Passive Principles Plus Energy Efficient Systems = Positive Results

The proof’s in the utility bills: VISION House Austin’s residents are reaping the benefits of their high-performance home.

When Robert and Judi George set a goal to build a sustainable high-performancemance home in hot and humid Austin, the couple turned to the experienced team at Barley│Pfeiffer Architecture in Austin, including Peter Pfeiffer, Alan Barley and Joel Elflund to design and build a home that would stand up to the Texas heat. VISION House Austin, a collaboration with Green Builder Media and numerous sponsors committed to energy efficiency, resilience and sustainability exceeded expectations for the Georges.

The Georges, who are in their 80s, wanted a low maintenance home where they could age in place and reduce their operating costs with a smart, all-electric, solar-powered house. Now, a year after the couple moved into their home, they reviewed data gathered from their utility company, PEC, their GE appliances and the Savant system for solar generation, battery storage and home automation.

Here’s what they found out: the VISION House Austin, designed and built to be net zero for energy usage, is performing better than expected. In fact, the Georges build up energy credits in the summer when they generate the most solar power, which they then use in the winter. Their average monthly utility bill from April 2025 through March 2026 was negative $62. In other words, they are in net positive energy mode most of the time.

“Most days we generate more power than is used, and the excess is sold back to the PEC utility for credit,” says Robert George. “We have a Tesla EV and basically I run that on free electricity.”

The Savant system has two inverters, which handles the whole house load) and a 20 KW battery system, George says.

“Without any active load management, the battery will last most of the night until it reaches 25% SOC (State of Charge), which is the set point to save power for a grid outage,” George explained. “We have not had a serious power outage to test the backup feature of the Savant system, but I expect to have to adjust some loads to optimize the backup power.”

Multiple factors contribute to the comfort and low operating costs of the VISION House Austin.

Passive Design for Natural Efficiency

While smart choices for the structure and operations of the house are among the many layers that support the performance of the VISION House Austin, the foundation for it all is that architects Pfeiffer and Barley listened to the land first. The siting of the house was based not just on the ideal views of the rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country, but also on typical wind patterns and sunlight. The house is designed with overhangs to create shade, a porch positioned to catch cooling breezes and rooms placed for passive solar benefits in all seasons.

The next layer to increase efficiency and comfort includes exterior products such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, which offers increased thermal stability and is classified as a non-combustible material to protect against wildfire. The building envelope system from Henry, a Carlisle company, includes Blueskin weather barrier insulation and spray foam insulation to improve performance. Overhead, the metal roof from Fabral was installed above the roof deck with an air cavity created from a space between the drip edge and fascia boards. That space acts as a solar heat radiant barrier that functions as a shading umbrella for the whole house.

The VISION House also includes Andersen 100 series windows that add to the home’s energy efficiency and high performance with durability and thermal stability. Decking from Timbertech provides a sustainable and comfortable option for outdoor living. Inside, flooring from Crossville and AHF are durable, sustainable and healthy products for the home.

Appliances and Systems for Energy Efficiency

Energy efficient appliances from GE, which are all Wi-Fi connected, provide information to the Georges about their operating status and allow them to be controlled to maximize efficiency. For example, the couple can monitor the usage of their water heater, refrigerator, dishwasher and combined heat pump washer and dryer, which is highly energy efficient. They can tell the appliances to run at night when utility rates and demand are lower.

Their Trane variable speed heat pump uses only the electricity needed to keep the house comfortable based on the weather. The Fresh Air Ventilation Control (FAVC) system from Field Controls pairs a motorized damper in the home’s fresh air intake duct with the fan in the HVAC air handler, opening the damper and turning on the fan for the required number of minutes per hour to meet current ventilation requirements, which further enhances not only energy efficiency but also the comfort of the Georges.

While the Georges can attest to their happiness in their new home after a year of residency, their usage numbers substantiate that the combination of design, products and smart home automation brought their vision to life.