You would never guess that the elegant Tuscan Italian house is energy efficient. “It’s not what you’d expect—an igloo with six-foot-thick walls,” says owner Tom Pellegrino. Tom and his wife Terry built their dream house with the help of the Maple Grove Net Zero Energy Challenge. The result is a home that is remarkably 62 percent more energy efficient than the average code-built home, scoring a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) of 38. According to the city, it is probably the most energy efficient home in Maple Grove.
The 16-year Maple Grove residents were the first to participate in the program. They received a $12,000 grant to help install six geothermal heat pumps, upgraded insulation, Thermomass foundation system, and spray foam insulation. The new house uses only gas fossil fuels, which is minimal bill each month. “We wanted to be good environmentalists and also be comfortable. We didn’t want to be cold all the time,” says Tom. Thorough sealing and in-floor radiant heat keep the Pellegrinos toasty in the dead of winter.
"We're trying to demonstrate to people that there are all of these materials and technologies already out there to make their homes more energy efficient. And we want other cities to know that if we can do this here with our climate, then it can be done anywhere," said Peter Vickerman, Maple Grove city planner and the program's overseer.
The Pellegrinos discovered that there are many ways to build an energy efficient home, but not many builders were receptive to trying different methods. The Pellegrinos hired an energy consultant to run a series of tests before and after construction to ensure that the home was as efficacious as possible. “We put the fear of God into the builders with specifications and details. If the house didn’t pass the tests, they would have to go back, make the corrections, and also pay for re-testing.” The resulting construction was airtight. “The energy consultant helped us make the right decisions. The worst thing is to not do something right, then you can't go back and fix something,” says Tom, “we had the one chance to do it right and be environmentally responsible.” The energy consultant’s expertise and advice were worth the extra money.
Almost a year after completion, the Pellegrinos are still using a minimum of energy, although they are not quite net zero. The only way to achieve net zero energy consumption is to add solar
panels, which was not an option on their heavily wooded lot. The Pellegrinos still pay for the electricity to run the geothermal pumps, but overall they were able to recoup building costs with the money that they saved in energy almost immediately. The Pellegrinos now pay an average of $150/month to heat and cool the 4,000 square foot house, dependent on the weather.
So far the Pellegrinos are the only ones to take advantage of the Maple Grove Net Zero Energy Challenge but the program is ongoing and open to new enrollment. Interested homeowners should contact the city, after which they will need to provide an initial energy rating provided by a third party. As long as the rating is under 40, they are eligible to participate. After construction is complete, there is another test to measure leaks and appliance energy consumption.
“We’re very pleased with our results, and it's a beautiful home,” says Tom. The Pellegrinos were able to accommodate all design features they envisioned and be green at the same time. Terry, who designs commercial kitchens for a living, designed the home’s kitchen to include a 1,000-pound stone oven for baking. “She works such long hours, and she’d always be chilled when she got home,” says Tom, “and that doesn’t happen anymore.”
