Platinum Net Zero Energy Yannell House

This is the Yannell Residence in Chicago, Illinois, a home that was designed and built as an exercise in net zero energy living -- it produces at least as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. It received LEED Platinum certification in July 2009, and has been on a roll getting media attention all over the place. Some say it's one of the greenest houses ever built, but one thing is for sure: it has a ton of interesting green elements.

The 2,675 square foot house has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and it cost about $1.6 million to build, according to Blair Kamin writing for Cityscapes. The home was designed by Farr Associates and built by Goldberg General Contracting.

In terms of green elements, the Yannell Residence includes a green roof, butterfly roofing that collects rainwater and holds both solar thermal and solar PV, FSC cedar cladding, fiber cement board cladding, permeable pavers, pressed wheat and recycled plastic fencing, recycled content materials, no formaldehyde added cabinets, Paperstone countertops, low flow water fixtures, dual flush toilets, Energy Star appliances, fluorescent or LED lighting, and zero-VOC paints.

In addition, owner Michael Yannell had the home built with what could be Chicago's first grey water system, together with three, 250-foot deep geothermal wells, and a solar system that generates roughly 18,000 kWh a year. You can learn more about his home here.