Sunset first reported on solar energy for the home in 1903. Since then, we’ve been ahead of the curve in introducing our readers to earth-friendly lifestyle choices such as drought-tolerant landscaping, pesticide-free gardening, green building practices, and other ways they can lessen their impact on the environment.

When presented with the opportunity to collaborate on a Green-Built Idea House with the state of California’s Sustainable Building Task Force and Palo Alto builder Clarum Homes, we jumped at the opportunity to showcase a green-built “zero-energy” home. Zero-energy is a designation by the U.S. Department of Energy, defined as a home “that produces as much energy as it consumes and features products and systems that reduce energy consumption, encourage conservation, and use recycled or sustainable resources.”

To properly showcase the many choices for making your home green, we built two side-by-side Idea Houses. One home is decorated and furnished to show the beauty and variety of green building materials. The second, “demonstration” home highlights features that fulfill our green-built criteria for energy, water, building materials, and health. In this home, you can literally see inside a green-built home: open walls, floors and ceilings show the eco-friendly features and materials it’s composed of. Look for lots of great ideas in environmentally friendly flooring, water-smart landscaping, energy efficient lighting, and more!

Thank you to the entire team at Clarum Homes including John Suppes, Nicole Gittleson, Sean Misskelley, and Linda Schieffelin. Your commitment to this project and to sustainable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly building is astounding. Also, thank you to Stephanie Morris and Tim Hoagland of HLD Landscape Architecture. You brought so many new and innovative green landscape design ideas and materials to this project. Thanks to Pamela Pennington and her entire team at Pamela Pennington Studios for creating very green and beautiful interior designs and, in turn, a very livable home.

This project would not have been possible without all the wonderful people we worked with at the many state agencies and the City of Menlo Park. Thanks to Gregory Dick and Roni Java at the California Integrated Waste Management Board and everyone with the Sustainable Building Task Force and California Energy Commission. Also thank you to Jill Boone with the County of San Mateo RecycleWorks program. Many thanks to the City of Menlo Park for your leadership in community development, green building, and for shepherding this project to completion.

Finally, thanks to our sponsors and the many contributors who have so generously provided both time and products for this special project. We could not have done it without your support.

Shannon Thompson
Home Programs Director
Sunset Magazine

Sponsors Product Information Agio Crate and Barrel Dupont Zodiaq Ford DCS Appliances GE Profile GE Reveal James Hardie Siding Products Johns Manville Karastan Kelly-Moore Paints Kohler Co. Kyocera-Solar Inc Lennox Industries Mohawk Flooring Pella Windows & Doors Rinnai Corporation Supersoil Trex Company