THS students are building a net zero, “Pretty Good House” (PGH) in central Illinois. The home, based on Mottram Architecture’s 1600sqft “Freeport Net Zero” design, is being built on the PGH philosophy of integrating economics with building envelope materials and building mechanicals choices. The result is a healthy, high performance, sustainable home that is more cost effective than today’s standard construction based on life cycle cost and monthly financing. We will discuss the THS PGH net zero home and examine its economics (life cycle cost), financial (monthly) cost, health (IAQ) performance, energy performance, and comfort conditioning requirements (“design day” heating/cooling/dehumidification).
