Lovins GreenHome 1.0

The document details the 1984 construction of Amory Lovins's home, which utilized superinsulation, thermal mass, and passive solar design to eliminate the need for a conventional HVAC system. By focusing on functional end-uses rather than standard building codes, the design achieved a 99% reduction in space heating energy and a 90% reduction in electricity use compared to a conventional home of the same vintage. The study highlights that the capital costs of high-performance components were offset by the elimination of expensive heating equipment, resulting in a net construction cost increase of only 1% and a payback period of approximately six months based on 1983-84 prices.

• The Lovins GreenHome 1.0 achieved extreme resource efficiency compared to conventional homes, including a 99% reduction in space heating energy, a 90% reduction in electricity, and a reduction of over 50% in fresh water use.
• The home eliminated the need for a traditional furnace and air conditioning system through a combination of superinsulation (R-40 effective), thick masonry walls for thermal mass, and south-facing 'superwindows' that harvest solar heat.
• The integrative design approach resulted in significant financial savings, with annual energy cost savings of at least $10,254 (at 1983 prices) and an overall investment payback period of approximately six months.
• The building's construction costs remained competitive; the investments in energy and water savings increased the total net construction cost by only 1%, or approximately $4,944.
• Specific high-efficiency appliances were integrated into the design, such as a refrigerator using an outdoor 'cooling fin' to reduce electricity use to 8% of a conventional unit, and a passive solar clothes-drying closet.
• The 'Factor Ten Engineering' (10xE) methodology emphasizes five core principles: defining the end-use, starting with a clean sheet, seeking radical simplicity, tunneling through the cost barrier, and wringing multiple benefits from single expenditures.

APA

Yi, A., Ramirez, S., Bendewald, M., & Pradhan, A. (2010). Lovins GreenHome 1.0. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-15_LovinsGreenHomeCase.pdf

Chicago

Yi, Aris, Samuel Ramirez, Michael Bendewald, and Alok Pradhan. Lovins GreenHome 1.0. RMI, 2010. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-15_LovinsGreenHomeCase.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yi |first1=Aris |last2=Ramirez |first2=Samuel |last3=Bendewald |first3=Michael |last4=Pradhan |first4=Alok |title=Lovins GreenHome 1.0 |publisher=RMI |date=August 2010 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-15_LovinsGreenHomeCase.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yi2010lovins, author = {Yi, Aris and Ramirez, Samuel and Bendewald, Michael and Pradhan, Alok}, title = {{Lovins GreenHome 1.0}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-15_LovinsGreenHomeCase.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }