Page 35 - Green Builder Jan-Feb 2020 Issue

MAIN FLOOR
PLAN

Renewable offset.
Solar panels on the Monroe GARAGE
Farmhouse’s roof may
result in an electric bill of a
mere $120 a year.

FOYER

KITCHEN

MASTER CLOSET GREAT ROOM
BEDROOM

BREAKFAST
ROOM SCREENED
BATHROOM
CREDIT: COURTESY OF METUS SCREENED COVERED PORCH
PORCH
PORCH

Once assembled, the roof and walls were III. “Room by room, you measure the loads and photovoltaic solar panels based on their
rated by an R-value, the rate by which a so that you can then determine the total experience and recommendations from the
material’s heat ow resistance is measured. size of the equipment appropriate for the METUS PCT.
The walls were rated at R-28 and the home. Then there’s the ducting to factor
roof R-50, signicantly higher than code in. Whether a system’s ducted or ductless, A HOT PROSPECT
requirements for new builds. you’ll have to make sure air is distributed One other game-changing product was
properly.” installed that further assists in making the
IN WITH THE GOOD AIR Ultimately, the team decided upon three home ultra-e˜cient: a prototype hot water
Next up was the HVAC design. The METUS MSZ-FH wall-mounted indoor units (one for heat pump from Mitsubishi Electric. The
Performance Construction Team (PCT) each bedroom) and one PEAD horizontal- unit captures the heat from the outdoors,
and Imery Group brought in energy and ducted indoor unit to condition the rst level eliminating the need for the HVAC system
HVAC consulting firm Energy Vanguard of the home. Mitsubishi Electric’s mobile to compensate for heat loss that might occur
to collaborate on the layout and load app and web service, kumo cloud®, was also indoors.
calculations of the mechanicals. installed so that Kuntz and his family can “So far, we’ve been getting good
Head
“When you’re building any new home, control the comfort of the home from their performance results. We’re hitting the
Text
calculating the heating and cooling loads preferred smart devices. energy factor level that a lot of utilities are
is important to do from the start,” says Imery Group also installed a third-party looking for with hot water heat pumps,” says
Energy Vanguard President Allison Bailes energy recovery ventilator, a dehumidier Kuntz. “It’s a split system, half outdoors—so

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