Robert VanCreveld

...For years we have been moving toward more efficient systems to facilitate preparedness for an uncertain future. We have attended energy fairs, read home power and home energy magazines, and organized around permaculture methods for years. We previously lived entirely off-grid in a hand-built home on the coast with solar, wind, and hydropower.

When the great recession hit in 2008, our business tanked, and we were lucky to find work in the Portland area. We bought a rundown bungalow built in 1928 on a secluded 1/3 acre flag lot on the south edge of the city. The parcel seemed ideal, as it had lots of trees surrounding it on all sides and room for a garden.

We never thought about net zero, we were just going to make the home as efficient as possible. We put a metal roof on to facilitate the rainwater harvesting system and for a future solar array. We had spray foam installed into the walls and attic to air seal and reduce heating costs. We installed a small mini-split heat pump to replace the forced air gas furnace and the wood stove. The wood stove remains as a backup for emergency use only.

The air sealing was a bit too successful, as we were back-drafting the water heater when we used the range hood. That had to change. Eventually, we found a great deal on a heat pump water heater and were able to solve the back-drafting problem.

Solar has become very affordable. During the pandemic we decided, since we weren’t spending money on anything else, and we had some stimulus money, to take the plunge. We are very happy with the photovoltaic system and the installers, Energy Solutions of Oregon City.

We found that we were banking a lot of solar credit, so we realized we should change more appliances to electric versions. We found an electric clothes dryer and an electric induction range on craigslist. The final item was the car. We figured it would be worthwhile to try using a plug-in hybrid to minimize our gasoline use. We are able to drive using 100% electric around town. When we go long distances, the Prius Prime still gets 3x the MPG of our Subaru Outback.

Due to the improvements we made, we were able to cancel gas services. Our standing-seam metal roof is white and has cool roof technology built in. Along with the roof, R-50 insulation in the attic helps keep us cool in the summer so we rarely run the A/C. To improve our home envelope, we replaced the windows. I installed a Friedrich single head mini-split heat pump supplied through General Pacific Conservation. It provides continuous heat from October to June, so we no longer rely on our fireplace for space heating.

We have a 7 kW solar array that is grid-tied. I would love to have the ability to island our photovoltaic system so that it can generate power for our home when the grid is down. Our maximum daily production is about 35 kWh. We typically use about 14 kWh daily during the winter (not including the car). Energy Solutions was great and an excellent value.

We installed a Panasonic Energy Recovery Ventilator but rarely use it anymore. I bought a continuous radon monitor and found that we have more than I like, so we found a low-energy ventilation fan to run continuously to maintain very low radon levels. We had tested the house twice before and had good results, but I always had an uneasy feeling about those snapshots in time. It's very important to deal with radon if you have a tight home envelope.

We use the wastewater heat energy recovery plumbing to transfer heat from the shower drain water to incoming cold water. We also have a heat pump water heater that seems to use about 2 kWh/day regardless of how little use it gets. I can hear it running in the basement, but it’s pretty quiet. The heat pump water heater came from General Pacific’s conservation services in Fairview. Our toilet uses just 0.8 gpf which is better than the dual flush we used to own.

The rainwater harvesting system consists of three 300 gallon cube containers with a pressure vessel and pump.

We utilize plug strips and outlet switches everywhere to eliminate phantom loads. We also use the Kill a Watt monitor to test new electronics. The wifi is turned off when we are not home. All home devices are Energy Star certified and all lightbulbs are LED. The electric induction range was a leap of faith, as we loved cooking on our gas burners, but induction is more responsive and faster than gas. We’re converts!

Almost everything was self-installed, exceptions were the metal roof, spray foam insulation, and solar. I learned about a lot of this by working for an Energy Trust subcontractor as a weatherization inspector and then as a BPI (Building Performance Institute) trainer/ proctor for energy auditors, building envelope, and retrofit insulation contractor certification.