Page 25 - Green Builder Magazine Sept-Oct 2021

DOE Annual Building Science Roundup
SILVER LININGS
Flattening the Curve

This home’s carefully constructed structure helps keep
temperatures stable inside, at a lower cost.

FTER YEARS OF BUILDING to the high-performance requirements category. The 2017 HIA winner was the
upscale high-performance homes of the DOE ZERH program since 2012. home of Hunter and Miranda Mantell-
Afor countless satisfied customers, Mantell-Hecathorn is the only builder in Hecathorn, co-principals of the company,
builders Greg and Tara Mantell-Hec- southwest Colorado to construct all of its and son and daughter-in-law of Greg and
athorn finally got to construct their own homes to ZERH criteria, with 17 homes Tara. The house has been featured in the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Zero certified to date. local Home Builders’ Association Parade
Energy Ready Home (ZERH)-certified “We have long felt that a third-party of Homes, subdivision Real Estate Tour,
dream home. Located in the beautiful verified home that is certified under a and Local Solar Homes Tour.
mountains of Durango, Colorado, this nationally recognized program provides “This is a showcase home,” Greg Man-
3,259-square-foot, mountain-modern the best assurance that our homes meet tell-Hecathorn adds. “It proves that a
design incorporates soaring ceilings, our high performance and sustainability unique mountain-modern design can
exposed beams, oversized triple-pane goals,” says Greg Mantell-Hecathorn. “The also embody comfort at 0 degrees or
windows and patio doors, natural stone, DOE ZERH program provides the best 90 degrees, along with tiny utility bills,
Douglas fir and stucco, and a standing verifiable platform for high standards, long-term durability, healthy non-toxic
seam metal roof. while allowing the flexibility to be adapted indoor air, low maintenance, high qual-
Visually stunning inside and out, the to the wide variety of custom homes that ity and practicality.”
home also showcases the building sci- we build.” The home achieved a Home Energy
ence expertise Mantell-Hecathorn Build- This dedication has paid off. The builder Rating System (HERS) score of 44, not
ers has come to be known for. The com- was honored with DOE Housing Innova- including the photovoltaic (PV) system. A
pany has been constructing homes that tion Awards (HIA) in 2015, 2016 and 2017, typical code-built home would score an
far exceed the county and local building and a Grand Housing Innovation Award 80 to 100; a net zero home would score
codes for decades, and has built homes in 2019 and 2020 in the custom home 0. When the 7.3-kilowatt (kW) solar PV

Average Monthly Energy Bill
$50 Climate IECC,5B, cold

Calculated
Dry (B) Moist (A)
Marine (C)
7
6
Annual Savings 4 6
$2,450 5 5

Calculated versus typical new homes 4

3
2 3
2 2
Saved in the first 30 Years
$112,700 1

Includes fuel escalation rates,
2019 EIA Energy Outlook

www.greenbuildermedia.com September/October 2021 GREEN BUILDER 23