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Alternative Energy Developments

Development of alternative energy sources has been a major work in progress for many research-based businesses. Alternative energy, which would hopefully supply energy to everything from cars to homes, would help both businesses and consumers save a significant amount of money. In addition, if alternative energy is developed correctly, it will help save our already depleting environment. Clarum Homes, California`s largest Zero Energy Home developer, announced today the opening of its newly constructed Borrego Springs Zero Energy Demonstration Project and the launch of an innovative program to share project data with the green building industry.

The project, developed by Clarum in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy`s Building America Program, ConSol, and Davis Energy Group, consists of four demonstrations homes in an extreme desert climate that utilize a mix of innovative zero energy technologies to study their energy efficiency and affordability. These zero energy technologies include state-of-the-art wall, cooling and solar electric systems. The homes, designed with a goal of 90% energy reduction, will be tested for energy efficiency continuously over the next twelve months, the results of which will be shared with builders, manufacturers and municipalities throughout the United States.

As part of the Borrego Springs Zero Energy Demonstration Project, the demonstration homes have been built with a number of new and innovative energy efficient products, in particular, the demonstration homes were built with three different types of wall systems -- Styrofoam T-MASS, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) and High Efficiency 24" o.c. Optimum Value Engineered (OVE) Wood Framing. In addition to the three wall systems, the homes, which share the same floor plan, were equipped with three different cutting edge cooling systems: two of the homes feature Speakman 2 stage evaporate coolers, the third home has a Freus water cooled condenser and AC, and the fourth home features a Lennox 20.5 SEER AC. All of the homes feature 3.2 kW Kyocera photovoltaic solar systems and exterior shade screens.