Plastics key for the most energy-efficient New American Home

Henderson, Nev. — The New American Home 2025 has an interior courtyard, elevator, floating stairs, and an underground wine cellar with an acrylic ceiling and cork parlor within its 9,047 square feet.

There are two garages and a guest casita, too, all with a hillside view in the luxury-home community of Ascaya about 25 minutes from Las Vegas.

This 42nd showcase model of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) also is the most energy efficient with plastic building products contributing to the achievement.

Unveiled to the media on Feb. 25, the day before the start of the NAHB trade group's International Builders' Show (IBS), the two-level New American Home, which is listed at $15.5 million, presents the best building practices and latest design trends.

Energy efficiency and innovation abound in the house that generates as much energy as it uses (net-zero energy consumption) thanks to Maxeon 3-brand solar panels, high performance windows and several building products from Henry, a Carlisle Co.

The 35.275-kilowatt solar array consists of 85 415-watt panels and a Savant brand power module, which make the biggest contribution to the Home Energy Rating Score (HERS) Index of -54 — the lower the score, the better — compared with 58 without them.

This is the lowest HERS Index and most energy efficient New American Home ever built, according to an NAHB performance report.

Two Trails Inc., a Florida-based sustainable building construction firm, worked closely with builder Sun West Custom Homes to ensure energy efficiency.

In addition to the solar panels and windows, five products from Henry were used to form the building envelope, protecting the interior from extreme temperatures that affect energy usage as well as water and moisture intrusion.

"Innovation and sustainability represent the driving factors behind TNAH 2025's design, which makes Henry, a Carlisle Co., a natural fit for the building envelope system," Chad Raymond, Henry's director of residential and light commercial sales, said in an email. "The selected Henry products work as a system in the home and deliver the next level of weatherization, sustainability and energy efficiency in an innovative and easy-to-use design."

Some products feature a simple one-step installation that saves time and labor, minimizes the risk of errors and maximizes protection against moisture and air infiltration.

"The weatherproofing and insulation products work together as compatible and tested systems to mitigate air leakage and improve thermal performance," Raymond said.

The systems-engineering approach to building brings together parts of the industry that previously worked independently of one another to focus on energy efficiency and making the house more affordable to build or retrofit and live in, he added.

"Energy consumption of new houses can be reduced by as much as 40 percent with little or no impact on the cost of construction," the performance report says.

At the New American Home, products from Henry include:

• Henry's Blueskin VP100, a peel-and-stick weather-resistive barrier (WRB), which is a finalist in two Best of IBS categories: most innovative building material and best energy efficient product.

The integrated panel combines a WRB, insulation and seam sealing into a single-step installation process.

The WRB self-seals around nails and fasteners to protect buildings by eliminating air gaps, water and moisture. The company website says it's made from "an engineered film and a patented, permeable adhesive technology with split-back poly-release film."

• Henry TPO, a single-ply thermoplastic polyolefin sheet for roof applications that that the company says combines the flexibility of ethylene-propylene (EP) rubber with the heat weldability of polypropylene to withstand extreme weather;

• SealTite Pro Open Cell XTR, a polyurethane foam that expands into crevices and cracks to create a precision seal, is part of the exterior frame walls along with an insulation board (Insulfoam) and a reflective insulation (Fi-Foil M Shield) from two other companies;

• Henry R-Tech Continuous Insulation, which consists of a closed-cell, lightweight expanded polystyrene core with a metallic-reflective facer for dimensional stability, compressive strength and water resistance. It qualifies as an Energy Star insulation and can contribute towards credits for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

• Henry Blueskin Zero Flash Window and Door Flashing, which also guards against water, air and moisture intrusion. The flashing features a proprietary butyl hybrid compound applied to an engineered polypropylene film. It can adhere to different substrates at a wide range of installation temperatures, can be installed without primer, and seals around nails and fasteners.

The thermal envelope of the New American Home also features Aeroseal's AeroBarrier, a light-colored exterior overhang to help protect against the harsh Nevada sun.

Elsewhere in the New American home, floor-to-ceiling glass walls let in natural light and blur the lines between indoors and outdoors. So does the interior atrium, which the builders say is a serene space connecting residents to nature even within the home.

The three levels of Viewrail brand cantilever stairs descend to an 800-square-foot underground wine cellar and lounge with a clear ceiling looking up into the main level.

Upstairs, on the top level, a game room has a 136-inch media wall and there are two of the five bedrooms.