Full Renovation Makes Milton Home Extremely Efficient

The 30-old-home at 225 Gun Hill Street will soon be among the most energy efficient previously owned homes in the state after undergoing a Deep Energy Retrofit through a Pilot sponsored by National Grid. The family of four that will move into the home in November aren't stereotypically "green" rather they saw the incentives and tax credits of the program as a reasonable route for the renovations they already desired.

Andrew Koh, his wife Tracy Noonan and their sons Daschel, 4, and Joe, 2, will live in one of only a handful of eastern Massachusetts' homes to utilize the program that is designed to achieve a minimum of 50 percent better energy performance than standard homes.

When the couple found their home in Milton, they knew they wanted to reside the building and take on various other renovation projects. As Koh researched different incentive programs and rebates he stumbled across the relatively extreme National Grid program.

"It's an opportunity to do something pretty crazy," Koh said. "The decision was made easier because we were going to tear the house apart anyway."

Deep Energy Retrofits work to tightly seal up the home, turning it into more of a system. Reduced gaps, minimal leakages in ductwork and super-efficient
windows and doors, will seal the home to the point it will need a mechanical ventilation system for fresh air. Other undertakings like replacing heating systems and water heaters as well as knocking out walls will be part of the project.

Outside the house, four inches of solid foam will be added to the standard external insulation. Though the builders are not increasing the home's square footage, the dimensions will grow by five inches in each direction because of the insulation. The attic will also receive a heavy dose of insulation, with the addition of one and a half feet.

"It's like putting an extreme polar winter jacket on your home," Koh said.

The family is working with Boston Green Building, one of a few DER-approved contractors to equip the home, which they purchased in December. Koh said work started a month ago and should be complete by November.

As Boston Green Building has gone through the Kohs home and gutted it for the renovation, they've taken extra care to appropriately recycle or donate items from the existing structure. Things like kitchen appliances, a water heater, interior doors, baseboards, carpeting, cabinets, gutters, vinyl siding, railings and fixtures have all been diverted from landfills.

Though the program initiatives are laid out and a contractor is handling the work, Koh said there are plenty of decisions that need to be made on the fly. There is also lots of learning being done with retrofits and other green building projects.

Koh admitted that a Deep Energy Retrofit may not make economic sense for everyone. There are plenty of things an average homeowner can do to increase efficiency,  like picking shingle colors that attract heat in the winter and reflect it in the summer or taking advantage of programs like Mass Save. In all of his research about energy efficiency Koh took away that small decisions add up in the end. He said even recognizing "energy hogs" in your home and unplugging so called "vampire devices" could be part of a larger strategy to reduce energy bills.

Koh said they are also considering joining the Thousand Home Challenge, an initiative to get one thousand homes to reduce their total energy consumption between 70 and 90 percent. This program takes the DER even further to include swapping out certain household appliances and making general lifestyle changes.

"A lot of tough decisions need to be made to go to that extreme," said Koh of the Thousand Home Challenge, adding he would need to purchase new items like more efficient computer monitors.

After the family moves in this November, all of the tough decisions and stress will have produced an example for others to learn from. As part of the Pilot, the doors of 225 Gun Hill Street will be opened for two open houses to show the practices that created this extreme, green home.

For more information about the Deep Energy Retrofit visit www.powerofaction.com/der.