The project started primarily as a major remodel for aging in place. My wife had multiple chronic health conditions and associated mobility challenges and we were faced with the choice of moving to a more accessible home or remodeling this one. We loved the Mt Tabor neighborhood and didn’t like the other options we were seeing, so decided on a remodel. We removed the old second floor of a 1.5-story cape cod style house and added a larger second floor with prairie styling and a primary bedroom suite. We also added an elevator, widened doorways, and designed an accessible bathroom. We had a good budget, but not unlimited funds, and wanted to maximize our positive environmental impact. For the initial work we prioritized insulation and efficiency, and added solar in phase two. Ray & Beate from R&B Architecture were the architect and designer for the space, and throughout the process they took advantage of the opportunities for energy efficiency. Ray optimized the roof design for solar and the contractor, Cameron Construction, built it knowing we would be adding solar soon. We chose insulation and windows with high R- values for the new spaces, and added blow-in insulation to the old first-floor walls. 

We realized our large south-facing roof would be great for solar production, so when we got bids for the installation we asked contractors to maximize size and output. We hired A&R Solar, and they installed an 8.14 kW system with 22 LG panels and Enphase micro inverters. Installation was quick and easy and I love being able to monitor the system in real time using the app. I was able to see that one panel was under-producing, and A&R was great about monitoring it and replacing it under warranty. Six years later I am still very pleased with the system. It generates 1.4 kWh/month in the summer, and the excess energy generated in the peak months almost offsets my entire electricity usage for the year. I am not quite at net-zero, but am only paying partial bills for 2 months each winter - the amount depends on the weather. The other 10 months of the year I only pay a connection fee. I am hoping to add a battery system in the future, which should allow me to completely offset my electricity usage for the year, in addition to the disaster preparedness benefits. There is still an oil furnace heating the old space, so I eventually want to replace that with an electric heat pump. 

The addition and renovation was done in 2014 and we added the solar in 2019, as well as a plug-in hybrid car. In 2025 I finished phase three - an accessible walkway in front as an alternative to the stairs in the driveway, shade pergolas to decrease solar heat gain through the first floor windows in the summer while maintaining the views, and new landscaping with drought resistant plants and a bioswale to manage rain water.