Building Standards
North Carolina’s First 100% Net-Zero Energy Neighborhood
Array
Array Standards
The homes in Array must, at a minimum, meet the standards listed below. These standards are based on the National Green Building Standards for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and water efficiency. Homes in Array will, at a minimum, be NGBS certified and have a Home Energy Rating System Index, or a HERS score for energy efficiency.
Homeowners are welcome to exceed the Array standards and achieve additional certifications such as Energy Star and Passive House.
For more detailed information on these and other Green Certifications, click here.
What Makes Array Special?
1. When 12 homes are built in Array there will be a reduction of, at least, 110 metric tons of carbon annually.
New home construction in the US creates over 50 million tons of embodied carbon emissions annually. This is equivalent to the emissions from 138 natural gas–fired power plants or the yearly emissions from entire countries such as Norway, Peru, and Sweden. (Rocky Mountain Institute).
Array and its neighbors are and will live in beautiful, comfortable, energy efficient, healthy homes with no utility bills other than the cost of being connected to the power grid.
Array neighborhood video overview
2. 56% of the neighborhood is being kept in open space.
Array is incredibly green. Most of the development is a forest with streams and wildlife. The developers are taking it a step further and are putting all 56% (31 of 54 acres) in a perpetual easement with Orange County so that the land will be protected forever.
3. Living in Array is like living in a private park.
There are 2.5 miles of Walking Trails in the woods that go throughout the neighborhood. There is a beautiful Pond for fishing, boating and relaxing. Adjacent to the pond is the Neighborhood Gathering Area with an area under cover with a beautiful stone fireplace. Across from the pond is the area for the Community Garden.
High Performance Homes Have More Value
High Performance Homes are designed for energy efficiency, comfort and healthy living including site orientation to take advantage of the sun. Examples of features in a high-performance home are: energy efficient wall systems from 2 x 6, to 2 x 8 or Structured Insulated Panels (SIP); better insulation and air sealing; high efficiency heat pump water heaters and HVAC systems (or mini splits); energy efficient windows and doors; LED lighting; high efficiency appliances; sealed crawl spaces or insulated slabs; and in the case of net-zero energy homes, active solar.
All of these systems result in annual energy savings, which reduces the cost of operating the home over the long term. Do high performance homes cost more to build? The answer is yes, these homes can cost approximately 5-7% more to build (including the cost of the solar) while providing the benefit of reducing your operational costs over time and improving your overall living conditions.
Homes in Array will not have electricity bills other than the cost of being connected to the grid, and, because the homes are on well and septic, there will be no water bills.
High Performance features add value to a home just like features such as upgraded kitchens and bathrooms add value. The difference is that high performance features result in both cost savings and are better for the environment and your health. Today, there is increasing demand for green, high performance home features.
