A family of three purchased this 2,500 square foot cape-style “starter” home built in 1957.  Even though it is small, for them it is more than a starter – they feel it is just the right size and the perfect location to stay for many years.  For this reason they were willing to invest significantly in upgrades to reduce energy use that many owners of similar homes avoid since they plan to move to a larger home in 3 – 5 years.  As part of their commitment to the environment and to reduce their family’s carbon footprint they have reduced their energy use at home by 75%.  They completed blower door tests that demonstrate an over 90% decrease in air infiltration.  They applied to NGrid as part of the local utility’s Deep Energy Retrofit program and received $42,000 in incentive funding.  After a year of energy usage data is available they hope to also receive $10,000 in incentive funding from the Thousand Home Challenge. The exterior envelope renovation included adding 4” of rigid insulation to the walls and existing roof, adding closed cell foam insulation to the interior of basement walls, replacing windows with triple glazed casements, and downsizing and replacing the heating system and hot water heater.  After all of the new insulation the siding and roofing was installed just like any other house replacing warn out roofing or siding.  

 
In addition they rebuilt the second floor to add a bathroom and closet space as well as to provide more usable headroom in the two bedrooms.  They added a mudroom at the main entry to both hang their coats and leave shoes, as well as to create an air lock. The entire exterior of the building has been re-clad in materials such as cement siding and PVC trim that will not need any maintenance for years to come.   

Deep Energy Retrofit

Creating a more sustainable world - one project at a time