Southern California Edison, Green Home Builder, Habitat for Humanity Announce ABC Green Home 2.0
Volume 5, Issue 30

It was announced on July 28 that construction of the ABC Green Home 2.0 is ready to begin in Walnut, California by project developer Nick Slevin, Publisher of Green Home Builder magazine. The project is pushing boundaries in many areas, including the solar component which includes 8.5 KW of solar – about twice the amount of an average install – for the home. A ‘cool roof’ will help it achieve Zero-Net Energy (ZNE). This means it will produce as much energy as it uses during the year through a combination of energy efficient practices and products and on-site, grid-tied renewable energy production.

Upon completion, the home will be open to the building industry and the general public for six months in order to showcase the home’s technologies and green products. “Home builders are looking for ways to compete for buyers in today's much changed U.S home building business. Buyers are seeking more efficient, healthier homes. High performance homes represent the intersection of opportunity and growing demand, for any smart home builder paying attention to the evolving housing market. Our ABC Green Homes represent the very best of American design, technology and construction, on an affordable on any lot footprint,” said Slevin. “These homes represent an ideal template to promote significant and positive change in the sustainable housing marketplace."

The home will eventually be made available to a disabled U.S. Veteran family through Habitat for Humanity on a lot donated by the City of Walnut.

Noted architects designed the home – a 2,400-square foot plan that will accommodate multi-generational living and offers ‘smart home technology,’ which works together to automate a number of the home's basic systems, including the electrical, lighting, security, and communication systems.

The ABC Green Home 2.0 is smart and sustainable. It demonstrates that a solar-powered, sustainable home can be built using available and recycled materials, such as tiles; countertops; as well as smart technology like WiFi enabled thermostats and remote access door handles and locks; energy efficient appliances and hot water heating. This all comes at a cost that is competitive with conventional housing.

As the price of solar technology continues to drop, the home will be used to demonstrate that builders and developers can offer solar as a standard feature without breaking the bank, added Jim Petersen, founder of PetersenDean. “As solar panel costs continue to fall, more builders are offering solar as a standard feature. Consumers are asking for it and building codes are requiring energy efficiency and renewable energy products for new construction.”

Implementing numerous green building practices, the ABC Green Home 2.0 will continue its high-performance themes brought to life by the original project and maintain the principles of being affordable, buildable and third-party certifiable.

Since California is seeking to make ZNE use mandatory by 2020, the home and its sustainability template will show how to achieve net-zero now. Southern California Edison (SCE) and other groups plan to use the home as a classroom to educate builders, architects, designers, and others about energy efficient construction techniques.

This high-performance home is being developed by Green Home Builder magazine, supported by SCE and built by Habitat for Humanity. Many of the designers were part of the original team from the ABC Green Home 1.0, which has been on display at the Great Park for two years and was part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in 2013.

Organizers hope that the ABC Green Home will demonstrate how to utilize design, planning, engineering, and science to create the ideal green home at a reasonable cost. “Being able to demonstrate that you can build a home that uses Net-Zero energy is important, but being able to do it affordably makes the message even more compelling for the home building industry,” said project architect Manny Gonzalez.

“There’s a misconception in the housing business that green homebuilding is daunting,” continued Slevin. “We are building this home out of materials you can get anywhere. It is designed to be easily built by a homebuilder on a lot anywhere in the country, using modern sustainable products and practices. There are few if any, affordable, entry-level, certified green homes being built by production homebuilders for sale in America so the home is expected to serve as a laboratory for design and construction of future sustainable housing.”

ABC Green Home 2.0

Demonstrating the best green practices in the industry, the home will be certified by six most commonly used rating agencies including LEED Platinum for Homes certified, Cal Green, Build it Green, California Advanced Homes, ENERGY STAR, and NAHB Green. These well-known programs represent a high standard in national third-party certification for sustainability in new home construction.

With contemporary styling and classic curb appeal, ABC 2.0 showcases energy-efficient products and appliances throughout the home. A tight building envelope is created with spray foam insulation, barrier wrap, rigid insulation behind the walls, as well as superior indoor air quality ventilation. Other eco-friendly interior standards include low-VOC paints as well as efficient windows, doors, and appliances. Water efficiency will be achieved through low flow faucets, plumbing and efficient irrigation nozzles for the landscape.

Other construction components:

• Solar panels have been placed on the rear roof to improve the home’s appearance
• Attractive outdoor living area helps to reduce indoor electricity costs
• Wall studs that are built 2-feet apart instead of the traditional 16 inches and are made from 2-by-6-inch boards instead of the traditional 2-by-4s thereby reducing lumber use and creating bigger spaces in walls for insulation
• Carpets are made from recycled materials
• Landscaping that reduces water consumption, using permeable paving stones
• Non-toxic, zero emissions paint and wallpaper are used to improve the indoor air quality
• Handicapped-compatibility with wider doors and halls, lower work spaces, and can be adapted for wheelchairs in showers and under sinks

The ABC Green Home 2.0 is setting new sustainable standards for Habitat for Humanity. “We view it as a great learning opportunity for us while also allowing us to serve a local veteran and his or her family. While our homes exceed Title 24 standards, this is a whole new level of sustainability and we’re very excited about it,” said Jody Gmeiner, President/CEO of the Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Energy conservation is just one of the reasons the project has been so popular with industry leaders and groups.

“Southern California Edison is proud to support the ABC Green Home. It’s our hope that this visionary project inspires homeowners, builders and renters to think about all the possibilities that are open to them. Every energy-efficient feature, no matter how small, makes a positive impact on their own electric bills and the environment that we all share,” said John Morton, project construction manager with SCE.

For more information, please visit the website at www.abcgreenhome.com and see the virtual tour at https://abcgreenhome.com/tour2/flash/tour.html