ORLANDO, Fla.—For the past five years, The New American Home® has been certified through the ENERGY STAR® program.  Each of these homes has featured concrete wall systems, one of the most energy-efficient building envelopes available.

This year’s home, which debuts at the International Builders' Show® in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 13-16, 2008, is no exception.  It utilizes a relatively new concrete system and some of the most trusted concrete technology.  The exterior structural walls were built with a combination of lightweight autoclaved aerated concrete blocks (AAC) and traditional poured-in-place concrete. 

These concrete wall systems helped reduced energy consumption for heating and cooling by about 62 percent compared to a house of comparable size in the same climate. That level far exceeds the ENERGY STAR requirement of being at least 15 percent more energy efficient than a typical home. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

“The airtight exterior walls that were created by using autoclaved aerated concrete blocks were a big factor in the home achieving such a high energy efficiency rating,” said Jim Niehoff, Portland Cement Association residential promotion director. “The continual, solid walls eliminate ‘cold spots’ found in traditionally framed homes that can cause air loss.”

Concrete systems and products provide the home other environmental and comfort benefits. The more than 500 cubic yards of poured concrete throughout the 6,725 square-foot home create a house that is resistant to termites, fires, wind, hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters.   Together these and other “green” building products make  the 2008 New American home the first home to be certified by the National Home Builders Association’s National Green Building Program.

Especially important for this home are the excellent soundproofing qualities of concrete.  The home is located along the banks of Lake Nona in close proximity to the Orlando International Airport.  Concrete walls can reduce sound penetration by more than 80 percent, compared to wood-frame construction.

“Visitors in the interior portion of the home hear no airport noise even though they can see jets landing at a nearby runway,” said Niehoff.

In addition to providing a comfortable home, concrete products contributed to the home’s beauty.  The family room fireplace is built from concrete veneer bricks.  The home is topped with concrete roof tiles and finished with a cement-based stucco system. 

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.

Editor Note: Contact Patti Flesher at pflesher@cement.org for photos of this outstanding home.