Summary

The Northern Illinois Home Builders Association’s (NIHBA) “Cavalcade of Homes” is a show of homes built by custom builders representing state-of-the-art construction and design. The 2008 Cavalcade of Homes was held at Stewart Ridge in Plainfield, IL showcasing model homes designed to be green and energy efficient.

St. Thomas Homes, Custom Builder of the Tiana Leanor model home, built the home to showcase innovative "green" building practices, which the company pursues with a passion.  St. Thomas Homes has set a benchmark by building this first ever certified green custom home in Plainfield. The home has 5,800 square feet of well appointed space designed with the latest green features and technology.

Challenge

According to St. Thomas Homes President, Richard Cannavino, energy savings was the main focus in building the Tiana Leanor model home. He consulted various ENERGY STAR^® vendors to choose a combination of components that will produce the greatest overall savings in energy use.

During every step of the construction, a host of options were evaluated as to their overall impact on the home as well as the environment.

Aiming to achieve the green certification, the home had to meet minimum guidelines in seven key construction areas: Site, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Homeowner Education, and Global Impact.

Solution

Icynene Licensed Dealer, D & H Energy Management Company, answered the builder’s concerns in meeting their energy efficiency and green building requirements by extending the benefits of the number one soft foam insulation and air barrier - Icynene^®.

Most of what makes this home green is not readily noticeable. Icynene^® insulation is a ‘hidden’ feature that helps deliver a greener home by helping reduce energy consumption and the related greenhouse gas emissions.

D & H crew sprayed Icynene^® in the exterior walls including the garage at 5.5” (R-20) and finished basement walls at 3.5” (R-13). Icynene^® was installed in the roofline at 10” (R-36). All rim joist ends were sprayed with 5” of Icynene^® to completely air-seal this area which, if left un-insulated, is considered a significant source of energy-robbing air leakage.

As a two-in-one insulation and air barrier, Icynene^® is sprayed on as a liquid and expands in seconds to fill every crack and crevice in the building’s envelope, creating an air tight building shell. By minimizing random air leakage, the home requires less energy to heat and cool than if conventional air permeable insulation is used.  Conditioned air is kept within the home so that indoor temperatures stay comfortable and consistent, all while minimizing HVAC load requirements for superior energy performance.

Icynene^® delivers high-performance solutions for efficient building envelopes, thermal comfort and a healthy living environment – all of which are integral components of green building.  With its air-sealing capabilities, Icynene^® helps exceed energy cost performance criteria established by the IECC under the Energy Chapter of the NAHB National Green Building Standard program, where up to 120 additional points can be realized for achieving the certification.  Icynene^® also contributes in the areas of Indoor Environmental Quality, Resource Efficiency and Additional Practices.

According to ENERGY STAR^® guidelines, the Tiana Leanor model home is expected to be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and 20-30% more efficient than a standard-built home.  Icynene^® is an energy-saving feature that made a significant contribution to achieving this goal.  Other features include geothermal heating and cooling units and ENERGY STAR^® appliances.

Results

The Tiana Leanor home is rated an airtight ENERGY STAR^® home and received a Gold Certification from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Program. With the Gold Certification, the home joins an elite group of homes achieving this pinnacle of green building.

Tests completed by a third party ENERGY STAR^® verifier indicate the home achieved a HERS index of 35, which means that the home is 65% more energy efficient that the standard code built home.¹

Homeowners benefit when a home is built green. They experience lower home operating costs and maintenance needs, improved indoor living areas which are healthier and more comfortable, and reduced environmental impact of their home. Increased home value is a likely outcome as well.

At the preview event on June 26, 2008, five of the showcase’s eight model homes had a power supply loss, including the Tiana Leanor model. While the outside temperature was a sweltering 94^°F, the Tiana Leanor model home remained cool and comfortable.

“The power failure at the preview turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us when the visitors noticed the contribution of tighter construction in maintaining a comparatively cooler temperature in the home. An airtight construction with superior quality insulation like Icynene^® is definitely a very important requirement of certified Green Buildings,” said Cannavino, St. Thomas Homes.

Named the Northern Illinois Home Builder of the Year for 2007-2008, St. Thomas Homes was recently awarded certifications from the National Association of Home Builders as Graduate Builder and Green Building Professional.

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