How Green is my Home? - UI helps Connecticut answer that question

Energize Connecticut is more than a mantra we shout during a thunderstorm, for United Illuminating in conjunction with Eversource has sponsored a competition to promote sustainable homes in the state.

This year, the seventh annual competition, the Energize staff cite 17 remarkable green Connecticut homes that were entered in the competition, and each touts an inspiring story about how it became what's called "zero energy" (one hundred percent sustainable). Some placed a large emphasis on renewable energy and others on highly efficient design, says Energize Connecticut.

Five winners have been plucked for the statewide design and build competition for single and multi-family homes. This year’s competition featured homes from across Connecticut built between June 1, 2016 and January 31, 2017.

In this national initiative, participants built high efficiency homes that consume little to no energy by using sustainable building practices.

“With new renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient building requirements, new residential construction continues to evolve, and the Zero Energy Challenge exemplifies this shift in the industry,” said Taren O’Connor, the Energy Efficiency Board Chair. “Participants in the Challenge are dedicated to the net zero energy movement and are building environmentally-friendly, resilient, comfortable homes. I applaud this year’s participants and winners for their hard work and devotion to transforming the residential new construction market in Connecticut.”

The overall winner was the Deb and Russell Heinrich residence in Guilford, Conn., by Bill Freeman and Alicia Dolce builders, of Celebration Green Design & Build, Madison, Conn.

The homeowner, Mr. Heinrich, said: “After spending time at an environmentally conscious community in Costa Rica, we decided to create a self-sustaining lifestyle for ourselves. Because of this interest, we attended an open house for a completed Zero Energy Passive Home built by Celebration Green Design & Build to learn how the principles of a passive home would enable us to achieve our dream. Once we had conceptual plans, we began transforming our design for a high performance home into the reality of a zero energy home that would leave as small a carbon footprint as possible.”

The award for the lowest cost-per-square foot went to a Derby residence, by Mark Nuzzolo and D.J. Collins of Brookside Development in Woodbridge, Conn. (View video here.)

Project information for all entries can be found by visiting CTZeroEnergyChallenge.com. PHOTO: The winning home replete with solar panels in Guilford, Conn, the Waystone Farm owned by the Heinrich family. Photo by: Celebration Green Design & Build.