 “The homeowner came to us even before we were involved in the earliest test phase of this program,” said Mark Benzell, designer for Heritage Builders and three-year term board member of Minnesota GreenStar. “The designation of this project in the pilot program means he can be involved in a ground-breaking effort.”
The homeowner inherited the 1916-built house from his parents. Before moving in, he wanted to enlarge and completely renovate the home – using sustainable and locally sourced
materials and introducing energy efficient systems. The home will use geothermal heating instead of traditional forced-air heat. By tapping into the heat of the earth, the homeowner will use no natural gas and, therefore, will have only minimal monthly energy and electric expenses.
When Minnesota GreenStar has completed its pilot phase, it will offer homeowners
certification for new home construction and home remodeling projects that comply with a set of guidelines and standards. The certification is important for many environmentally minded homeowners and will hopefully bring them the added benefit of greater market appeal for their homes, Benzell said. |
