Dow and Cobblestone Celebrate Opening of Second Net-Zero Energy Home
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| Michigan Governor Rick Snyder |
On May 7, Dow and Cobblestone Homes – a Great Lakes Bay Region homebuilder focused on energy-efficiency – introduced a new net-zero energy home. The home, dubbed "InVision Zero," was built for less than $250,000.
It was constructed as a net-zero energy demonstration home in order to broaden public awareness that sustainable living is an attainable, and now an even more affordable, reality for homeowners.
The home uses a portfolio of energy-efficient home building materials and energy generating technologies from Dow, such as STYROFOAM SIS™ Brand Structural Insulated Sheathing and the revolutionary DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle System. InVision Zero is expected to save $2,441 in energy costs and avert 30,233 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.1
Building on Success
Dow originally collaborated with Cobblestone Homes on the "Vision Zero" home, which was used as an educational center for one year, providing tours, training and hands-on demonstrations. Nearly 5,000 homeowners, business executives and government officials have toured the home. It is now closed to the public and is up for sale.
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| InVision House |
The success of Vision Zero was highlighted when the home received a Gold 2011 EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Builders Challenge certification. The DOE Builders Challenge recognized Cobblestone Homes for their commitment to building quality homes with a 70 or lower EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale) rating, which is based on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index; Vision Zero exceeded the best energy performance with a HERS index of -4.
"Dow Building Solutions has been providing advanced building science expertise to the industry for decades," said Dale Winger, marketing manager, Dow Building Solutions. "By collaborating with industry leaders like Cobblestone Homes, we are able to showcase that employing the latest available insulation and air sealing technologies can reduce a home's energy requirements so dramatically that net-zero energy homes reach an attainable price point for mainstream new home buyers."
Visit InVision Zero!
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| U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) |
The 1,556 square foot home is open to the public upon request and will serve as an educational center for one year, providing tours, training and hands-on demonstrations. Please contact Rebecca McClear at rmcclear@dow.com or 989.638.9154 for availability and arrangements.
For more information, visit www.invisionzerohome.com.
1Based on Building Knowledge, Inc. energy matrix completed for the InVision Zero home using a Michigan code-built home as a comparison