Green Contemporary Home on the Sound

This spectacular green waterfront home has four bedrooms and three full baths. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living areas offer panoramic views of Long Island Sound. The empty nest couple that owns this home incorporated spaces that allow them to pursue their special interests and to host friends and family.

With a HERS score of 8, this home comes close to net zero for energy. During the planning phase for this home, the owners became more and more interested in their options to enhance efficiency and sustainability in general.

This home is both Energy Star Certified and LEED for Homes Platinum Certified, the highest level of certification.

Special Features

Open plan layout on main floor
Exterior is clad entirely in clear red cedar
Master bedroom with beautiful view of tidal inlet
Wood-burning and propane fireplaces
Walk-in wine room with climate control
Customized European kitchen cabinetry

Green Building Approaches

Flat roof used for unique adhered, thin-panel PV system to generate electricity
9.3kw system generates most of the power needed to operate the home
Slab-on-grade foundation with 3” of rigid EPS foam under the entire slab
2×6 wall framing, at 24” spacing, with 2×3 horizontal interior strapping to reduce thermal bridging
Exterior walls insulated with 7” of open-cell spray foam
12” I-joist rafters reduce thermal bridging
Rafters insulated with 3” of closed-cell spray foam and 9” of open-cell spray foam
Acrylic sheathing tapes used to achieve air-tight thermal envelope
Fiberglass double-glazed windows with suspended film for high thermal performance
Ground-source heat pump used for space heating and cooling
Condensing, propane, tankless water heater
Energy recovery ventilation