“The most energy efficient home of over 20,000 independently tested”

Building: Solarium Style Home
Type of Heat: Geo-Thermal/Passive Solar
Product: 1” RPR P2000
Location: Pennsylvania
Year: 2006

Background:
Many EnergyStar homes are conventional in design and construction, adding some extra insulation and a few features like programmable thermostats to qualify them for an EnergyStar minimum rating. Beehive Builders set out to design a home from the ground up, focusing on energy efficiency. As a supplier of Green Build and energy efficient building products, Polysteel selected P2000 to insulate the ceilings and crawl space in Beehive Builder’s 3200 ft2 Solarium house project.

Building Features
• High Tech windows let in heat in the winter and block out UV rays
• Heat from the sun is stored in the floor & walls of the solarium and radiates throughout the home
• A geothermal system provides cheap and efficient heat as well as air conditioning
• Water is preheated geothermally, and supplemented by an instantaneous hot water system

Super Insulated Walls & Ceilings
• Systems designed to hold heat in and eliminate drafts
• 1” P2000 RPR used on all ceilings
• 1” P2000 RPR used in crawl space as well as bonus room
• Walls: PolySteel ICF foam block concrete forms

Superior Performance:
• An Independent energy audit showed the home to have one of the highest energy efficiency ratings ever recorded in tests of over 20000 homes in Pa, NJ, NY, and Del..
• The home scored an astonishing 49 on the new EnergyStar HERS Rating System.
• An Independent energy audit estimated annual heating costs at < $300, and A/C costs < $200, thanks to the geothermal heating/cooling system.