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Minden House

    • Knaggs Construction built this 4,566-square-foot home in Kearney, Nebraska, to the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
    • The site has the advantage of a southern exposure for future solar panels. The slope allowed for the construction of a daylight basement providing living space without increasing the building footprint.
    • LED lighting reduces energy use, while low- and no-VOC paints, finishes, cabinets, and flooring help keep contaminants out of the air and help the home qualify for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor airPLUS certification.
    • High-efficiency ENERGY STAR appliances include the clothes washer, refrigerator, dishwasher, exhaust fans, and the geothermal heat pump.
    • Water-conserving fixtures and short pipe runs reduce water usage and cut the amount of energy needed to heat that water.
    • Although the site already had sandy soil and considerable slope, Knaggs Construction took steps to protect the foundation from moisture including laying 6 inches of packed gravel before pouring the concrete slab, using perforated plastic footing forms that stay in place after the concrete footings are poured to provide foundation drainage, damp-proofing the basement walls, and installing drains in all of the window wells.
    • Attic knee walls are insulated with rigid foam and sealed with spray foam to help form a continuous draft barrier around attic rooms.
    • Draft-free construction includes sealing the ceiling drywall to the top plates with latex spray foam. Knaggs' crews also seal seams in the plastic vapor barrier before pouring the foundation slab, at the slab-to-foundation wall seams, at the wall-to-bottom plate seams, and at the plywood sheathing corners and top plate seams.

      Minden House

      Project Address

      Kearney, NE

      Conditioned Square Footage
      4,566 sqft
      Number of Bedrooms
      7 Beds
      Number of Bathrooms
      4.5 Baths
      Number of Floors Above Grade
      1 Floor Above Grade
      Home Type
      Custom
      Climate Zone Temperature
      Cold
      Climate Zone Humidity
      Humid

      With PV

      HERS Index with PV
      35HERS (PV)
      Average Monthly Energy Bill PV
      $130Average Monthly Energy Bill (PV)
      Annual Energy Cost Savings with PV
      $1,900Annual Energy Cost Savings (PV)
      30 Year Savings with PV
      $97,00030 Year Savings (PV)

      Knaggs Construction Inc.

      ZERO

      HIA Year
      HIA Status
      Winner
      HIA Category
      Housing Innovation Award

      Learn More

      Key Features

      Key Features
      All-electric home Cold-climate heat pump Energy / Heat recovery ventilator Ground source heat pump Heat pump water heater Raised-heel trusses ACH 50 < 2.5 or CFM50/SF of enclosure ≤ 0.25 Central Manifold Plumbing Design

      Additional Details

      Additional Details
      Basement

      Read the Case Study

      See the Poster

      Testimonials

      Home owner (or occupant) Testimony
      We have fallen in love with our new, very comfortable home. After living in a 100+ year old farmhouse, we have enjoyed living in a home where our heating bill is not killing our budget every month. We have enjoyed the quietness of our home during thunderstorms while our kids sleep through the thunder that used to wake them up.
      Testimony Citation
      Homeowner

      Additional Media

      Finished Interiors

        Under Construction

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          Floor Plan