Proud Green Home St. Louis to Ease Family’s Allergy Issues

Zehnder is proud to be part of the Proud Green Home of St. Louis high-performance home. This project is currently under construction for the Kuentz family, whose son faces environmental allergy issues.  The Proud Green Home will place a special focus on indoor air quality to ensure that the indoor environment is comfortable for all the inhabitants.

What Is a Proud Green Home?

The Proud Green Home of St. Louis will be a 3,700 square foot home nestled within a St. Louis suburb. Featuring a Prairie-style design, the home is modeled to incorporate a wide range of green building technologies and systems. By implementing and meeting a number of green building standards, the Proud Green Home project aims to educate and inspire the market about the plethora of benefits that green homes offer.

The Proud Green Home of St. Louis will comply with several green building standards, including:

• Energy Star for Homes
• Department of Energy (DOE) Zero Net Ready home
• National Green Building Standard from the National Association of Homebuilders
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Indoor AirPlus
• EPS WaterSense

Proud Green Home at Serenbe (1^st Proud Green Home Project)

Built near Atlanta, Georgia, the Proud Green Home at Serenbe was the first Proud Green Home project. This green home boasts a number of acclaims and awards, such as recognition as a Zero Energy Ready Home in the Custom Builder category of the Department of Energy (DOE) 2014 Housing Innovation Awards. The upcoming Proud Green Home at St. Louis has been designed to build off of the success of its predecessor.

The Proud Green Home at Serenbe features green systems and technologies including:

• Zehnder Energy recovery ventilator (ERV)
• 2×6 advanced frames walls filled with R-20 of open-cell spray foam
• An R-6.6 insulated coated OSD sheathing
• Electronic PV monitoring equipment
• Solar thermal water heater
• Mini-split heat pump with three indoor heads
• CFL and LED lighting

Awards

• NAHB Green Awards, Project of the Year For Single Family (Small Volume)
• DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Housing Innovation Award (Custom Category)

Certifications and Ratings

• DOE Zero Energy Ready Home
• ENERGY STAR Version 3
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
• EPA Water Sense
• EarthCraft House Platinum Level
• HERS Rating of -2

Addressing Allergy Issues in Proud Green Home of St. Louis

Due to the allergies of a future inhabitant and the goal of meeting and setting several green standards, the Proud Green Home of St. Louis will feature top-notch systems and strategies for fostering an ideal living environment. The design places special focus on the envelope of the building by incorporating a combination of sealants and insulations. This way, the home will be airtight to prevent air leakage and the introduction of outdoor allergens such as pollen and dirt. As a result, the home will be optimally energy-efficient as well as significantly reduce indoors contaminants to prevent respiratory issues.

Zehnder ERV for Air Quality of St. Louis

One of the staples of maintaining the Proud Green Home’s air quality will be the Zehnder ComfoAir 550 ERV. The energy recovery ventilator will ensure that the home receives a continuous supply of filtered, fresh air. Moist, stale air from spaces such as the kitchen and bathrooms will be simultaneously removed. This way, the home will reap the benefits of a steady flow of fresh air. This will help the Kuentz family avoid respiratory issues from indoor air contaminants such as VOCs, dust, and mold buildup.