The Simonds began construction of their 2800 square foot single family, two bedroom, two and a half baths, shingle-style cape in October 2009. The house site is on an old 60-acre farm, once owned and farmed by the Samuel B. Bitgood family (circa 1840). The new house site is approximately 100 feet from the original Bitgood stone foundation and sits on a rocky hill, thus preserving the pastures for future agricultural use. The clearing and stumping of the house and solar array site was contracted to C.C.J. Green Recycling of Voluntown who uses all cleared materials as either fiber mulch or other wood products. The Simonds overly optimistic construction timeline had them taking occupancy in May 2010, but a hard winter, a tough building site, and their choices and measures taken to employ energy efficient technologies, pushed that date to the end of October 2010.

The house is oriented to true magnetic south as a passive solar collector using ENERGY STAR® rated windows with Low-E4® glass as collectors with the addition of insulated roman shades for increased thermal efficiency during summer and winter. The frame construction is 2"x 6" with a 12" engineered floor systems. The foundation walls have R-10 foam below grade including R-10 below knee walls and ½" open cell foam on the floor system perimeter. The first, second and walkout exterior walls were damp sprayed with cellulose R-20. The floors were loose fitted with cellulose R-38 and the attic ceilings were dense packed with cellulose R-43. The basement ceiling is R-19 using Ultra-touch cotton batts. These insulating materials have R-values slightly less than open cell foams while being somewhat more traditional and less costly.

The Simond's kitchen and laundry appliances are ENERGY STAR® rated as well as over 95% of their lighting. Plumbing was given the same consideration with water conservation in mind. All fixtures and toilets were selected with water conservation in mind. The Simonds chose red oak flooring throughout the house instead of laminates or carpet due to concerns for air quality, and approximately 700 sq. ft. of tile that was manufactured in America with recycled materials.

A primary goal in the construction of their new home was to embrace some form of renewable energy. The Simonds, having previous experience with construction, realized that building a home is a daunting process. As very average consumers with no budget for experimentation or redundancy, they needed to limit their choices despite the merits of many available green technologies. The objective was to keep the cost/value ratio economically practical. Their research ultimately led them to consider a combination of photovoltaic panels and a geothermal forced warm air heating and cooling system. Obstacles were the cost of the solar panels and the cost of running an all-electric house. They applied for the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Solar Lease Program and were accepted at a very reasonable cost. Their expectations for the marriage of photovoltaic with geothermal were based on assurances that the ground mounted 10.08 kW and the photovoltaic system will provide enough electricity to heat their home in the winter, cool their home in the summer, and supply electricity for appliances. In addition, provide all their hot water needs. These expectations have been met with a near zero energy existence. In case of a prolonged power outage they have a Jotul® 70,000 BTU wood stove in the basement and a ventless propane gas log in the living room that are only necessary as a back-up and for aesthetic usage. A Heat Recovery Ventilation system is used for continuous ventilation and exhaust. An ancient dug well and spring has been piped to the same location as their rain gutters, where it is collected for irrigation purposes. It is also noteworthy that the house has 1045 square feet of unconditioned space that is roughed out (wired, framed, and rough plumbed for two bathrooms, a small kitchen and two bedrooms) for future use as needs may arise.

The Simonds recognized the purpose of the Connecticut Zero Energy Challenge and the importance of giving exposure to responsible building practices and renewable energy development. John and Delaine's objective was to build as green a house as possible with quality materials, but also with an eye toward affordability. They are looking forward to sharing their perceptions and hard won insights into their experience with green home construction.