Lynden Powerhouse Open House Tour with Sustainable Connections
Written by: Nicole Miller
Sustainable, innovative and efficient!
A couple weeks ago we were pleased to host a home tour of the Lynden Powerhouse project in conjunction with Sustainable Connections and with a presentation from Built Green! The clients were gracious enough to let us hijack their home for the evening for the event. The 3-hour event was a success, bringing in all different kinds of people with different backgrounds! We were all excited to share the success of the home.
Lynden Powerhouse is not only beautiful but highly advanced. Using its oversized solar array in combination with server battery backups, the house is able to run without contributions from the grid, and even spends the entire afternoon putting power back on to the grid, helping power the neighboring houses and reduce the need for a peaker plant!
Homeowner Bob presented to everyone the impressive data showing the solar production, battery charge, grid output and critical loads. He explained that their system runs entirely on their battery backup during the night (note the State of Charge (SOC) line from 0:00 to7:30am slowly reducing) but never getting below 30% charge, then as the sun rises, the PV system (note the green area) runs the home and charges the battery until it’s at peak charge around 1pm, then all the excess solar produced is exported back on the grid (note the yellow area). This is the cycle that repeats itself each day!
The home has also proved its efficiency during family gatherings – in peak summer heat with children running in and out of the doors and with 20 folks inside, the home still never got above 75° inside and still exported 75% of the PV electricity generated.
I don’t know about you, but we’d call that an epic success!
A huge thank you to our adored clients, the homeowners of Lynden Powerhouse, and to Sustainable Connections!
Case Study & 2024 HIA Winner: The Lynden Powerhouse
Written by: Talia Dreicer, Nicole Miller & Senna Scott
The Lynden Powerhouse Case Study, written by Talia Dreicer, was featured in this season’s Master Builders Association Publication!
“The Lynden Powerhouse is a highly efficient, net-positive energy home that cultivates meaningful aging-in-place living and community connections in Lynden, Washington. Designed by Powerhouse Designs and built by TC Legend Homes, this 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath home features three distinct living areas and seamlessly merges innovative design techniques, a high-efficiency HVAC system, and automation technology to create a beautiful and comfortable home. Receiving DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, ENERGY STAR, and EPA Indoor airPLUS certifications, along with a Built Green 5-star certification, this home is a shining example of high-performance housing.
In the years leading up to their retirement, Baby Boomer couple Lee Anne Caylor and Bob Edmiston saw two potential paths. According to the couple, the choice was “a decision between lives of generativity or stagnation.” Caylor and Edmiston chose the path of generativity, focusing on creating a future where they could share time and knowledge with family, friends, and community. They started envisioning their future home, the Lynden Powerhouse, as an accessible, comfortable, and healthy living environment that would enable meaningful intergenerational living and support human connection. The COVID-19 pandemic only furthered their interest in positively impacting the lives of their family, community, and the planet, helping them refocus from their professional goals towards providing solicitude for both younger and older family members alike. The couple also saw the Lynden Powerhouse as a chance to push the high-performance housing envelope. Edmiston, a self-described “mad scientist” with a technical background and keen mind for understanding how things work, wanted to incorporate automation technology and add resiliency measures to optimize resources and reduce future financial burdens. Seeking a team that could deliver on their project goals, Caylor and Edmiston approached Powerhouse Designs and TC Legend Homes to design and build the Lynden Powerhouse.”
Additionally, we were excited to hear this week that Lynden Powerhouse is one of the 2024 DOE Housing Innovation Award winners! We don’t know what category the home has won yet, but we are beyond ecstatic and grateful to be receiving yet another win.
This was truly possible because of the collaboration with our incredible clients who were willing to push the envelope with us. We have the deepest appreciation for them and the innovative smart home features they created!
We are excited to announce our Net Zero Energy Co-Housing spec project that’s currently under construction!
Titled “Woburn House” on our social media, this 5-bedroom home is intended to house multiple family units and has an accessible first-floor bedroom and bathroom. Our hope is for this to be a multigeneration home creating a small, tight-knit community.
As always, this home will create its own power, leaving the residents with zero electric bills. We also anticipate it will receive Built Green 5-Star, Indoor AirPlus, EnergyStar, and Zero Energy Ready Home certifications.
Once completed, this home will be open for lease or purchase!
There seems to be a lot of confusion around Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) in home building. In this article, we will run through the most common questions we’ve seen!
Are SIPs panels non-combustible? / Are SIPs panels fire resistant?
While SIPs can still catch fire, they are less combustible than traditional stick-framed homes. That’s, in part, due to less wood being used and because of the flame retardants used on the foam. In combination with the gypsum drywall, the whole assembly has a 1-hour fire rating. SIPs construction also does not require an attic space, which can be a fire hazard, thereby eliminating a major threat.
How are SIPs panels made?
SIPs are manufactured off-site to the exact specs of the house. Each panel is made up of two OSB panels sandwiching an EPS or GPS foam core. During the manufacturing process, workers cut out each window and door opening and cut all of the pieces perfectly to size, so that when they are installed on site, they will fit together perfectly like Legos. This also means that the panel off-cuts can be recycled and reused at the manufacturing plant, reducing the overall waste!
Are SIPs panels load bearing? / Are SIPs panels structural?
Yes! SIPs can be used for the entire exterior shell of a house. According to Insulspan, “SIPs have structural properties similar to that of a steel I-beam.” In fact, SIPs are actually considered more structurally sound than traditional stick-framed homes.
Are SIPs panels environmentally friendly?
Yes! SIPs are generally considered to be more environmentally friendly than traditional stick-framed homes. That being said, SIPs can use either EPS or GPS foam cores and EPS is not a very eco-friendly option. So, it’s best to use GPS SIPs in order to lessen the home’s overall carbon footprint. Also, since SIPs are manufactured off-site, they are made to the specific dimensions of a home which reduces the waste. Any scraps produced during manufacturing are also reused. Furthermore, when shipped, the panels are tightly flat-packed together reducing fuel needed for transportation.
Can SIPs panels get wet?
Yes! SIPs are built to dry out and can withstand exposure to the elements for many months. The foam core doesn’t absorb water unless it’s physically submerged or constantly wet for a long time. In all the years we’ve built using SIPs in the rainy Pacific Northwest, we have never had an issue with the SIPs compromising due to moisture.
How long will a SIPs house last?
SIPs are a super sturdy and hardy building material. Assuming you are properly maintaining your house (i.e. replacing your roof every 30-50 years, fixing any broken siding or trim, fixing leaks as soon as they happen, etc.), then a SIPs house will last 100+ years.
Still have questions? Shoot us an email! We’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have!
We’ve recently broken ground on our newest spec home. The home will be a total of 2000 square feet, with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms located near Barkley Village.
The intention for this home is to house up to five family units at a time, whether that be through renting or condominiumization.
In order to accommodate this many people there will be two sets of laundry stations, two fridges, plenty of storage options and both a dining room as well as a big bar top seating area. The lower bedroom and bathroom will also be made accessible for anyone with a mobility impairment. We imagine this might be a great living option for older individuals, college students, single-parent families or young couples who want to live in a community-shared space.
Since we’ve broken ground, we have run into some hurdles in getting temporary power to the site, but with Norm’s new electric Ford F150 truck, the site has been able to be entirely powered straight from his truck.
That means it’s been powering lights and power tools alike! With modern problems, come modern solutions!
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