DOE HQ F 413.7 Zero Energy Ready Home Housing Innovation Awards Applica

DOE HQ F 413.7
(03/2015)

OMB Control #: 1910-NEW
Exp. Date: XX/XX/XXXX

2015 Housing Innovation Awards

Application Package

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Housing Innovation Awards recognize the very best in innovation
on the path to zero energy ready homes. There will be a number of DOE Zero Energy Ready Home
(ZERH) Housing Innovation Award Winners selected for each of four categories: custom, production,
multifamily, and affordable homes. One DOE ZERH Grand Housing Innovation Award Winner will be
announced from among the winners in each of these categories at the Housing Innovation Awards
ceremony. The 2015 ceremony will take place at the EEBA Excellence in Building Conference & Expo
October 6-8, 2015, in Denver, Colorado.
Winners receive the following:
Which category best describes the DOE ZERH certified
• Recognition at the Housing
home you are submitting to the Housing Innovation
Innovation Awards ceremony.
Awards?
• A framed certificate or all winners
and a crystal trophy for grand
Custom – this home was designed for a unique
winners presented at the award
customer.
ceremony.
• Professional photographs of you
Production – this home was built using stock plans and
or your company representative
is reproducible in large volumes.
receiving the award from DOE.
• Recognition in a DOE press alert
Multifamily – this building has more than two units
informing national media about
serving multiple homeowners.
the Housing Innovation Awards.
• Your own page on the DOE Tour
Affordable – this home is constructed to achieve a price
of Zero a virtual home tour
point making it affordable to households below the
designed for homebuyers that
area’s median income. Non-profits, governmentwill launch in June 2015.
affiliated organizations and for-profit builders are all
• Listing on the DOE Housing
eligible.
Innovation Awards webpage.
• Special recognition on the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home partner locator.
• A customized case study highlighting your winning home that you can print or electronically
share with sales staff and potential homebuyers. The case studies are available in your partner
profiles on the locator as well as the Housing Innovation Awards and Building America websites.

2015 DOE ZERH Housing Innovation Awards Application

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2015 Housing Innovation Awards

INSTRUCTIONS

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
To enter the DOE ZERH
Housing Innovation Awards:
1. Download and complete
this application form and
collect all of the required
documents, photographs
and floor plans.
2. Log in to your DOE Zero
Energy Ready Home
account, click on Housing
Innovation Awards and
upload the completed
application and required
documentation by May
29, 2015.
3. Winners will be notified
by August 15, 2015.
Winners will be
presented awards and
the grand winners will be
announced at a
ceremony held during
the EEBA Excellence in
Building Conference &
Expo October 6-8, 2015,
in Denver, Colorado.

ο Your completed application form (MS Word or PDF).
TIP: It is very important to complete each question in the application.
Judges will reduce scores for incomplete information and may deem
your application ineligible to participate.
ο Your completed DOE ZERH verification form (PDF) AND your DOE ZERH
certificate (PDF).
TIP: Your third-party verifier (e.g., registered HERS rater) will provide
you with both documents printed from REMRate or other qualified
software.
ο A minimum of 10 photographs (JPG 0.5 to 2 MB file size) showing finished
elevations, finished interiors, and the home under construction with
significant energy-efficiency details.
TIP: Good photographs from each of these categories will increase your
chances of winning. The photographs will be used for case studies and
the Tour of Zero.
ο Your floor plans (JPG or PDF) for the submitted home.
TIP: Please send simple floor plans outlining the main spaces of the
house. Blueprints and construction specifications are not accepted.
The floor plans will be used in the Tour of Zero and should be easy for a
homebuyer to understand.
ο Optional - Videos. Videos are not required, but if you have videos, please
include the YouTube or Vimeo link on the application form.
TIP: Videos do not serve as an application. The application must be
completed in text for the judges to review. Videos you may want to
include might be testimonials by homeowners or videos you use to
market your homes.
ο Optional - Other Program Certifications. Upload certificates (PDF) from
other certification programs.

2015
Housi

ο Optional - Other attachments. Upload other attachments you feel may
strengthen your application; identify these attachments in your criteria
narrative.

2015 DOE ZERH Housing Innovation Awards Application

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ng Innovation Awards

Application Form
CATEGORY (check one): __ Custom __ Production __ Multifamily __ Affordable
BUILDER COMPANY INFORMATION
Name:
City/State:
Phone:
Website:
BUILDER CONTACT INFORMATION
Name:
Email:
Direct Phone:
APPLICATION PREPARATION INFORMATION
Prepared by:
Date:
Email:
Direct Phone:
THIRD-PARTY VERIFICATION INFORMATION
Contact name:
Company name
Contact email:
Contact phone:
Company website:
PROJECT INFORMATION
Zero Energy Ready Home Path: __ Performance __ Prescriptive
Homeowner or Project Name:
Project Address:
Construction Completion Date:
Climate Zone (1 thru 8):
Local code equivalent (check one): __2006 IECC __2009 IECC __2012 IECC __2015 IECC
__Other:
Conditioned square feet:

2015 DOE ZERH Housing Innovation Awards Application

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Number of Bedrooms:
Number of Baths:
Number of Floors:
Finished basement: __ Yes __No
HERS Index
Without photovoltaics:
With photovoltaics (if applicable):
Projected annual utility costs
Without PV: $
With PV (if applicable): $
Projected annual utility savings compared to local code equivalent noted above
Without PV: $
With PV (if applicable): $
Estimated added first cost over standard to-code construction
Without PV: $
With PV (if applicable): $
Projected annual energy savings in kWh and therms or MMBtus (please specify):
Without PV:
With PV (if applicable):
Optional Programs
This home meets all of the requirements of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home including
ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 and the EPA’s Indoor airPlus, plus the following certifications (check
all that apply and submit certifications (PDF) with nomination application):
__ EPA’s WaterSense
__ Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) Fortified Home
__ DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Quality Management Guidelines
__ PHIUS+
__ LEED for Homes, level:
__ NAHB National Green Building Standards (NGBS), level:
__ Other:

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YOUR STORY: CRITERIA NARRATIVE
Please tell us what makes your home interesting by addressing all six criteria below. Be sure to
indicate any attachments that support the narrative and upload the links or documents. Please
be considerate of the judges’ time by providing clear and concise responses.
1. Performance. Please describe the key features driving the performance of this DOE Zero
Energy Ready Home and how they were integrated into a house-as-a-system package.
Please address every bullet.
•

Walls (construction type; advanced framing details; insulation type, amount and Rvalue; type of sheathing; house wrap; drainage plane; siding):

•

Roof (material; extra air or water sealing measures; ENERGY STAR cool roof certified?):

•

Attic (insulation type, amount, R-value, and location; any extra air sealing details):

•

Foundation (type; insulation type, amount, R-value, and location):

•

Windows (# of panes, gas filled, frame type, low-e, U-value, SHGC):

•

Air sealing (air changes per hour at 50 Pa):

•

Ventilation (type; filter; timers):

•

HVAC (type; AFUE, SEER; duct type, location, sealing, and insulation):

•

Hot water (type and efficiency):

•

Lighting (% LED, % CFL; motion sensors; ENERGY STAR ceiling fans):

•

ENERGY STAR appliances included:

•

Renewables (kW of PV, solar water heating):

•

Water conservation features:

•

Energy management system:

•

Other measures (e.g., electric car charging station, low VOCs)

•

Strategies for addressing performance including disaster resistance and solar readiness:

2015 DOE ZERH Housing Innovation Awards Application

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2. Land Development. Describe any site issues addressed to locate a zero energy ready home
on this property. Discuss topography constraints, solar orientation, site water runoff issues,
and landscaping for water conservation.
3. Design. Describe the home’s architectural style (e.g., traditional colonial, modern). Note
how the home’s design impacted the energy-efficiency and performance of the home.
Include discussion of climate-specific design features, natural comfort factors, disaster
resistance, sustainable materials, etc. Include ways that you have integrated
energy/performance features into aesthetic or architectural design.
4. Quality Construction. What quality management practices did you employ to ensure
minimum defects and waste while incorporating proven advanced technologies? Examples:
Pre-construction team meetings; comprehensive construction documents; quality
management plan; training; etc.
5. Sales, Marketing and Consumer Education. What marketing and sales solutions did you
employ to address the energy efficiency and performance of this home? How do you
communicate high performance to your buyers? If your buyers seek you out, discuss ways
that your marketing or messaging creates the demand. Examples: Sales training; displays;
warranties; sales data comparisons to standard construction; tours; articles; homeowner’s
manuals; marketing techniques.
6. Business Metrics. How did you measure the business results of your investment in zero netenergy ready homes? Examples: Incremental cost of construction above code; time-to-sale;
number of home buyer visitors; media coverage; customer satisfaction surveys; actual
energy billing data.
BONUS: Homeowner Testimony and Actual Utility Bills.
Has the house been occupied? If so, please ask the homeowner to provide testimony
answering the following questions:
•
•
•
•

What benefits do you see in owning a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home in terms of energy
bills, comfort, health, durability, or ease of maintenance?
What do you like about your DOE Zero Energy Ready Home?
Would you recommend a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home to other homeowners?
Do you have actual billing data (not modeled) that you can share with us?

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST
I have uploaded the following:
ο Application form
ο DOE ZERH verification form and certificate (PDF).
ο A minimum of 10 photographs (JPG 0.5 to 2MB file size)

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ο
ο
ο
ο

Floor plans (simple drawings as JPGs or PDFs)
Optional - videos
Optional - other program certifications
Optional - other attachments I have listed in the narrative.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
By submitting this application form and the required documentation including photographs and
floor plans, I hereby give permission to DOE and its contractors to use the materials for press
alerts, case studies, the Tour of Zero, the Housing Innovation Awards website and other DOE
websites, articles, and promotions as appropriate.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5.5 hours per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden, to Office of the Chief Information Officer, Records Management Division, IM-23, Paperwork Reduction Project (1910XXXX), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20585-1290; and to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), OIRA, Paperwork Reduction Project (1910-XXXX), Washington, DC 20503.

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