If you happen to be in the Gaithersburg area, you can drive by the NIST campus and actually see the Net Zero Energy home begin to take shape. From either Clopper Road or Rt. 124 (Montgomery Village Ave), the framing is clearly visible. This is pretty exciting, as I wasn't sure the general public was going to be able to see the home, but voila!
We've been making a big push to get the framing complete so that the roof and wall sheathing can get installed. A liquid applied air barrier will follow immediately after. Building Science Corp is schedule to perform a blower door test on July 28th, to ensure that the air barrier is continuous. While I've taken part in many blower door tests, this will be the first time to see one done prior to window and door installation. Instead, we will simply seal the openings with rigid insulation, plastic sheeting and caulk. Stay tuned for the results.
The NIST Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility, seen from Clopper Road in Gaithersburg MD.
