The Eastport Renewable Energy Home

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Introduction

The Eastport Renewable Energy Home is the first constructed in a revolutionary National Program of Renewable Energy structures which are being designed and will be built by Space Innovators®.

Location

The home is located on an un-shaded acre of land with views of Moriches Bay, picturesque landscapes and creeks, in the hamlet of Eastport, Township of Southampton. Located in Long Island’s well-known Hamptons area, the residence is designed, engineered and built as a system to achieve the goal of a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing Hamptons home. The home has all the amenities and comforts one would expect, while drastically reducing the consumption of fossil-fuel based energy, and the ability to remove the need altogether. The total gross square footage under roof is 6,388 sq. ft., with 3,343 sq. ft. of living space.

Construction Process

The design for the home was begun in February of 2006 and completed by our team in three (3) weeks. Review and subsequent approval by the Town of Southampton occurred in ten (10) working days, whose pro-active approach to Renewable Energy helped our team complete this technically advanced project in record time. Equally impressive, because of their Renewable Energy support, was the review and approval process by the Suffolk County Health Department, who reviewed and approved the project in seven (7) working days so that the project could stay on schedule. Construction of the multi-million dollar home was begun at the end of June 2006 and substantially completed on May 29th 2007. The first public event on May 30, 2007 was attended by a school group, town and county politicians, with coverage by Long Island media.

Renewable Energy—Production

The home Integrates Five (5) distinct Renewable Technologies to produce energy used on-site:

1. Solar Photovoltaic – Building Integrated Solar Photovoltaic slates produce electrical energy from solar radiation.
2. Solar Thermal – Produces domestic hot water from solar radiation. Building collector is under solar south facing roof surface.
3. Geothermal – Provides energy-efficient heating and cooling for the home by exchanging energy facilitated by the constant year-round temperature of the earth.
4. High-Efficiency Wood-burning Fireplace – Back-up and supplemental source of heat.
5. Biodiesel Generator – Back-up electrical power from vegetable-based Biofuel assures energy independence during extend periods of cloudiness.

Renewable Energy—Conservation

In addition to producing energy, the home is designed with just as much thought to reduce its energy consumption. Lighting is provided by fluorescent and compact fluorescent fixtures, the appliances carry ENERGY STAR ratings, and an air-sealed building envelope (tight construction) and blown-in insulation in the exterior walls and attic provide higher R-values and reduce heating and cooling loads. The home is sited such that its south elevation faces directly solar south and features fifty-eight (58) low-Emissivity, argon filled double-pane windows, most of which are concentrated on the south side. This feature provides both passive solar heating in the winter-time, and large quantities of natural light throughout the home, even on the cloudiest of days, further reducing the energy needs. The residence is an ENERGY STAR labeled home, receiving a HERS rating of 94.6 and a HERS index of 27, placing it amongst the highest Energy Conservation (top ½ of 1%) rated buildings.

Summary

The Eastport Renewable Energy Home is designed as a showplace of seamless Renewable Energy Technology integrated without sacrifice to aesthetics. The exterior of the home is exceptionally pleasing from all angles, and the shingle-style home incorporates many Victorian elements including its large wrap-around porch, pre-stained cedar shake diamond pattern accents, advanced copper-appearance surfaces and a slate roof from Switzerland. A brick-faced, attractive ADA ramp at the front entrance and a three-stop elevator ensure easy access for invited guests. A large open floor plan on the main level, that includes a kitchen that can accommodate three professional chefs, will comfortably accommodate at least fifty guests.