Green Building Standards

Electric Vehicle Ready

Transportation is responsible for about 28% of all greenhouse gas emissions, so we can't get to NetZero as a nation without first switching to electric cars. We believe EV's are the future and want to do our part to help in this transition, so we include one NEMA 14-15, 240 volt outlet in each garage. It can be used to charge a car in the garage or in the driveway. Just plug in, charge up, and go!

Energy Efficient Windows

Windows are the number one source of heat entering your home. Why is that? When heat from the sun hits your exterior walls, the heat must travel through the siding, lumber, and insulation before it can make it into your home. But when it hits a window, especially a single-paned window, much of that heat makes it directly into your home. That's why we only use double-paned, insulated, energy-star windows with Low-E glass that reflects UV and thermal heat back out of the home. We couple this with thick, white, faux-wood blinds that can reflect the full spectrum of light out of your home.

Fresh Air Ventilation

Having a well-sealed home keeps humid air, allergens, and other unwanted pollutants out. To keep fresh air in, all GBS 1.0+ homes are equipped with a ventilation system, which brings fresh, outside air through a filter and then into your home.

All Electric

A NetZero home needs to be able to run without any fossil fuels. In GBS 2.0 and 3.0 communities, our AC systems, water heaters, stove tops, and ovens are all powered by electricity. That means in San Antonio, they are 21% powered by renewables and in Austin they are 43% powered by renewables, since that is how much renewable power is already on the grid in those cities.

Conditioned Attic

In a vented attic, outside air is allowed in, which means in the summer your attic can reach temperatures close to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This sounds like a strange strategy in itself, but it gets stranger when you consider the attic is where your home's air handler and ductwork is located. That means your cooling system, while attempting to get your air down to 55 degrees, is operating in a virtual oven. It's no surprise that by making the attic part of the interior conditioned space and using spray foam in the exterior walls, you can reduce energy consumption by as much as 22%.

Solar-Ready

No home can get to NetZero without adding a solar array. To be considered “NetZero capable,” a home must generally have a HERS score (Home Energy Rating System) of 55 (the lower the better) and include a range of additional features, such as foam insulation, high efficiency appliances, and a heat-pump water heater. To make adding solar power easier for our GBS 3.0 customers, we prepare the electric panel for solar power during construction and include a conduit installed toward the roof to make connecting the solar panels as easy as possible.

Heat Pump Water Heater

A home’s water heater is responsible for about 20% of its energy usage. Heat pump water heaters use the same technology found in advanced air conditioning systems and can be up to 4 times more efficient as a standard electric water heater and use up to 70% less energy. All GBS 3.0 homes come standard with a highly efficient, energy-saving heat pump water heater, meaning those long showers can now be guilt-free!

GBS 3.0 = Amazing Savings at Zero Cost

Rosehaven's GBS 3.0 should lower energy consumption by an astonishing 45% compared to the average new home, making it our most ambitious Green Building Standard to date. When you factor in that most utilities are already powered by at least 21% renewable energy, GBS 3.0 could reduce home energy consumption by about 56%. Adding a solar panel array would reduce your energy needs even further, getting you incredibly close to NetZero.

We are committed to saving you money through our commitment to high-performance homes made possible by green building technology. We are on a path toward making all of our homes NetZero emissions homes, and by purchasing a home from us, you put us one step closer to achieving our goal. Thank you!

Visit us today to learn more.

Real World Testing

Over the next several years, we'll benchmark our Green Building Standards to provide real-world performance metrics. By monitoring actual energy consumption by individual devices in homes and cross-referencing that with the number of occupants and other factors, we'll be able have a much better understanding of how to continue to improve our Green Building Standards.