Sun’s Part in Sustainable Homes

GreenSpaces is a nonprofit organization in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With their mission of leading regional sustainability, GreenSpaces has created the “NextGen” home, a net-zero home. These houses are expected to produce at least as much energy as they use. The project started with four houses built next to each other and of similar design. They each have two-stories, with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. The purpose of the project was to see if they are energy saving homes that produce more electricity than they use.

As a company focused on high energy performance, Sun was a great choice in the building process. Sun offered the specific performance needed to efficiently save energy. Due to the powdercoat material on Sun’s windows and doors, there were no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are compounds that can easily become vapors or gases. The products used were Fixed Casement windows, Operating Casement windows, and SunClad Doors.

A unique fact in the building process is that the houses are situated on the land in order to take full advantage of the sun’s energy. To maximize the energy efficiency of the windows, the low-e coatings on the windows are different depending on whether the windows were installed on the North, East, South, or West side of the house.

It will be great to see these sustainable homes everywhere through out the community soon, and to see Sun’s contribution in environmental sustainability. Check out more of our case studies by clicking on the link.