(Australia-NewsWire.Com, November 11, 2012 ) Victoria, Australia -- Troy Johns is more than happy to show off his new “green” house, even if it is far from being finished. In fact, that is the whole point.
Johns’ Urban NW Homes is building constructing a residence that is set to be the flagship for the new standard of energy-efficient design. He’s shooting for a higher bar than most here would dream to reach.
The house will not only meet the standards of the National Green Building Standards (designating it as an ‘Emerald’ structure) but it will also be the first ‘net zero’ home on the West Coast, according to Johns.
The home will supply its own energy needs with 29 solar panels, along with an array of other features.
"It's basically a rocket ship," Johns said. "It's just built so well, there's nothing else built like it."
While the home is not the first within its general area to be energy-efficient, it certainly looks to outdo current models in the area.
Clark County recently broke ground on Emerald Housing in Hazel Dell. Developers in the area have utilized great features into home projects, like solar panels, for near a decade now. Urban NW’s design simply aims to take the endeavor to the next level.
Being a ‘Net Zero” house does not mean the house is off the local grid, Johns said. The residents would likely pay some utility bill certain months of the year, but they would likely receive money back as their house supplied energy back to the grid other months. The goal would mean a net cost of zero, or even a profit.
The Urban NW’s home includes Triple-Pane windows, insulation that is specialized and has staggered stud framing designed to control temperature and light. The house also is adorned with sat-of-the-art water systems for irrigation. Hazelnut shells have been utilized to accent the yard, rather than the traditional bark. Swales collect water that runs from the driveway. These are just a small portion of the overall green effort, Johns says.
The house will fetch quite a tally at $415,000. Only time will tell how buyers will react to the house and its unique sensibility.
"We're going to move forward with it no matter what," Johns said. "This is the future."
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