Empowerhouse at the 2011 Solar Decathlon

Curious about green living and solar homes?  Then you should check out sustainable and solar Empowerhouse.

Partnering with Habitat for Humanity, local communities can soon help construct affordable, energy-efficient housing.

To start – and to build awareness – you can see two Empowerhouses on display this year.  The first one will be part of the 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.  Not too far away, in the Deanwood neighborhood in D.C., another Empowerhouse will be constructed.

After the end of the Solar Decathlon, the two Empowerhouses will be joined together in Deanwood.  Each of the structures are sustainable independent of each other, but the most optimum energy efficiency can be achieved when they join together.   Just recently, we posted about net-zero housing, so this new project is quite timely!  According to a related post:

The major ‘green’ aspect of the Empowerhouse is the fact that it requires up to 80 percent lesser energy for cooling or heating up a room when compared with a regular home. However, even if you compare it with a very high energy-efficient home, the Empowerhouse saves on 40% energy – all this is possible as it conforms to the Passive House standard (which is the highest international standard in energy efficienty). The Empowerhouses have very energy efficient electrical appliances, energy recovery ventilation, well-located windows for utilizing natural light, heat-pump technology and more, which leads to a drastically reduced electricity bill.

Although the sustainable, solar homes are a bit more expensive to construct, the difference is quickly made up through reduced energy bills and improvement in property value.  In addition, the Empowerhouse is designed with a modern, urban flair, using pre-fabricated building materials.

Can you imagine living in an affordable home that pays for itself within a matter of years?  That’s what the Empowerhouse is all about!

Tags: empowerhouse, habitat for humanity, home solar, solar decathlon, solar homes, sustainable homes

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