Sustainable 9 Design + Build built this 8,263-square-foot custom home in Edina, Minnesota, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

The DOE Zero Energy Ready Home upgrades on this large Minnesota home are expected to save the homeowners $3,700 a year in energy costs, or $5,000 a year when the 12-kW solar system is included.

The large triple-pane windows let in plenty of light but won’t transfer much heat thanks to three layers of low-emissivity coatings.

The home’s six refrigerators, three dishwashers, two clothes washers, and seven exhaust fans are all ENERGY STAR rated to ensure lower energy use.

Permanent awnings, motorized shades, and dynamic glazing allow in light but protect interiors from glare, fading, and unwanted heat gain.

A central manifold plumbing system with PEX piping speeds hot water to each tap with minimal waste while low-flow fixtures further reduce water usage.

Low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes help improve air quality throughout the home including in this guest suite.

The 2-by-6, 16-inch on-center framed walls for the four-story home were insulated with spray foam on the inside and rigid foam on the exterior.

The walls of the home are wrapped on the exterior with plywood sheathing, house wrap, and 2 inches of rigid foam, then a 3/8-inch drainage gap behind the fiber cement siding.

A 12-kW array of solar panels is installed on angled racks on a flat roof of the home. The home also has two solar batteries with a capacity of 13.5 kWh each, or 27 kWh total.