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County's first carbon-neutral home to begin construction in November
"Carbon neutral" is the new "green" for environmentally focused residential and commercial builders.
Stepping into Fairfax County for the first time, a carbon-neutral home at 1310 Calder Road in McLean is being built with the aim of leaving a minimal footprint by reducing carbon its emissions. The home will generate its own energy through intelligent architectural design.
"It's a very powerful way to address global warming," said Mark Lowham, senior vice president of McLean-based West-Group.
Up to 97 percent of what was once the circa-1951 red brick ranch home will be recycled or reused in the Craftsman-style home scheduled to enter the market in May.
"I truly believe there's a better way to build and it doesn't have to be [with] windmills on the roof," said Mark Turner, founder and president of GreenSpur Inc.
Aesthetics played a large part in the facade of the Craftsman-style home. It looks as "normal" as possible so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in its suburban environment, although wind turbines will generate electricity on-site.
"We don't want this thing to look like a modern space station," he said.
Its contents, however, are anything but normal. A photovoltaic panel system will convert the sun's energy into electricity, which will offset the need for purchased power. Carbon-neutral buildings often produce more energy than needed so a grid system can store it for later use. DDE_LINKPV panel DDE_LINKs are more advanced than solar panels because they produce energy instead of just heating water, according to Maryland-based PV panel manufacturer Toolbase Services.
The home will use a geothermal system for heating and air conditioning. The efficient system preserves energy and cost by burying the heat pump in the ground to keep it warm. A traditional heating and air conditioning system uses a heat pump that is placed above-ground.
The outside of the home will have no exterior studs; instead it will consist of structurally insulated panels that Turner likened to an air-sealed Styrofoam icebox.
"The building has no exterior breaks," Turner said. "What it allows you to do is heat and cool the house at very marginal rates because the envelope is so tight."
Motor-controlled windows will distribute fresh air instead of recirculating stale air. A green roof on part of the home will provide insulation by capturing rainwater.
The result of these techniques is a home that is 60 percent to 80 percent more efficient than a comparable traditional home.
The home will open to the public after construction is complete. Lowham said many potential buyers have already showed interest in purchasing the house.
After reviewing the plans with the neighbors, West-Group plans to begin building in November.
The carbon-neutral residence is a "good way to show the marketplace it's [possible to be] economic and sustainable," Turner said. The home proves "there's a better way to build."
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