The total cost of the project, including both house and administrative costs, is $549,470. This support has been provided by monetary and in-kind donations from the U.S. Department of Energy, corporate and individual sponsors, and the University of Maryland.
Who paid for LEAFHouse?
For a complete list of LEAFHouse corporate, organizational, and individual sponsors, see our sponsor page.
To learn who donated a specific item, refer to our sponsor tag map.
Could you afford LEAFHouse?
Keep in mind that the team has built this house, not only to demonstrate the feasibility of solar power, but to win a competition. LEAFHouse therefore includes cutting-edge technologies which are not yet widely available. As these technologies become more fully developed, and subsidies for renewable energy are extended, energy efficient homes like LEAFHouse will become less expensive. Furthermore, as the economic, environmental, and social costs of non-renewable energy sources continue to rise, solar energy becomes more appealing and compelling.
Our analysis shows that through mass production, in formats from a 2 or 3 bedroom house up to garden apartments, you could buy a house like this for $228 a square foot for the "competition version" of the house, and $180 a square foot for larger versions—that’s less than the typical architect-designed house in the Washington, D.C., area, and remember, no energy bills!
total costs
| total house cost |
$448,470 |
| total admin cost |
$101,000 |
| total project cost |
$549,470 |
total revenue and contributions
| in-kind donations |
$185,000 |
| cash donations |
$175,000 |
| grants and other revenue |
$190,000 |
| total |
$550,000 |
house cost breakdown
| metals |
Earth Anchors |
$1,200 |
| Steel and Knife Plate System |
$12,000 |
| 8020 Grid |
$9,000 |
| Misc Steel |
$5,000 |
| Steel Leveling and Tie-Down Materials |
$1,000 |
| Total Metals |
$28,200 |
| woods and plastics |
Site Cribbing Materials |
$2,000 |
| Framing Materials |
$20,000 |
| Radiant Subfloor |
$6,000 |
| White Pine Siding |
$5,000 |
| Total Woods and Plastics |
$33,000 |
| thermal and moisture protection |
Insulation |
$5,200 |
| Corrugated Siding |
$3,475 |
| Roof |
$2,500 |
| Total Thermal and Moisture Protection |
$11,175 |
| doors and windows |
Doors and Windows |
$42,000 |
| Skylight Window |
$20,000 |
| Total Doors and Windows |
$62,000 |
| finishes |
Panelite |
$10,000 |
| Bamboo |
$3,200 |
| Millwork |
$20,000 |
| Misc Interior Finishes |
$2,500 |
| Total Finishes |
$35,700 |
| kitchen |
Cabinets |
$25,000 |
| Countertop |
$750 |
| Oven |
$2,700 |
| Refrigerator |
$1,000 |
| Dishwasher |
$1,200 |
| Induction Cooktop |
$800 |
| Telescopic Downdraft |
$600 |
| Washer/Dryer Combo |
$2,100 |
| Total Kitchen |
$34,150 |
| hvac |
Ductless Split System |
$3,300 |
| Energy Recovery Ventilator |
$2,000 |
| Dessicant System Materials |
$1,500 |
| Heat Exchanger |
$1,000 |
| Dessicant Circulation Pumps |
$150 |
| Dessicant Water Pumps |
$130 |
| Misc Materials |
$1,000 |
| Total HVAC |
$9,080 |
| plumbing |
Plumbing Materials and Fixtures |
$3,000 |
| Solar Thermal Tank |
$1,400 |
| Water Tanks |
$1,000 |
| Potable Supply Tank |
$900 |
| Solar Tankless Water Heater |
$500 |
| Misc Materials |
$2,500 |
| Total Plumbing |
$9,300 |
| power generation |
DC Materials |
$15,000 |
| HIT Solar Modules |
$42,900 |
| Gel Batteries |
$22,750 |
| Battery Rack |
$1,400 |
| Battery Inverter |
$18,000 |
| Total Power Generation |
$100,050 |
| ac electrical |
Wire |
$1,000 |
| Receptacles, Switches, Boxes |
$1,000 |
| Fixtures |
$3,000 |
| Dimmers and Switching Components |
$10,155 |
| Total AC Electrical |
$15,155 |
| smart house |
Humidity Solar Kit |
$1,000 |
| Bobcat Sensors |
$275 |
| Soldering Wire |
$100 |
| USB Sensors |
$100 |
| USB Cat5 Extender |
$100 |
| Temp-08 Board |
$100 |
| Freescale Semiconductor |
$75 |
| USB Interface |
$75 |
| AC/DC Switching Power Supply |
$15 |
| Miscellaneous Design Materials |
$5,000 |
| Total Smart House |
$6,840 |
| miscellaneous materials, equipment |
XFlex Cable |
$2,000 |
| Bolts |
$500 |
| Laminating Plywood |
$500 |
| Masonite Floor Protection |
$250 |
| Coatings and Stains |
$150 |
| Lumber, Birch, Galvanized Nails |
$150 |
| Stone and Geotex Fabric |
$15 |
| Miscellaneous Tools |
$75 |
| Wire Rope |
$50 |
| Miscellaneous Materials |
$2,000 |
| Engineering Materials |
$900 |
| Total Miscellaneous Materials, Equipment |
$6,588 |
overhead cost breakdown
| rentals |
Forklift |
$7,000 |
| Site Fencing |
$2,000 |
| Storage Containers |
$1,000 |
| Moving Trucks |
$900 |
| Total Rentals |
$10,900 |
| other |
Leased Construction Tools |
$30,000 |
| Exterior Site Lighting |
$2,400 |
| Paint Samples |
$100 |
| Mockup Expenditures |
$100 |
| House Furnishings |
$5,000 |
| Total Other |
$37,600 |
| direct labor |
Framing |
$22,000 |
| Insulation Installation |
$5,000 |
| Roofing |
$10,000 |
| Sprinkler Installation |
$2,730 |
| Team |
$9,000 |
| Total Direct Labor |
$48,730 |
administrative cost breakdown
| admin overhead |
Labor |
$60,000 |
| Admin Exp |
$5,000 |
| Events and Event Promotion |
$20,000 |
| Fundraising |
$15,000 |
| Document Expenses |
$1,000 |
| Total Admin Overhead |
$101,000 |
Team 
