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Southwest Energy Efficiency Project Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

High Performance Demonstration Homes

Daybreak, Utah


Passive Solar ShadingPassive Solar Shading

PVT SystemPVT System

Four high performance homes were featured in the 2008 Utah Parade of Homes, held August 2008. These homes were made possible by a partnership with Kennecott Land, the Salt Lake Home Builders Association, and four builders (Gold Medallion, Rainey Homes, Holmes Homes, and Liberty Homes), with technical support from the U.S. DOE Building America and Solar America Cities Programs, Utah Clean Energy, Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land, which already requires participating builders to meet ENERGY STAR criteria for new construction, is participating in the demonstration project as part of its commitment to advancing sustainable building practices at Daybreak. The demonstration projects will help inform future building design criteria developed by Kennecott Land for new homes built at Daybreak. The demonstration homes qualify for a federal new homebuilder tax credit ($2,000) and utility incentives from Rocky Mountain Power and Questar Gas.

The four homes feature examples of highly energy efficient design practices and systems, and renewable energy technologies, including:

  • Passive solar
  • OASys Indirect-Direct Evaporative Cooling
  • Heat Recovery Ventilators
  • Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
  • LED lighting
  • Tankless Water Heaters
  • Integrated Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Panels (known as 'PVT')
  • Blown-in Blanket Insulation System
  • Spray foam insulation
  • Energy Star Appliances
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures, and water efficient outdoor landscaping

Each of the four demonstration homes is designed to consume at least 50% less energy than a typical home built to industry-standard construction practices. The homes were designed and built to showcase how the energy performance of new homes can be significantly improved by application of energy efficient design practices, such as orienting the home and incorporating solar shading on windows, with tight envelopes, advanced heating and cooling systems, and energy efficient lighting and appliances. One of the homes features an integrated photovoltaic-solar thermal system (known as ‘PVT'), which makes it capable of achieving net-zero energy consumption on an annual basis. Another incorporates advanced, indirect-direct evaporative cooling system that uses 70% less energy to provide cooling, while delivering a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air into the home.

The homes also feature drought-tolerant landscaping combined with drip irrigation to reduce exterior water consumption. Each of the homes will be monitored by the Building America Team to evaluate the performance of each technology, and actual energy performance of the occupied homes.

For more information, visit the following web sites: