DOE Tour of Zero: Northstone Bungalow by Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley built this 1,232-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.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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Even without solar panels, this home achieved an impressive Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 46, well below the 80 to 100 of typical new homes.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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Volunteers helped construct this energy-efficient, moisture- and pest-resistant home that should provide its new owners with a comfortable place and low utility bills for years to come.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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The 2-by-4, 16-inch on-center walls are constructed with advanced framing techniques like open headers over windows and ladder blocking at intersecting walls, which provides more space for the R-15 blown fiberglass insulation.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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The R-10 EPS foam has taped seams so the rigid foam can serve as the drainage plane while 2-by-4 furring strips provide an air gap behind the engineered wood siding.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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The sealed and insulated crawlspace provides a clean temperate environment.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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The roof decking consists of a coated OSB that is taped at the seams to provide a water-resistant covering under the 30-year asphalt shingles.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
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The compact, one-story home is heated and cooled with one ducted high-efficiency mini-split heat pump (18 SEER, 10 HSPF) that is located in the conditioned crawlspace.
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley
“Now we live in a Zero Energy Ready Home that is comfortable, with healthy air to breathe, and our energy bills have decreased.”
– Homeowner
“My son and I used to live in an apartment without central air conditioning, just a window unit. It was stuffy, made our allergies worse, and it was expensive to heat and cool. Now we live in a Zero Energy Ready Home that is comfortable, with healthy air to breathe, and our energy bills have decreased.”
– Homeowner
