A rendering of the Zero Energy Idea House

The latest entrant into the high-performance housing market is entering the final stage of construction. The Zero Energy Idea House, being built by Shirey Contracting on the suburban shores of Lake Sammamish, outside of Seattle, is a demonstration house for what could become the standard of the future.

In addition to structural insulated panels (SIPs), which the company has been using since 1987, the 1,630-square-foot house will have solar panels capable of generating 2.5 kilowatts of electricity, a wind generator that works at wind speeds as low as 7.5 miles per hour, solar hot water for radiant floor heating and a 3,000-gallon cistern to manage stormwater runoff that will be used to drip irrigate the property's living wall.

The house is equipped with real-time energy-management software that will play a key role in helping Shirey Contracting report energy- and water-use data to project partners and others.

“We don't know if we are going to [achieve] zero energy or not,” says Donna Shirey, the company’s president and CEO. She’ll be the first to find out: She and her husband Riley plan to move into the house as soon as May 2009.

“We know people are interested in this kind of a house, but don't want a McMansion,” Shirey says. She adds that the house won’t be the cheapest on the block – but that’s not the point. Shirey notes that many innovative products such as SIPs are relatively easy to use and work as advertised, but that many builders are hesitant to try new techniques. The house is meant to become a showcase of all the off-the-shelf products currently available to help homeowners cut energy use, water use, costs and more.

The California Energy Commission, which is known for leading the nation in its energy policy decisions, in 2008 recommended adjusting Title 24 to require net-zero-energy performance in residential buildings by 2020 and in commercial buildings by 2030.