The Hermans have been very interested in the idea of “aging in place,” living in a home that is comfortable and livable, but designed with the future in mind: they might need to make it accessible for ramps, wheelchairs, etc. To meet their aging in place goals, stairways would need to be widened, and all doors would be at least 36” wide, to accommodate wheelchair access.

But to them, the future isn’t just about themselves and the possibility of failing bones and joints—it is about a healthier future for their grandchildren (and our world), which means limiting the burning of fossil fuels, reducing waste, conserving water, and managing stormwater onsite—to name just a few of the issues their home addresses through its design and renovation.

How did their journey begin? In 2014, they found a 107-year old Victorian home on a small city lot in Minneapolis. Serendipitously, Stewart had stopped by a Home and Garden Show, where he heard about the concept of a “net-zero energy” home. Having been intrigued by renewable energy since the energy crisis in 1973, he told me, “When I learned about Net Zero Energy homes, a light bulb went on.” Could they remodel an existing home such that it would not contribute to climate change? The next year of design and two years of construction proved that they could. 

Unique Features of the Home

Typical to most net-zero energy homes, this old Victorian was retrofitted with all LED lights, triple pane windows, and efficient, ENERGY STAR appliances. No gas appliances are in the house, eliminating the need for combustion venting and keeping the indoor air quality healthier (the code-required carbon monoxide detectors will never be triggered). What is not typical is that this home was a remodel—so several innovative ideas needed to be incorporated. Below, we share a few highlights, excerpted and slightly modified from Stewart’s “Innovations” Flyer he wrote himself to share his knowledge.

1. Insulating the house from the outside.

Typically, old homes are insulated by tearing out the interior walls and putting in fiberglass batts, or punching holes in the walls to fill with cellulose or other types of insulation. This home used the “PERSIST” (Pressure Equalized Rain Screen Insulated Structure Technique) insulating system, which involves insulating the house from outside. But because the walls were pushed out, they had to apply for a variance in the permitting process—which was eventually granted, but it did delay the project. The benefit of adding insulation on the outside was that no space was lost on the inside. (In theory, it would also mean that fine plaster walls could be preserved, but they needed to gut them for HVAC and plumbing access.) The result was highly insulated walls, rated at R-40.