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Glendale

    • Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity built this 1,120-square-foot home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • Even without photovoltaic panels, energy-efficiency measures provide energy cost savings of nearly $750 per year compared to a similarly sized home built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. These savings bring energy costs down to about $70 per month.
    • Beneath the lifetime warrantied laminated shingles, an ice-and-water barrier covers most of the roof decking, extending 6 feet up the eaves, across valleys, around penetrations, and even down over the subfacia to help prevent water intrusion and damage from storms and ice dams in this cold-climate location.
    • Ultra-efficient windows perform at least 50% better than standard windows.
    • The home was equipped with a high-efficiency ENERGY STAR refrigerator and water-saving fixtures.
    • Low- and no-VOC wood products, primer, paint, cabinets, and flooring help promote indoor air quality and helped to qualify the home for the EPA's Indoor airPLUS certification.
    • Rigid foam insulation will extend under the full slab and over the top of the footing wall to completely isolate the slab from the ground and the footings.
    • After pouring the slab, 2 inches of rigid foam is installed along the exterior of the wall from the bottom of the footing up to the roof eaves. The under-slab insulation, also visible in this picture, isolates the slab from the ground, while the slab-edge insulation provides additional protection against freezing.
    • The 2-by-4 wall studs are offset from one another along the 2-by-6 horizontal sill plate creating space for insulation along the edges of the studs. When wall cavities are filled with insulation, this approach greatly reduces the transfer of heat through the wall.
    • Corner framing is placed in a way that keeps the corner accessible for insulation as part of a continuous thermal blanket for the house.

      Glendale

      Project Address

      Kalamazoo, MI

      Conditioned Square Footage
      1,120 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      3 Beds
      Number of Bathrooms
      1.0 Bath
      Number of Floors Above Grade
      1 Floor Above Grade
      Home Type
      Affordable
      Climate Zone Temperature
      Cold
      Climate Zone Humidity
      Humid

      With PV

      HERS Index with PV
      46HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $70Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $740Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $39,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Winner
      HIA Category
      Housing Innovation Award

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      Key Features

      Key Features
      Compact (core) plumbing design Energy / Heat recovery ventilator High-performance wall with continuous insulation Raised-heel trusses Triple-pane windows ACH 50 < 2.5 or CFM50/SF of enclosure ≤ 0.25 Central Manifold Plumbing Design

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      Testimonials

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      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      [In] the home we were renting … our energy bills in the winter were often $200-$300 per month, which took a huge portion of our income, and the home was still drafty and uncomfortable. We are very excited to hear the energy bills and mortgage will be so low, probably much lower combined than just our rent was before.
      Testimony Citation
      Homeowner

      Additional Media

      Finished Elevations

        Finished Interiors

          Under Construction

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            Other Images

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              Floor Plan