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The Julia Plan

    • Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley built this 1,340-square-foot home in Hickory, North Carolina, to the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • Efficiency measures in this home save an estimated $790 per year, giving homeowners energy bills averaging under $70 per month.
    • Engineered wood siding and 30-year architectural shingles installed over a coated OSB roof decking provide a durable finish to the efficient home.
    • Rigid foam insulation with taped seams serves as a continuous thermal blanket, comprehensive draft protection, and continuous wall water barrier over the OSB sheathing. Furring strips provide an air gap and drainage plane between the OSB and the engineered wood siding.
    • The 2-by-4 wall cavities are filled with R-15 of blown fiberglass insulation, which combines with the R-10 exterior rigid foam to provide a continuous thermal blanket of R-25.
    • Energy-efficient advanced framing details including insulated corners, insulated headers, and ladder blocking for interior wall intersections create more space for wall insulation and reduce lumber costs.
    • The unvented crawlspace is insulated along the interior of the concrete block walls with rigid foam, while the crawlspace floor is covered with heavy visquene and outfitted with a passive radon venting stack to keep soil gases from accumulating in the home.
    • The insulated crawlspace is a temperate location for the ducted mini-split heat pump, which heats and cools the home with a heating efficiency of 10 HSPF and a cooling efficiency of 18 SEER.
    • The conditioned crawlspace also houses the ENERGY STAR-rated dehumidifier (pictured here) and an energy recovery ventilator that delivers fresh air throughout the house.

      The Julia Plan

      Project Address

      Hickory, NC

      Conditioned Square Footage
      1,340 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      4 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
      44HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $70Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $800Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $34,00030 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

      Read the Case Study

      See the Poster

      Testimonials

      Video Testimonial
      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      The thing that amazes me the most about this house is the fact that we have so much more space, but we pay a fraction of the cost in utilities. Before we moved, we were living in an 800-square-foot residence and often paying over $200-$225 for utilities. Here, we have more space (over 1,300 square feet), but our utility bill is less than $100.
      Testimony Citation
      Homeowners

      Additional Media

      Finished Elevations

        Under Construction

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          Other Images

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            Floor Plan