The Blackhawk house, designed to be close to net-zero energy, was just completed this year. The home is entirely electric and is powered by the 48 solar panels you see here.

Entering this home, you're assured of the highest indoor air quality possible.

In addition to the use of spray foam insulation throughout, further attention was paid to air sealing, including caulking the base plates. Air sealing contributes to high environmental quality because it keeps potential pollutants like pollen and smoke, as well as insects, out of the home.

This fantech Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) provides air exchange with the outdoors in an energy efficient manner. The unit has a heat exchanger designed to minimize undesired heat loss/gain while filtering the incoming air.

The ERV can be programmed to automatically run at desired speeds & times or can be controlled manually when additional airflow is desired.

ECOS paints not only have no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can off-gas into the indoor environment, the pigments they use are also non-toxic and zero VOC.

Studies have shown the presence of more dust and allergens in carpets compared with non-carpeted floors. Carpets can also off-gas VOCs into the indoor air over time. These concrete floors were sealed with a soy-based product called Acri-Soy, manufactured by EcoProCote. It is VOC-free.

This Austin air purifier contributes further to the exceptional air quality in this home.

These Clean-E filters at the breaker box also reduce EMF, which can be especially important with solar systems.

The home is hardwired for ethernet to reduce the need for wi-fi, a source of EMF.

LED lighting, though more energy-efficient, produces more EMF than incandescent bulbs. The homeowners installed mostly incandescent bulbs, but where they had to use LEDs they installed the FEIT brand, which have lower EMF than other LED bulbs.

This home has a convection oven instead of a microwave, another source of EMF. This oven has steam capabilities which heats food quickly without drying it out.

This heat-pump water heater supplies the domestic hot water. Heat pumps are extremely efficient with a Uniform Energy Factor of about 3.45- that's 70% more efficient than standard water heaters!

This SpacePac reverse cycle chiller is another highly-efficient heat pump. It supplies warmed water to efficiently supply the in floor heating and warm the house.

Supplemental heat and cooling is provided upstairs by mini-splits, another kind of highly-efficient heat pump.

Most of the rooms in this house have ceiling fans, a low-energy way to move air and make a space feel cooler.

This soap stone wood stove is not only beautiful, it will provide a more comfortable, even heat. The mass of the stone retains heat and gives it off more gradually, warming the home after the fire has gone out.

A solar tube provides daylighting to this upstairs bathroom.

Workout while planning your next adventure with a map wall!

The homeowners compost and garden at their new home.

The owners began their garden before they had even moved in, using trees that had to be felled to build raised planter beds.

Some the trees that were felled to make room for the home will be used for fire wood.