Skip to main content

United Veterans Beacon House

    • United Way built this 1,890-square-foot home in Deer Park, Long Island, New York, to the performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • The United Way home's average projected utility bills will be less than $60 a month thanks to a solar photovoltaic system and a high-performance building envelope.
    • The home uses zero city water for irrigation thanks to an on-site water recycling system that collects shower and sink water for irrigation.
    • Extra waterproofing details are installed at all windows, and the first floor is slightly elevated to minimize likely impacts from floods.
    • The home was equipped with a high-efficiency ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerator, dishwasher, and clothes washing machine for energy and water savings.
    • The home's high-efficiency windows are double-pane glass with an argon gas fill, and advanced low-emissivity coatings that reduce heat loss in winter and solar heat gain in summer.
    • The home's water conservation features include low-flow showerheads and water faucets and EPA WaterSense-rated toilets.
    • The south-facing roof is equipped with a 6.9-kW solar electric system that helps cut energy costs by nearly $2,600 annually, compared to a similar-sized home built to code.
    • The home's fresh air system consists of an energy recovery ventilator that pulls fresh air in through a filter while exhausting stale air to the outside. The two air streams pass through a heat exchanger where heat from the warmer stream is passed to the cool air stream, helping to keep warmth in the home in winter and out of the home in summer.
    • An energy monitoring system helps residents track energy usage and solar power production.

      United Veterans Beacon House

      Project Address

      Deer Park, NY

      Conditioned Square Footage
      1,890 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      4 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
      9HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $55Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $2,600Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $134,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      United Way of Long Island

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Grand Winner
      HIA Category
      Affordable

      Learn More

      Key Features

      Key Features
      Energy / Heat recovery ventilator High-performance wall with continuous insulation Photovoltaics Raised-heel trusses Double Walls

      Read the Case Study

      See the Poster

      Testimonials

      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      The ZERH provides sustainable energy savings, helping to lower monthly expenses and reducing any ongoing costly maintenance. The DOE ZERH program is the best solution for the type of housing we produce. It is the convergence of the vast knowledge of the national labs coupled with the innovative strategies of the ZERH program components.
      Testimony Citation
      Rick Wertheim, senior vice-president, Housing & Green Initiatives, United Way of Long Island

      Additional Media

      Finished Elevations

        Finished Interiors

          Other Images

          •

            Floor Plan