By Grigg, Dani

Idaho's first certified net-zero energy home is under construction in Boise.

The home is being built by Boise-based Flynner Homes, and it will serve as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Dream Home. It will be raffled off June 27.

"The general standards are, it's about a 1,950-square-foot, three bedroom, two bath house, with the master on the main level and a two- car detached garage," Scott Flynn of Flynner Homes said. "So that's the generals of it. Once you start digging into the guts of it, you see where it changes dramatically."

The home will generate enough energy to support itself on a year- by-year basis, though during the winter it will have to draw on Idaho Power credits earned with its extra energy from solar panels during the summer. Scott Flynn of Flynner homes estimates it will take about 7 kilowatts of solar panels to meet the net-zero goal.

The house is super insulated to make it as efficient as possible. Walls are 14 inches thick, including two-by-fours, sheetrock, oriented strand board and 9.5-inch I-joists running vertically. A standard wall, in contrast, is about 6 inches thick.

Insulation's ability to resist heat transfer is measured by R- value: The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation. Standard code is R-19 for a wall. The Dream Home will have R-58 insulation in the walls and R-70 insulation in the attic. The foundation is insulated outside with R-13, with R-28 rigid insulation under the slab.

Flynner partnered with Boise architect Paul Hoffman and green certifier John Coldiron to develop the design. Meetings with green building gurus from Washington State University inspired the use of two-by-fours and I-joists in the walls.

The house includes a solar hot water system, triple-paned windows and a radon-control system in the foundation for indoor air quality.

The design team input the house's plans to a software program called EnergyGauge, which takes into account the energy efficiency of all aspects of the house, from the wall slabs to the mechanical systems, to the appliances, windows and orientation. The program will help keep builders on track.

The home will be certified through the National Association of Home Builders' green standards as well as through Energy Star.

Crews broke ground on the house this winter, with weather delaying progress for about a month, said Flynner superintendant Jonathon Welch. It is scheduled to be completed around the middle of May.

Tickets go on sale for $100 April 1, and the house will be open to the public on weekends starting May 22. Flynn said up to 10,000 people could be touring the home he built.

"That's one thing St. Jude's brought to the table," he said. "We're donating all our time here, and in return we get massive marketing exposure."

The Dream Home is being built in WillowGreens, Flynner's 100- percent Energy Star community near the intersection of State Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway. The homebuilder sold the land to St. Jude's at cost.

Northwest Energy Star and Idaho Power pulled Flynner into the project, and the two companies are helping to create awareness and obtain donations. Other local donors include Clements Concrete Company of Garden City and Idaho Solar Design & Consulting of Boise.

The goal is to have 100 percent of materials and labors donated.

Credit: Dani Grigg

(Copyright 2010 Dolan Media Newswires)

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