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net zero victorian minneapolis
House Feature

This Old Victorian Home in Minneapolis Becomes Net Zero

By Melissa Rappaport Schifman, Editor-At-Large
Last Updated: Feb 8, 2025

On a beautiful October day, I had the privilege of sitting down with Stewart Herman to tour his home and learn more about what inspired Stewart and his wife, Linda, to take a century-old home and renovate it to become not only net-zero energy but net-positive—meaning they produce more energy than they consume.

Stewart and Linda Herman saw themselves as aging baby boomers who, when they retired from their teaching positions, wanted to find their “last house” in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They did not want to build a new home—they wanted the charm and beauty of an older home in the city—so a remodel was the only option for them.

Table of Contents

  1. Unique Features of the Home
  2. Never Truly Retiring From Teaching
  3. Being Part of the Solution
  4. The Best Surprise of All
net zero victorian back new
Photo Credit: Troy Thies

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.

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net zero victorian kitchen new
Photo Credit: Troy Thies

6.    Saving energy by recycling heat. 

In most homes, it’s amazing how much heat is wasted out of the vents. In this home, the heat exhausted from bathrooms, and the kitchen is used to warm incoming outside air through an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV). Also, all excess heat from the geothermal heat exchanger is used to pre-heat the domestic hot water. Both of these efficient technologies help decrease the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the home and the water. (Note that a geothermal heat exchanger was not an easy install for a retrofit, with only 30x40 feet backyard. While they were not sure if they could even get a rig in there, they ended up putting in 4 wells 10 feet apart, each at 250 feet deep.)

net zero victorian master bath
Photo Credit: Troy Thies

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.

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net zero victorian entry
Photo Credit: Troy Thies

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.

net zero victorian master bedroom
Photo Credit: Troy Thies

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

Article By

Melissa Rappaport Schifman

Melissa became the Twin Cities’ fifth LEED for Homes Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and completed the work necessary to get her own home LEED Gold Certified, the basis for her book, Building a Sustainable Home: Practical Green Design Choices for Your Health, Wealth, and Soul, (Skyhorse Publishing, August, 2018). With her corporate experience in finance, marketing, and business development, and an MBA and Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, Melissa has been providing sustainability advisory services to businesses, governmental agencies and non-profits, focusing on strategic and operational change that provide bottom-line financial returns. She has led the LEED certification of two million square feet of commercial buildings, written GRI-compliant Corporate Sustainability Reports, is a LEED Pro Reviewer and LEED mentor with the U.S. Green Building Council. She is the founder of Green Intention LLC where she writes about sustainable home living.

Melissa Rappaport Schifman