I'll re-use this thread rather than creating a new one. My old house in Issaquah WA is now on the market. The house is on Redfin is
HERE.
It was a technology showcase for Ichijo USA (the US branch of Japan's largest home builder). They built it at the same time as another house built to code; this one cost 50% more to build. This was done after their award-winning
z-Home project that resulted in a new Built Green level beyond 5-star called "Emerald".
It's 3br + den + bonus + family, 3.5ba, 3 car garage. It has a lovely protected view from all 3 levels. (Entries are level, and master, den laundry, garage are all on main - so you can live on just one level with about 2200sf if you don't like stairs. It's also framed for an elevator to the 2nd floor). The bedroom upstairs is huge, and was designed to be split in two - just put a wall down the middle and add a door. The door is already framed inside the wall, and light switches are wired to do two rooms. Designed for inter-generational living, each generation (kids, parents, grandparents) has their own level with bedroom, bathroom, open space, and patio. All three spaces connect at the center of the house by the common area.
EV-specific stuff:
- Tesla wall charger on a 100A circuit
- 14-50 outlet on a 50A circuit
- 15kW solar. 10kW came with the house and covers its electricity use (including all heat); I added the 5kW system for about 15,000 miles of free EV driving each year. In addition to net metering (so no electric bills), the state pays you for clean energy generation, although that ends in 2020.
Efficiency and comfort:
- 4.0 COP air-to-water heat pump (Daikin Altherma)
- Heat pump drives radiant floors throughout; also produces domestic water
- Heat pump should work fine to any temperature you are likely to encounter here; but just in case the heat pump and 80-gal domestic water storage tank both have back-up electric elements - plus there is a separate 80 gallon water heater (which I have turned off).
- Much more insulation than normal; including PVC window frames and styrofoam wrapping around wall studs to prevent thermal bridging
- Almost all materials are reclaimed, partially recycled, or certified for forest management. Gypsum panel is the only exception I can recall
Water and air handling:
- 2 heat recovery ventilators bring in fresh air constantly while retaining most of the heat
- pervious pavers on the driveway; water soaks through them in to the ground
- 3,000 gallon cistern collects water from the slanted roofs
- dual plumbing allows cistern water to be used to wash cars, water plants, and flush toilets. Or you can use city water
- no-VOC finishes throughout
- knock-off mat, tile inside, and shoe closet help remove largest air quality issues in the home. (2nd largest is from gas cars, but...)
Convenience:
- Drought-resistant plants
- Aluminum panels, cement panels, and masonry on house exterior requires no care
