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SMUD's Home of the Future

With its Home of the Future program, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District is breaking new ground in the development of energy efficient, environmentally friendly homes for the Sacramento community.

SMUD's Home of the Future reduces annual energy use and utility bills by 80 percent — including net zero electric use — and cuts peak demand by four-fifths compared to homes built to California's already stringent Title 24 energy standards. The Home of the Future combines beauty, affordability and comfort while leading the way to an environmentally sustainable future. The goal of the program is to design and build true zero energy homes — homes that produce as much energy as they use.

SMUD, the nation's sixth-largest municipal electric utility, is committed to reducing the effects of climate change and global warming. SMUD's investment in the Home of the Future is the latest example of that promise.

Features

This home is a 2,530 square foot, single story ranch-style with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a covered patio and an existing swimming pool.

Building Envelope: Framing and Insulation

The sealed, conditioned crawl space is over a raised floor with R-10 expanded polystyrene (EPS) rigid foam and a vapor barrier. Crawl spaces should be considered "mini-basements" and their walls should be insulated and sealed, the ground covered with a sealed vapor barrier and conditioned with indoor air. Crawl spaces insulated on the perimeter lose less energy and are drier than typical under floor insulation.

Advanced framing features 2x6, 24" 0.C walls with 3.5" of closed cell urethane spray foam cavity insulation and 1" of expanded polystyrene (EPS) rigid foam insulation which gives an R-value of approximately R-30. The Oates Home of the Future features 2-stud corners, insulated headers and "stacked framing (lining up studs with roof trusses). Besides dramatically improving the thermal performance of the walls, advanced framing can reduce lumber and framing costs. According to the lumber supplier, the Oates Home of the Future needed 30% less studs and 35% less header stock compared to typical 2x6, 16" o.c. framing.

Advanced roofing consisting of an unvented-cathedral sized attic with the insulation and air barrier located at the roof deck, which keeps the air conditioner and ductwork inside the conditioned volume of the building. The insulation consists of closed celled, spray-applied, semi-rigid high-density polyurethane foam, which gives an R-value of R-50. Unvented attic designs remove the extreme heat load found in vented attics on the heating and cooling duct distribution system and keep any duct leakage inside the building envelope. 

Building Envelope: Roofing

Advanced roofing consisting of an unvented-cathedral sized attic with the insulation and air barrier located at the roof deck, which keeps the air conditioner and ductwork inside the conditioned volume of the building. The insulation consists of 10" of Demilec's Drslrvion 500, open celled, spray-applied, semi-rigid low-density polyurethane foam, which gives an R-value of R-38. Unvented attic designs remove the extreme heat load found in vented attics on the heating and cooling duct distribution system and keep any duct leakage inside the building envelope.

Partners

·       BASF

·       Insulation Solutions 

·       Golden State Lumber 

Building Envelope: Windows 

The dual pane windows have spectrally selective glass which is a specially coated, super efficient "low emissivity glaze that reduces radiant heat gain and loss. The windows U-Factors are .31 to .29 and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is .31 to .21. 

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing

The mechanically designed, zoned heating and cooling system features a super efficient, air conditioning system with SEER 18, EER 13.5 and a 93.7% AFUE sealed combustion natural gas furnace and tight, tested R-8 insulated ducts in conditioned space and separately ducted mechanical ventilation with a heat recovery ventilator to provide fresh air per ASHRAE 62.2 requirements.

The condensing, tankless water heater has a .92 Energy Factor.

Lighting

Energy-efficient lighting is installed throughout the home, featuring fluorescent and advanced LED fixtures that last 10 times longer and use 75% less energy than standard lighting.

Solar

A 2kW AC solar electric energy system provides clean, quiet electricity generated from the sun.

An Integrated Solar Collector solar hot water system provides up to 50% of the home's annual hot water needs. 

Testing and Inspection

Independent, third-party testing and inspection performed by home energy raters who are certified and monitored by CalCerts and the California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System (CHEERS), and regulated by the California Energy Commission (CEC).