LAS VEGAS - The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Builder Magazine, the National Council for the Housing Industry, Merlin Contracting, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Building Technologies, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Integrated Building and Construction Solutions (IBACOS) collaborated to design and build The New American Home® (TNAH) at the recent International Builders' Show held in Las Vegas.

Constructed in the Sahara Lake community of Las Vegas, TNAH uses foundation and above-ground exterior walls built of insulated concrete forms, windows that limit solar heat gain, a roof system built with structural insulated panels (SIPs), a heat recovery ventilator for the ventilation system, and superior efficiency air conditioning units. According to NREL, the heat-recovery ventilator ensures good indoor air quality efficiently by tempering incoming hot outdoor air with cooler indoor air. The air conditioning units have a SEER rating between 14.7 and 16, and provide cooling capacity while using minimal energy. NREL also said that the home would use 50 percent less energy for space heating, cooling, and hot water than a standard home.

Publication date: 02/02/2004