design process study for the demonstration homes - Architectural ...

Both Premier and Cresleigh constructed 94 similarly sized homes. The Premier Gardens
homes were ZEH and the Cresleigh Homes were ENERGY STAR and included features
such as granite countertops as standard. (See Table 2 for a comparison of key features.)
Premier Homes began construction approximately one month later than Cresleigh but
sold out at the same time. The home prices ranged from $300,000 to $476,000. During the
construction phases, both builders raised their prices four to five times, yet had no
problems selling the homes. The incremental cost to Premier Homes for the ZENHome
design package was approximately $10,000 per home after rebates. This cost was passed
on to the homeowner as a mark up.
The following section compares the neighboring communities of Premier Gardens and
Cresleigh Rosewood. The homes built in both of these developments are approximately
the same size and have similar energy features. The small differences are that the
Cresleigh homes are slightly larger and Premier Gardens homes are more energy efficient
in a few areas and include PV systems. Table 2 summarizes the two developments.
Table 2. Comparison of Premier Gardens and Cresleigh Rosewood
Home builders Premier Gardens Cresleigh
Energy program ComfortWise SMUD Advantage Home
Square footages 2,248 2,384
1,846 2,024
1,625 2,000
1,285 1,850
15
1,720
1,610
Photovoltaics 2kW AC GE None
Air Conditioner 14 SEER 10 SEER
Heating Efficiency 91% 80%
Water heating Tankless 82% EF 40 Gallon
Ceiling Insulation R-38 R-30
Wall Insulation Insulation wrap w/ stucco R-17 w/Tyvek wrap
Windows Vinyl Low-E E-squared vinyl