Green With Envy
New Folsom Project Takes Energy Efficiency to the Extreme
By Greg Robertson
Longtime builder Bob Walter wanted to do something special for his first project with his new company, RJ Walter Homes.
Mission accomplished.
Tucked in the middle of a tree-lined street in the heart of historic Folsom, Walter has built a residence dubbed the “Home of the Future.” From the exterior, the bungalow-style home blends in with the surrounding neighborhood, giving no indication of the high-tech innovation that went into every aspect of the design.
Teaming with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Walter’s home of the future was built with the intention of building a home that produces as much energy as it uses. And they came close.
Compared with comparably-sized homes built to California’s Title-24 energy standards, SMUD estimates the home will consume 80 percent less energy, produce more electricity than it uses and have a combined average electric and gas bill of $22 per month.
“It was a natural progression from projects I had done in the past as a production builder,” Walter said. “We were the first production builder in the Sacramento market to start installing PV Solar. Then we worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and SMUD to do the U.S. Department of Energy ‘Zero Energy Home Program.’ ”
The green aspects of the home begin from the stroll up the front walkway and don’t stop until one has toured the entire 1,950-square-foot home and a 750-square-foot apartment perched above a rear garage, accessible through a back alley.
The landscape features a permeable walkway, native and low-water plants, ground cover and ornamental grasses, root zone watering systems for each tree, and a free-standing compost bin. The irrigation system uses intelligent controls to adjust the watering schedule based on analysis of the micro-climate by an on-site weather station.
The water savings isn’t exclusive to the landscaping, which is estimated to use about half of the water a normal yard would need. Inside the home, water-efficient showers, faucets and toilets also save an enormous amount of water.
The ground floor features a luxurious kitchen, master suite and living area. Upstairs are two bedrooms and a tech center. But it is the attic where the real advancements are found.
A super-insulated attic features the home’s solar-powered system. Roof-top photovoltaic panels provide a clean, renewable source of energy, and a solar water heating system features a single-tank 97 percent-efficient water boiler that saves money.
“We’re trying to push the agenda along,” Walter said of his goals with the home. “We do need to take control of our energy future. We, as an industry, have been asleep at the switch for too long.”
Behind the walls of the home, Walter used 2-by-6 advanced stacked framing instead of the traditional 2-by-4.
“We pulled lumber out of the house and added more insulation,” Walter said.
That insulation includes blown-in cellulose insulation, made of recycled newspaper, and two layers of foam on the outside of the studs. Then, an additional 10 inches of sprayed-in, closed-cell foam was used on the underside of the roof, which put the HVAC equipment and ducts in a conditioned space.
The kitchen features Paper Stone countertops, energy-efficient appliances and a center island made from colorful recycled glass. There are also recycled materials in the carpet, which rests atop a recycled carpet pad, and a patio made with recycled glass.
At the heart of the downstairs is the master control, a system located in the kitchen where the homeowner can monitor and adjust the heating, cooling, security and lighting throughout the home. Energy and water usage also can be monitored.
“It was on my life list to build a house like this,” Walter said.
Among the other features of the home:
• An Aqua Chill state-of-the-art water-cooled evaporative air conditioner.
• A night ventilation system that automatically brings in cool night air to pre-cool the home during the summer.
• A “Smart Vent” fresh air system which automatically circulates filtered outdoor air throughout the home with all the doors and windows secure.
• A central vacuum.
• Locally constructed cabinets using wood that contains no urea formaldehyde resins.
• A foundation built with a concrete mix containing 30 percent fly ash.
In addition to the main home, the secondary residence is a self-contained, two-bedroom unit with many of the same features. It rests above a three-car garage and overlooks a courtyard and yard that separates the two residences.
“This will be the way we do business in the future,” Walter said of the energy savings built into the home.
And Walter believes the small builders are the ones who can push the movement along.
“Much like the beer industry, there are Budweiser and Coors, and then there are the micro-brewers whose growth is phenomenal,” Walter said. When it comes to green projects, “there are plenty of opportunities for smaller builders.”
Walter said the project was a tremendous learning experience.
“I learned more in the last year than I had in the past 20,” he said of the project, which included eye-opening knowledge about wall systems, insulation and other aspects of the house.
In addition to SMUD and NREL, Walter worked with the Building Science Consortium, U.S. Green Building Council and the Davis Energy Group.
Walter is proud his company and the other organizations were able to take their efforts to the next level with energy efficiency, clean energy production, water efficiency, indoor air quality and use of sustainable products.
“This house is a success,” he said.
Greg Robertson is the editor of California Builder. He can be reached at grobertson@cbia.org.