BrightBuilt Barn, a net-zero house, features triple-glazed windows

The BrightBuilt Barn, located in Rockwood, Maine, is one of the super energy-efficient prefab designs of the year. A highly covetable structure, this barn/studio is not only a net-zero house — meaning it strives to leave no carbon footprint — it is also seeking LEED Platinum certification. While the current prototype was designed as a studio/workspace, the barn is constructed on 4-foot modules so additional modules can be added as specified. But we think one of the most interesting features of the prefab is the LED light skirt that lets you know if the building is generating more or less energy than it is using.

Another very eco-friendly feature of the home is its super insulation. The triple glazed super insulating windows and the R-40 walls, floors and ceilings provide such an excellent thermal envelope that the home doesn’t need a furnace, even in Maine. On days when the home does need a little more warmth, an evacuated tube solar water heating system steps in to keep the space cozy and snug. And the system is designed to save an estimated 137 gallons of domestic hot water annually, according to a Jan. 16 Inhabitat report.

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