Superior Walls of New Jersey utilizes the Xi Foundation & Above Grade Wall model for it's superior energy efficiency, incredible strength, and waterproof seals. | more info
Green Building and Superior Walls are starting to become synonymous with each other. Or so it seems. In late 2007, Superior Walls by North Carolina installed 10 foot Xi panels for another green home project. The 203 linear feet is going to be part of the project that is going to be the feature for the August 2008 Southern Living Magazine featuring a green built and LEED certified homes. This particular home was built on Whisper Mountain which is located in the western part of North Carolina just outside of Ashville.The EcoBuilders are proud to present the 2008 Southern Living Green Idea Home at Whisper Mountain, near Asheville, North Carolina.
The Green Idea home boasts a long list of state-of-the-art Green products and credentials. It will be among the 1st LEED (Leadership in energy and environmental design) Certified Home in North Carolina. It will also be gold certified Healthy-Built Home.
The house is respectfully sited, with minimal disturbance, on an unparalleled view lot. Oriented to harness the sun’s energy, an 1800 kilowatt photovoltaic solar array will produce clean renewable energy. A combination of solar panels and an on-demand, tankless water heater will provide the home’s hot water. The solar panels will work in conjunction with the forced-air heating system, further reducing the energy costs. Passive design will also add to the home’s energy-efficiency.
The exterior walls of the home are built by the EcoBuilders’ partner, Deltec Homes, the only Zero-Energy homes manufacturer in the nation. The walls are built to EcoBuilder standards, including insulated headers and insulated corners. Deltec’s subsidiary DelKote applies BluWood, a mold and mildew inhibiting borate treatment.
The building envelope will be insulated with agri-based open-cell foam insulation, and sealed thoroughly. Automatically controlled fresh air, introduced by an enthalpy recovery ventilator (ERV), will be filtered by a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. The high performance windows are low-emissivity, argon filled. Ultra-high efficiency heating and cooling systems (with tight ducting), high-volume venting and EnergyStar appliances and fixtures will reduce the home’s carbon footprint and electric bill.
The comfort systems in the Green Idea House are not only energy and resource efficient. They provide the homeowner with better indoor air quality, moisture control, and a quieter home.
Among the water saving devices utilized on this project, harvested rain water will supply toilets. A rain water-fed cistern will also provide water for the landscape irrigation. These systems and the use of drought tolerant, native species landscaping will reduce water usage by more than 50%.
Minimizing rainwater run-off will be accomplished through rain water harvesting and utilizing permeable materials in the landscaping and driveway. A green (living) roof will extend the outdoor living space of the garage apartment and will also reduce run-off.
Exterior siding will include site-harvested lumber (milled and cured locally) and stone. Recycled and salvaged architectural features such as windows and doors will be utilized in the interior design. Low and non-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints and sealants will protect the home.
