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.

5.    Getting hot water fast.

One lament of people who live in old homes is that they must run the faucet a long time to get truly hot water from their centrally located water heaters. A small pump was installed to recirculate a loop of hot water, in insulated (R-4) pipes, so that hot water is never more than a five-second wait in the bathroom faucets.

Never Truly Retiring From Teaching

Back in 1978, Stewart Herman wrote Energy Futures: Industry and the New Technology. Now, he is writing articles, has created brochures, and offers free tours and speaking engagements about their home. Why? He told me, “Linda and I intended this house to be a teaching tool for anyone who wants to renovate their home.” As Stewart later wrote in an article for The Cresset, “We had a mission and a message for the wider world. As (retired) teachers, we wanted to demonstrate that an ordinary old house on an ordinary, small, urban lot could be purified of fossil fuel and accommodate all the technology needed to achieve net-zero. More ambitiously, we wanted the house to demonstrate to skeptics that a comfortable lifestyle and environmental sustainability need not clash and that carbon emissions could be lowered drastically without any sacrifice in comfort or convenience. In other words, we thought we weren’t just building for ourselves.” Stewart has loved the process and results so much that he is spreading the word to other aging baby boomers.

The Best Surprise of All

With one of the only 100-year-old homes in the country to be LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy certified (at least that we know of!), the Hermans clearly met their goals. On an annual basis, for their excess solar production, they receive more back from in cash from the utility than they pay in utility bills. With no gas combustion in the house, their insurance rates decreased. But the best part? “I had no idea what this house would be like to live in. It’s been a real surprise: no cold spots, no drafts, no moisture on the windows condensing in the winter, no noise from outside. It is remarkably comfortable for old bones.” The idea of aging in place never sounded so good.

Team

Design by Marc Sloot, SALA Architects, and Katie Leaf, SALA Architects
Interior Design by Marc Sloot and Homeowners
Landscape Design by Marc Sloot and Homeowners
Construction by Sean Morrissey, Morrissey Builds
Landscape Installation by Charlie Kraemer, Landscape Charlie
Structural Engineering by Christian Soltermann, Align Structural
Mechanical Design and Installation by Jason Massmann, Massmann Geothermal and Mechanical
Photovoltaic Array Design and Installation by Innovative Power Systems