Written by: Nicole Miller

The U.S. Department of Energy announced that the submission for the Samish Solar Home from Powerhouse Designs and TC Legend Homes has been selected as a 2023 Housing Innovation Awards Winner!

Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home Housing Innovation Awards 2023 Winner official poster. "Powerhouse Design & TC Legend Homes" "Samish Solar Home, Bellingham, WA. TCLegendHomes.com." Photographed is the home that has won the award. It is a south-facing home with clearstory design, painted a forest green on the exterior with sunroom and covered porch and separate entry between the main house and the garage. “This is by far the most e cient, nicest, and most comfortable house we have lived in!” Homeowner "Project Data Layout: 4 bdrm, 3.5 bath, 2 fl s, 2,345 ft • Climate: IECC 4C, marine • Completed: June 2023 • Category: Custom for Buyer MODELED PERFORMANCE DATA • HERS Index: without PV 33; with PV -20 • Annual Energy Costs: without PV $650; with PV $-300 • Annual Energy Cost Savings: (vs typical new homes) without PV $1,500; with PV $2,450 • Annual Energy Savings: without PV 11,550 kWh; with PV 23,100 kWh • Savings in the First 30 Years: without PV $62,400; with PV $101,800" "Key Features Walls: SIPs, R-29 total: 6.5" graphite EPS SIP with OSB sides. House wrap, fi ber cement lap siding. Aerosolized acrylic whole-house air sealing. • Roof: SIP roof, 10.25" R-49 graphite EPS SIP roof, insulated splines. Synthetic underlayment, metal roofi ng with cool roof index of 32. • Attic: Unvented vaulted ceilings. • Foundation: Slab-on-grade foundation; R-23 ICF stem walls; R-20 closed-cell spray foam under slab. • Windows: Triple-pane, U=0.16-0.18, SHGC=0.32-0.50, low-e3, argon-fi ll, vinyl-framed. Shading: extended eaves, landscaping for shade, half of sunroom roof is opaque metal. • Air Sealing: 0.27 ACH50, all SIP panel joints sealed with double bead of mastic and tape. Windows and doors are foamed in. Whole house aerosolized acrylic sealant. • Ventilation: HRV, continuous at 30 cfm, humidistat and CO sensored for boost. Also mobile phone alert to IAQ sensors. HRV has HEPA fi lter. • HVAC: Air-to-water heat pump, 3.92 COP for heating and 6.75 for cooling; 23.02 EER. Radiant fl oor heat downstairs, fan coil upstairs. Designed for passive heating. • Hot Water: Powered by the same air-to-water heat pump that heats and cools the home. • Lighting and Appliances: LED lighting. ENERGY STAR appliances, induction cooktop. • Solar: 10.8-kWh PV. • Energy Management System: IAQ sensor controls for ventilation. • Other: PV designed for house load + electric vehicle charging."

This national award represents a significant achievement, recognizing the most impressive and advanced homes among leading DOE Zero Energy Ready Home builders. Our standard-setting leadership serves as an example of what every homebuyer in the nation should come to expect and demand from their home.

US Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home Housing Innovation Awards Winner. "Powerhouse Designs & TC Legend Homes" "Bellingham, WA TCLegendHomes.com Project: Samish Solar Home Bellingham, WA" "2,345 sqft, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2 floors. 4C Marine, Custom for Buyer." "HERS -20. This home's score with PV" - Indicates the HERS overachieves beyond the point of being just a Net Zero home which has a HERS of 0. The average new home as a HERS of 90 and the average existing home has a HERS of 140. "$-20 Average Monthly Energy Bill. Calculated." "$2,450 Annual Savings. Calculated versus typical new homes." "$101,800 Saved in the first 30 years. Includes fuel escalation rate, 2021 EIA Energy Outlook."

The Housing Innovation Awards helps us celebrate our success in providing our customers with the best in energy efficiency, indoor air quality, comfort, and construction quality. Awardees this year are being recognized for innovative use of off-the-shelf technologies and strategies to achieve advanced performance; innovative use of leading-edge technologies and strategies to achieve advanced performance; market transformation through education efforts; and innovative implementation of decarbonization strategies.

"Powerhouse Designs & TC Legend Homes, Samish Solar Home, 2023" A floor plan of the winning home.

Find Out More About the HIA Awards Here.

To start designing your very own potential future Housing Innovation Awards winning home, contact us today!

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