The Jenson-DeLeeuw House: A Model for Net Zero Energy

Drawing from Nature

The Jenson-DeLeeuw House in Harvard, Massachusetts, is a beautifully crafted 2,000-square-foot energy-independent home that combines roomy, light-filled, comfortable living spaces with full integration into its natural environment.

Completed in 2018, the house is carefully sited and angled on a gentle elevation amid a rustic rural landscape. The setting imparts a pleasant natural scenery to its occupants while taking best advantage of the east-west path of the sun for electricity generation through renewable-energy technologies and passive-house principles. This dual clean-energy system simultaneously generates and conserves energy while providing lower-cost alternatives to conventional heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.

Clean Energy Generation

The house’s energy network generates 21,000 kilowatt hours annually through 56 photovoltaic solar roof panels manufactured by LG, and the storage of excess energy in two sets of 16kWh batteries made by Sonnen, which are integrated into a mini-split complex heating and cooling system. The roof and its solar panels are obtusely angled to optimize the collection of sunlight.

By monitoring the amount of energy generated and used each day, this system can store surplus energy to be consumed in the evenings and during bleak weather. The house has a certified HERS rating of –23, meaning it generates 23% more energy than a similarly sized home of its type might require, leaving plenty of energy on reserve at lower cost to the house’s occupants. Furthermore, the batteries store sufficient energy to power the occupants’ Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car, thus reducing auto exhaust pollution on the road.

Passive Solar Design

The south-facing wall’s expansive windows flood the interiors with both natural light and wintertime heat. Deep roof overhangs shield inner spaces from overexposure and overheating during the summer. Open-floor plans and high ceilings enable airflow throughout the house for ventilation. In winter, triple-glazed windows, insulated walls, and low-infiltration detailing optimize the solar-warmth in the house. A wood stove was installed in the open living-dining-kitchen space for supplemental heating on colder days.

Walls: Insulation and Integration

The walls are insulated with the high-efficiency Zip System by Huber Engineered Woods. This sheathing and stretch-tape system of structural panels gives the house superior insulation while creating an integrated barrier to air, water, and moisture, eliminating the possibility of moisture buildup and water seepage.

Architecturally, weathered gray wood siding blends the house with its woodsy, rocky environs, and the exterior deck, patio, steps, and landscape walls visually reinforce the house’s bond with nature and its dependence on nature’s nurturing forces for the sustenance of its occupants.

An Energy-Plus Prototype

This house design offers solutions to a myriad of sustainability dilemmas. It resolves the quandary of energy intermittency (i.e. the lack of access to renewable energy when the sun is not shining) and eliminates the “greenhouse effect” by generating sustainable and renewable energy, without emitting greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The home preserves the surrounding wooded landscape by eliminating the need to cut down trees to install a conventional utility infrastructure. Intended to serve as a prototype for similarly sized net-zero-energy homes, this house demonstrates that, yes, we can create homes that generate more energy than they consume.

Jenson-Deleeuw Credits

Clients:
Pat DeLeeuw & Richard Jenson

Paul Lukez Architecture:
Paul Lukez - Principal Architect
Josh McDonald - Project Manager
Craig Hinrichs - Project Manager

General Contractors:
G. Donahue & Sons Inc.
George Donahue
Keith Donahue

Consultants:

RSE Associates
Jennifer McClain - Structural Engineer
Lucy Jen - Geotechnical Engineer

Norian/Siani Engineering
Sergio Siani - MEP
Matthew Bean - MEP

Goldsmith, Prest & Ringwall, LLC
Bruce Ringwall - Civil Engineer/Surveyor

Solworks Energy LLC
Derek Brain - PV Project Manager

Collaborative Lighting, LLC
Adam Kibbe - Lighting Design

DEAP Energy Group
Michael Duclos - HERS Rater

Pella Windows & Doors
Stuart Lipp - Pella Representative