Beyond Net Zero
We don’t think it’s good enough to build a typical home and offset wasted energy with solar panels. Reducing energy consumption is a core tenant at CruxHomes. We accomplish this with a superior building envelope,16 constructed with industry best practices and our innovative building design. But there is more that we can do. We can incorporate additional components into the design, such as photovoltaics, solar hot water, wind turbines, micro hydroelectric, or passive solar to help make your CruxHome a net energy producer.
A CruxHome can accommodate a roof configuration to support a solar array large enough to offset your electrical consumption. Or we can incorporate passive solar design techniques and orient the building so that much of the heat needed in the winter is provided by the sun. The window configuration of a CruxHome is designed to minimize solar gains in the summer and can utilize passive cooling with natural ventilation.
By employing additional green technologies, your CruxHome can be a self-sustaining, off-grid or grid neutral home. Even incorporating the expense of the solar support option, your CruxHome will still cost much less than any typical, newly built home and will continue to provide positive environmental and energy performance year after year.
CruxHome 1st Floor Deck
CruxHome Dining – Living
CruxHome Framing Detail
CruxHome Rear
Environmental Benefits
There are many environmental benefits to the design of a CruxHome that are obvious, but will be hard to quantify. For instance, we will create minimal waste during the truss fabrication and installation process. The trusses are designed first for strength, but also to minimize material waste. The trusses are spaced in the building to minimize material waste as well.
The group at CruxHomes is comprised of mostly engineers and construction folks. We love numbers… we live and work by them! Here are some numbers you can sink your teeth into. If you love data too and want more, go to our links page and get your fill. If you find yourself asking a question that we haven’t answered, drop us a note and we will do our best to answer it. Ask us a great question and we’ll add it to our FAQ!
| Parameters | Value | Units | Reference |
| Total Energy Used by Residences (2009)* | 10.183 | Quadrillion BTUs per Year per Residence | 17 |
| Total Energy Used by Residences for Heating (2009)* | 4.226 | Quadrillion BTUs per Year per Residence | 17 |
| Total Energy Used by Residences for Cooling (2009)* | 0.635 | Quadrillion BTUs per Year per Residence | 17 |
| Total Energy Used by Residences for Heating and Cooling (2009)* | 4.861 | Quadrillion BTUs per Year per Residence | Calculated |
| Percent of Total BTUs Used for Heating and Cooling (2009)* | 47.7% | Percent | Calculated |
| Average CO2 Output of Residences (2016) | 9.26 | Metric Tons CO2 per Year per Residence | 18 |
| Average CO2 Output for Heating and Cooling of Residences (2016) Based on 47.7 Percent of BTUs Used for Heating and Cooling (2009) |
4.42 | Metric Tons CO2 per Year per Residence | Calculated |
| New Homes Built in the U.S. in 2016 | 782,000 | New Homes | 19 |
| Assuming 20% of 782,000 New Homes Were CruxHomes | 156,400 | New CruxHomes | Assumption |
| CO2 Emissions of 156,400 Typical New Homes Based on 4.42 Metric Tons CO2 per Year per Residence |
691,349 | Metric Tons CO2 per Year | Calculated |
| Estimate 80% Improved Efficiency of a CruxHome | 80 | Percent | Estimate |
| CO2 Emissions of 156,400 New CruxHomes | 138,270 | Metric Tons CO2 per Year | Calculated |
| CO2 Emissions Save by Building 156,400 New CruxHomes |
553,080 | Metric Tons CO2 per Year | Calculated |
| Estimated Equivalent Metric Tons of CO2 Per Passenger Vehicle Per Year | 4.67 | Metric Tons CO2 per Year per Vehicle | 18 |
| Equivalent Vehicles Removed by Eliminating 553,080 Metric Tons of CO2 with CruxHomes | 118,432 | Equivalent Vehicles Eliminated | Calculated |
*The U.S. EIA will release the 2015 energy numbers in the Spring of this year, 2018. Once they do, we will update these calculations with the new data.