“Living in this house has shown us that efficiency and comfort actually go hand in hand….The quality of my sleep is so much better now that we live in a well-insulated house that stays cool during hot days and has a good ventilation system.” – Homeowners of Samish Solar Home
On top of being well ventilated and highly insulated, their home is also highly energy and water efficient, produces more than enough electricity to power their house and an electric vehicle, and has its very own water catchment system to supply the home with all the water it needs. When designing this home, the clients wanted to make sure it would not only fit their growing family’s needs but be resilient long-term. They chose to finish the house with highly durable and sustainable options, including locally made, solid cherry cabinets, engineered maple floors, fir doors & trim, and a metal roof. All of which will last a lifetime!
Photo courtesy of TC Legend Homes
Photo courtesy of TC Legend Homes
The metal roof is also cool-roof certified, which means that it reflects more light (has a higher albedo) than the standard roof, allowing it to also reflect the heat, rather than absorbing it. Having a higher albedo helps not only keep the house cooler in the summer, but it helps ensure that heat isn’t trapped on the surface of our earth. Think, if it was a standard to use cool-roof certified roofing, we would be able to highly reduce the heat-island effect that cities have, which could help with climate change!
Photo courtesy of TC Legend Homes
Photo courtesy of TC Legend Homes
Since this home was designed to utilize a water catchment system to supply the whole home and its fire suppression system, the client chose a 28,000-gallon rainwater cistern. The water caught in the cistern is then filtered through a sediment filter, activated carbon filter, and a 20 gallon per minute NSF-approved UV filter to ensure it is fit for domestic use before making it to the tap.
Due to this home’s innovation and resiliency, it received a Housing Innovation Award from the Department of Energy. It has also received a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certificate, ENERGY STAR certificate, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor airPLUS certificate, and Built Green 5-Star certificate.
Contractor: TC Legend Homes
Designer: Powerhouse Designs
