Local News

by Terri Gruca
(WCCO) Everyday products can help make our lives simpler and more energy efficient. We see that with cars, appliances and even homes. Now it's becoming increasingly easy and affordable to build homes using energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly products.

Several homes are already being built right here in the Twin Cities.

Geothermal

This home's heating and cooling comes from down under.

Jason Massmann of Massmann Geothermal & Mechanical said, "We're taking heat out of the ground and bringing it into the house."

The system is called geothermal. The easiest way to explain how it works is to think of your refrigerator. Refrigerators work by pulling out heat from the items you place inside -- it's why you feel that warm air coming from the back. Geothermal systems turn the earth into a refrigerator for your home.

Forty-seven percent of the sun's rays are absorbed by the earth. A geothermal system taps into that.

In the winter, it pulls in heat from the ground using it to help heat your home.

In the summer, the system reverses, pulling out heat from inside your home and sending it back into the ground.

It does require electricity to push the air through your home, but "for every unit of energy we put in this unit, we're getting three or four units of energy out of the ground which are free," said Massmann.

Geothermal Heat Pump Cost

It costs about $7,500 to install a Geothermal system in a typical home. It can cost more than that in existing homes because you often have to increase the size of the duct system. But they often pay for themselves in a couple of years. Geothermal systems require less maintenance and can save homeowners 30-60 percent a year on heating and cooling costs.

"We've got houses that range from 3,000 square feet on up to 5,000 square feet where we're doing their heating, air conditioning and domestic hot water for between $500 and $1,000 a year," Massmann said.

Larry Skogquist of NIH Homes said, "Out of the last eight jobs, I think six of them have been geothermal."

LEEDing The Way In Smart Home Construction

That same idea of saving homeowners money is spawning a new trend of builders.

"My passion is, really, to see the durability and health restored to the construction industry," said Twin Cities builder Sean Morrisey of Morr Construction.

Morrisey's been in the construction business for 30 years, but he didn't like what he was seeing, so he became part of a pilot project called LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The idea is to build homes with savings and durability in mind.

"The goal is that the house have 50 percent less carbon footprint," says Morrisey.

LEED homes are designed to save water, energy and land and the materials used in them make the home more durable and healthier for the people who live there. It starts from the ground up.

Foundation Work

Morrisey shows how he begins constructing a home by changing the way the foundation is built.

"We put this down at the footing," he said, showing off a hard plastic material with ridges in it. "So if there will ever be any moisture, see then the moisture would go down and then into your drain tile."

LEED homes are built to eliminate mold, radon and carbon monoxide problems.

Material Differences

"I think what I've been really most excited about is being able to use some of the local sources," says Morrisey.

Most of the materials in the home Morrisey is working on are not only recycled, but also come from companies within 500 miles of the Twin Cities.

The wood floors and cabinets come from Northern Wisconsin.

The kitchen floor wears like linoleum but is made of flax and linseed oil and comes from the Dakotas.

All of the floors are heated with recycled water, turning normally cold concrete floors into comfortable footings.

Design is such a premium you may be surprised that many of the materials actually once lived in your recycling bin.

Each countertop is made from a different material. One in the main floor bathroom is made from recycled aluminum cans. The one in the basement bathroom is from recycled paper and upstairs, the kids' bathroom is made from recycled glass. The beautifully colored glass bottles and marbles easily become a conversation piece.

And if you think that's cool, wait until you hear about the carpeting.

"This is recycled pop bottle carpet," Morrisey explained.

Design Detail With Savings

Throughout the home you'll find energy efficient appliances -- even solar panels -- which you'd never know were there. The attention to detail and design is only part of what makes LEED homes so unique. The home itself will initially cost 5 percent more, but to heat, cool, power and maintain this home will cost 30-50 percent less.

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