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Julia II

    • Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley built this 1,240-square-foot affordable home in Hickory, North Carolina, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • Deep porches protect windows from rain and overhead sun and provide a naturally cooled place to gather in mild weather.
    • Architectural 30-year shingles cover coated OSB roof decking on the simple gable roofs, which are steep pitched to encourage drainage in the humid climate.
    • ENERGY STAR appliances and ceiling fans, LED lighting, and water-saving plumbing fixtures help reduce energy and water usage in the efficient home.
    • The crawlspace was sealed and insulated along the inside with R-10 of rigid EPS foam, while an extra-thick layer of visqueen serves as a vapor barrier over the crawlspace floor.
    • The sealed conditioned crawlspace provides a clean, dry, and temperate environment for the home's supplemental dehumidifier.
    • The 2-by-4 walls exterior walls were constructed with advanced framing details including insulated corners, insulated headers, and ladder blocking for insulated intersections that left more room for the R-15 blown-in fiberglass cavity insulation. The exterior was sheathed with OSB then covered with R-10 EPS rigid foam with taped seams.
    • Over the taped rigid foam board, 2-by-4 furring strips were attached with structural screws to provide a ventilating air gap and drainage plane under the engineered wood lap siding.
    • A single mini-split ductless heat pump was installed on the wall above the front door to provide heating and cooling to the home with a very high efficiency of 23 SEER and 11 HSPF.
    • The home's hot water is provided by an efficient heat pump water heater.

      Julia II

      Project Address

      Hickory, NC

      Conditioned Square Footage
      1,240 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      3 Beds
      Number of Bathrooms
      2.0 Baths
      Number of Floors Above Grade
      1 Floor Above Grade
      Home Type
      Affordable
      Climate Zone Temperature
      Mixed
      Climate Zone Humidity
      Humid

      With PV

      HERS Index with PV
      49HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $70Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $1,100Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $49,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Winner
      HIA Category
      Housing Innovation Award

      Learn More

      Key Features

      Key Features
      All-electric home Energy / Heat recovery ventilator Heat pump water heater High-performance wall with continuous insulation

      See the Poster

      Testimonials

      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley takes great pride in building high-performance homes that are not only affordable to purchase, but also affordable to operate and maintain. We believe that affordability and sustainability go hand-in-hand.
      Testimony Citation
      Derek Ross, Habitat For Humanity of Catawba Valley

      Additional Media

      Finished Elevations

        Finished Interiors

          Under Construction

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            Other Images

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              Floor Plan