subject: Net Zero In Oregon: The Morning Sun House [print this page] Net Zero In Oregon: The Morning Sun House
When Doug Boleyn, an Oregon-based energy expert, decided to build a custom home, he seiwanted to demonstrate that a Net Zero Energy home could be a success even in the cloudy climate of the Pacific Northwest. Doug enlisted the help of architect Mathew O. Daby Design and Cellar Ridge Custom Homes builders to make this challenging project into a success story that would help prove the viability of Net Zero Energy homes. The result: the Morning Sun home.A Net Zero Energy home must essentially generate as much energy as it consumes annually. To achieve this goal, design and construction must tackle the problem from two fronts. First, reduce home energy consumption as much and, second, install on site renewable energy generation. As Doug explains, the Pacific Northwest presents both opportunities and challenges for a Net Zero Energy home builder. "The primary opportunity is working with a mild climate with few extremes, hot or cold. This climatic feature enables such energy efficiency strategies such as insulation and air-source heat pumps to be very effective," says Doug, while "the primary challenge for the climate is capturing enough utilizable solar energy to provide the energy-producing part of the equation." On the energy efficiency side, the Morning Sun home incorporates highly insulated walls, floors and ceilings, airtight construction, separated zones for heating and cooling with highly efficient ductless mini-split heat pumps, super-insulating energy efficient windows. Doug explains in his own words why windows were so important, "It was clear, from a design and efficiency perspective, that windows would need to be carefully selected in order to reach energy design goals, assure occupant comfort, and capture the extensive views. The placement (compass direction) and selection of window characteristics for each faade was a key factor in the design process." Doug chose Series 925 dual-pane windows with suspended film technology and heavy-duty fiberglass frames. These windows offer outstanding thermal insulation, range of low to high solar heat gain glass packages and unprecedented indoor comfort that Doug was looking for. Doug wanted to make sure that he could directionally tune his home to take advantage of passive solar heating. For that reason, the high solar heat gain glass package was an important option for the south-facing windows. The Morning Sun House has been a great success - both to prove a point and for the owners to live in. The expanses of south-facing windows with high solar heat gain glass and large overhangs not only capture the gorgeous views, but they also passively heat the home in the winter without allowing it to overheat in the summer.
