Windows and zero energy challenge

I am learning a lot about windows, not the computer kind, but the house kind.  The one feature that I have to pay attention to for the south side windows is the solar heat gain coefficient (shgc).  The shgc rating ranges from 1.0 down.  A rating of one means clear glass and 100% of solar heat going through.  The lower the number, the less solar heat.  Unfortunately, the higher the number, generally the more heat leaks out also.  So most windows today have a low shgc.  Ones that I specced out had a .29-.35 shgc.  This mean only 29 to 35 percent of the solar energy is getting through.  This is much too low.  So far, and quite frankly I haven't started to seriously look, the highest shgc stock window I have found is .45,  still to low.  I am looking for .60 and above.

With these high shgc windows come two complications.  The first is the heat loss factor.  It is pointless to try to heat the house passively if much of my heat is going to leave through the windows.  Therefore I need to have insulated shades that I can pull down at night to minimize heat loss, or get those windows that have them internally installed. 

The second issue, which segues into the second topic in this post, is the zero energy challenge.  I have decided (from advice given to me from Peter Harding our energy consultant), to enter the house in the Connecticut zero energy challenge.  This is a contest for new constructions, with a grand prize of 10,000 dollars to the most energy efficient house.  A link with all the details is here:   http://www.ctzeroenergychallenge.com/about.htm

As far as I can tell from the existing contestants, I am the only contestant who is doing his own general contracting.  Every other contestant is a building company.

Excavation -silt fence construction to start Monday!
Wish me luck, and

Thanks for reading.

Sam

some explanation

Several people have asked me about the site plan that I posted. Specifically, why we were orienting the house the way we are.  First, nothing is written in stone, the tentative placement is just that, but there are several reasons for that particular placement. 

1. The western part of the property is very swampy, in fact wetlands.  We are waiting on the wetlands part of the survey as I write.  This will tell us where exactly we can and can not build.  
2. We want a large "back" yard.  If we place the house more centrally, we won't have any one particular big yard.
3.  We want to use geothermal energy for our heating and AC.  This will require that we dig two, possibly more wells in preparation.  While I'm not sure yet how much room that will take, I think that western portion will be enough.
4. Lastly, we are supplementing our heat with a passive solar design.  This requires that the house faces within 30 degrees of true north.  The way the house is oriented in the site plans is very close to north.

We are still talking about the orientation of the house, for privacy, view, and praticality.  I will continue to update on that front.