Project: Green Idea House Part 2

by StonePeak Ceramics

StonePeak is excited to be a part of a new case study showcasing the latest and greatest eco-friendly construction material designed for sustainability and energy efficiency.  The Green Idea House is a 2,100 square foot home that is being remodeled to give it a modern look that says it is possible to be both environmentally sensitive and beautiful.

The house is being used in a long term case study put on by Southern California Edison to measure the effects of green products on energy consumption.  The great thing about this project is they are using affordable products in a replicable design, so the concept can be reused with similar costs to standard housing.

The owners of the house are not developers, architects, or manufacturers, but actually the family that will be living there.  While making the selection for their “green” house they were strictly looking to partner with businesses that are engaged in sustainable activities.

“We want materials that will stand the test of time and hold up for our active family. The selection process was made easier because of the wide variety of sizes StonePeak has to offer,” said house owner Monica Fortunato.

Upon their search they found that StonePeak exemplified these qualities and decided to install our tile in two of their rooms:

• For the upstairs bathroom The Green Idea House will feature Light Splendor from the Cesare Magnus collection.

“We chose from the Cesare collection because the color variation in the tile is one of the most beautiful tiles we have seen.”

• For the downstairs laundry room they will have Cloudsky from the Sky collection.

“We chose from the sky collection for our laundry and downstairs bath because of the thru-color and beauty of the tile.”

The Green Idea House will be holding tours of the house for the next three years, including The Solar Tour and the Earth Day Tour, along with several green building workshops.

During these tours you can speak with an Energy Upgrade California contractor and learn how you can:

•  Save money
• Increase energy and water efficiency
• Live more comfortably in your home
• Get up to *8,000 in rebates and incentives from Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles

How it’s Done

The tours will showcase the innovative technologies that make the Green Idea House net zero energy, zero carbon and responsive to the environment in terms of water, waste, and toxicity.

The concept of a net zero house is to harvest as much energy as you use.  With the state of California attempting to make all new residence net zero by 2020, the question arose in Robert Fortunato’s mind, “How are we going to get there?  Can we get there?  Let’s build it today!”

One of the key features of the Green Idea House is a massive overhang pointing south.  While the appearance may seem odd at first glance, the functionality of it is quite genius.  Simply put, during the summer months when the sun is high, the overhang will help shade the house helping it keep cool.  The opposite effect occurs during the winter months as when the sun is low; its rays will come in below the overhang penetrating large windows, thus helping to heat the house.  By using an air to water heat exchange they are able to harvest the ambient air from the garage and use it to help heat the rest of the house.  This effortless process can help with up to 50% of the energy it takes to heat and cool a standard house.

“The Green Idea House is like a stone soup,” Robert remarked.  “When everyone contributes it’s amazing what can happen.”

We will keep you updated with pictures and information as the house becomes complete.

For more articles visit http://blog.stonepeakceramics.com.