Dagher Engineering PLLC

E-House

NYSERDA | Hudson Valley, NY

When approached by McDonough to work on the NYSERDA sponsored experimental house, Dagher was already developing a sustainable building system that would offer dwellings in emerging economies the comfort of the Western world, but with far less energy waste. The E-House relies on a geothermal system that eliminates the need for a compressor, a major factor in gratuitous energy consumption. Instead a fan and pump use a fraction of the energy used by a modern single-family dwelling to air condition the house. Cold groundwater (around 50oF) helps keep it cool while also dehumidifying the air – one of the challenges of this project.

This well-designed, well-built house provided opportunities for drastic reductions in energy use. The E-house’s integrated solutions may be unique to its design, but are based on engineering simplicity. It’s a viable technology that can be applied to other buildings with enough potential to benefit two-thirds of the world’s population.