topped this with furring strips to provide a ventilation gap behind the fiber cement siding.
    • An energy recovery ventilator provides continuous ventilation for clean air inside the tightly air-sealed home (0.39 ACH 50).

      Hillsdale House

      Project Address

      Hillsdale, NY

      Conditioned Square Footage
      4,250 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      3 Beds
      Number of Bathrooms
      2.0 Baths
      Number of Floors Above Grade
      1 Floor Above Grade
      Home Type
      Custom
      Climate Zone Temperature
      Cold
      Climate Zone Humidity
      Humid

      With PV

      HERS Index with PV
      9HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $90Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $3,300Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $138,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      Steven Bluestone

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Honorable Mention

      Learn More

      Key Features

      Key Features
      All-electric home Energy / Heat recovery ventilator Heat pump water heater High-performance wall with continuous insulation Photovoltaics Battery storage Triple-pane windows Unvented insulated attic ACH 50 < 2.5 or CFM50/SF of enclosure ≤ 0.25 Hot Water Recirculation Pump

      Additional Details

      Additional Details
      Basement

      Testimonials

      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      Actual electric bills and solar energy production numbers are all made available to all prospective clients … It is difficult to explain what it is like to live in a home without drafts, cold spots, and heating/cooling losses through inefficient windows. Ancillary benefits are its fireproof construction, waterproof properties, and the fact that it is rodent proof.
      Testimony Citation
      Steven Bluestone, builder, Passive House

      Additional Media

      Finished Elevations

        Finished Interiors

          Under Construction

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            Other Images

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              Floor Plan