Shawn O'Brien and Nicole Yacura knew that they wanted to move to Knoxville, Tennessee, but had to find the right home. After visiting 12 houses with their real estate agent, they couldn't get any of their heads: Candora House.
“We saw four houses afterwards [one]”, Said O'Brien.” I didn't really think about her. I liked this house when I saw it for the first time. “
Candora House is the nickname for the city's third solar house, which was built by the local non -profit organization, which stands for the socially same, energy -efficient development, through its green construction program. According to SeesED, the Haus Netz is positive or “built to produce more energy than it consumes annually”, and part of the larger mission of the non -profit organization, “energy -efficient, affordable living space that not only supports the environment, but also authorizes the local community”.
“We are in the works to make seven other houses [like the Candora House]«, Said JD Jackson, Chief Operating Officer from Seeed at a ceremony of the ribbons for the house.
The vision of Seseed is to build healthy and regenerative communities in which everyone can thrive and can concentrate on sustainability, personal development and justice. As part of his Green Construction program, See pays young people in Knoxville to learn sustainable construction skills by working on each of their energy-efficient home projects.
“It feels like part of the larger plan,” said Jerome Johnson, co -founder and project manager of the Green Construction Program at Seed. The larger plan, said Johnson, “fulfilled our purpose”.
“The earth has no hands or feet; we do it. We use our hands and feet to do the things it cannot,” he continued.
O'Brien and Yacura's new house with three bedrooms and a 16-panel solar array with battery storage, a charging station with electric vehicles and 2 × 6 advanced wooden frames on the outer walls to increase insulation. The house also has energy-rich LED lighting, energy-efficient devices and a highly efficient heat pump water manufacturer that is forecast to save the homeowners $ 600 annually. In addition, contractors used a new type of carbon concrete for the driveway, which contains 31% less carbon dioxide than standard mixtures.
“I work in the civil engineering in the energy industry,” said O'Brien. “I am glad that I can support a project that goes for Net Zero.”
The house was made possible thanks to the monetary and technical support of the OAK Ridge National Laboratory, the Aslan Foundation, Cemex/Ready mix USA and UT-Battelle. To inform future projects, homeowners will share energy savings data with search and key partners.
Kashif Nawaz, section leader for the construction of technologies at Ornl, said that the house serves as an “excellent framework to really improve the technology on a smaller scale, which can ultimately be used on a much larger scale”.
“We have to do this for about a million times, and I think we'll do a dent,” remarked Stephen Strefer, CEO of UT-Battelle and Ornl director, the director of Ornl.
The dynamics for the demand for these houses are growing. While he was waiting for her first two houses for months, the non -profit organization “Candora House” sold before the building was completed, which Jackson described as a “divine intervention”.
“They have never had a home,” said Jackson. “We are looking for this: low to moderate income families, first buyers. They were so pleased to get into the house. And they appreciate it.”
Access to affordable apartments in the USA is an important topic, shared dispute.
“The fact that we contribute to this [house] The fact that it is built with modern technology that contains cool functions – and a good house to life, a light house to life and an affordable house to life – it's just great to see, ”said Stroh.