Energy Star Dome Homes
Our newest Energy Star Rated dome home:
Bear Creek Dome
49′ diameter mid profile dome.
Tessa Hill and Dennis Odin Johnson – Owners
North Branch, Minnesota
More photos and Info on Bear Creek Dome Click here
Fiberglass insulated dome home gets higher rating than sprayed foam dome.
 At Bear Creek Dome, we are monitoring the temperature in 19 locations, from 7′ below grade to 15′ above the main floor. To view our special below slab heat loss test comparing 5 different types of insulation, Click here. |
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| Bear Creek Dome received an independently certified rating of Energy Star 5 Plus, the highest rating. The dome has an 18″ thick dome shell, utilizing 16″ of fiberglass insulation in the dome triangles (for an R-value of 57) and 18″ of fiberglass in the riser wall (R-value of 62). The 2 level, 3200 square feet, 30′ tall dome has a radiant hot water heating system using 1500 Lineal feet of PEX tubing in the 4″ concrete slab. There is no heating system in the 1100 square feet second level The H.E.R.S Energy Rating on our Bear Creek Dome is 57. The H.E.R.S. score on another of our domes in Iowa (shown below) was 60 (The lower the score, the better it is, energy wise) To check on the “real time” energy costs of the Bear Creek Dome, click here. |
Natural Spaces Domes are the most energy efficient domes, and we’ll continue to prove it!
A Natural Spaces Dome built by Kim and Steve Long near Perry, Iowa (30 miles NW of Des Moines) has been independently rated, energy wise. The local utility has rated The Natural Spaces Dome as an Energy Star 5 Plus, the highest rating.
The other rating is called the HERS Index, a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.
Click here to read more about the HERS Index.
The Natural Spaces Dome scored a 60 HERS Index which is extremely low. This means that their dome is 40% more efficient than a new conventional home built to meet the requirements of the new 2006 energy code. Kim and Steve are thrilled as one of their main reasons for building our dome in the middle of a cornfield was to achieve a tight, energy efficient home oblivious to the Midwestern prairie winds and snow. The winter of 2006/2007 will be their first and we will report on the heating and cooling costs.
Click here to see the costs of heating their dome
