A tour of 2009 The New American Home
February 13, 2009
We visited the Builders Show in Las Vegas and were lucky to get to view The New American Home. Its an amazing showcase home that most of us would never live in, but the ideas and innovations in it are too be admired and someday will be commonplace in future homes
The 8700 square foot home spread across 4 floors with an elevator provides the home owners with many spaces to entertain and enjoy the open layout that flows in and out through the several wall to wall automatic doorways. Lavish as it is, the home aspires to be a zero energy home, producing as much energy as it uses. Some of the integral energy efficient features and design elements that make this zero-energy goal a reality include:
- 12-1/2″ thick Insulated concrete forms (ICF) were used predominately for the basement and structural walls providing insulating R-values up to 50
- Vertical and horizontal solar overhangs and window louvers enabled the home to achieve a Five Star-Plus HERS rating of 57
- 10.64 kilowatt solar panel system – powered by 56 Sanyo bifacial photo-voltaic panels which provide upto 18.6 watts/sqft
- Unvented attic sealed with open-cell spray foam insulation
- Tankless natural gas water heaters
- 40% of interior lighting utilizes LEDs or CFLs
- Swimming pool heated by a roof mounted Solar thermal water heating system
View complete details on the New American Home 2009
Solar thermal water heating panels for pool
Window ‘Eyebrows’ – horizontal louvers
Rejuvention Room surrounded by swimming pool
Solar panel covered outdoor patio with a flat screen and fireplace!
Master bathroom – with a flatscreen!
Master bedroom – zen garden
Aside from these energy efficient design components, the home features many conveniences including zen gardens surrounding the vanishing pool, swim up bar and outdoor kitchen, home automation and security system, central vacuum cleaning system, pet shower, 5 or 6 fireplaces, 7 or 8 flatscreen tvs throughout, a wine cellar, media room, and of course towel warmers in the master shower.
