Today , I toured this Desert Contemporary Architectural Style Home featuring 8,816 Sq. Ft. of Living Space , a subterranean courtyard at the basement level , sky deck (closed due to the rainy weather ) , & wine cellar. It was well worth the 1 hour wait to see TNAH ! Equal parts laboratory , education tool , & product showcase , TNAH incorporates , elements such as builders' best practices , energy efficiency , indoor air quality , safety , convenience & aesthetics . It demonstrates that excellence in housing performance can be built into any home -- large or small , simple or complex . The design , construction , & amenities which showcased the latest in innovative products for the future of home building were driven by consumer preferences & expectations . I would recommend seeing it on line at www.TNAH.com , if you can't visit it in person ! TNAH incorporated all the key GREEN elements into the design including Resource Efficiency & Water Efficiency as well as the aforementioned Energy Efficiency & Indoor Environmental Air Quality . TNAH achieves 55% whole house energy savings without on-site electrical generation & 76% with the on-site electrical generation via solar panels . The total utility costs for TNAH , which include natural gas & electric usage , are estimated to be approx. $2500.00 per year !  Congradulations to all involved in the 26TH ANNUAL TNAH ! Keepin' it Green ! Ed Nikles Jr.