South Side Bozeman

This beautiful historic home is given another life with a complete remodel and addition - A perfect time to improve its resource efficiency. It all starts with the basics: insulation and air sealing, the two most important items to help reduce heating bills in cold climates.

The previously un-insulated roof, 2x4 walls and new 2x6 wall assembelies and were super insulated using a combination of spray-urethane and formaldehyde-free fiberglass batt to ensure that the project is sealed up tight. As part of our services, PowerHouse took it a step further by performing a pre-wallboard blower door test, using pressurization and thermal imaging to locate and seal air infiltrations that would otherwise be difficult to remedy once the project is finished.

To respond to the mitigation of uncontrolled air infiltration the house has been retro-fitted with a heat recovery ventilator to bring in controlled amounts of fresh air for much needed ventilation. This step keeps the home healthy, and allows it to breath by preheating the incoming fresh air with heat recaptured from the homes exhaust fan. The Heat Recovery Ventilator or HRV , is ducted to exhaust vents in bathrooms and in the kitchen to remove vapor and odor while delivering heated fresh outdoor air to bedrooms and sitting areas.

With a tight envelope, Energy Star appliances and super efficient heating equipment, PowerHouse then added a Solar Thermal System that is used to satisfy over 80% of hot water needs for the family of 4. We also added a 3 KW photovoltaic array to offset electric utility bill as well as reduce their carbon footprint. By net-metering with NorthWestern Energy, unused kilowatts will be sent back to the electrical grid to generate credits to be applied during darker winter months when solar energy is less abundant. Net metering is a great alternative to expensive battery storage systems.

This project qualified for over $20,700 worth of incentives including $6000 rebate from Northwestern Energy, State of Montana tax credits, and federal tax credits for insulation, renewable energy equipment, HRV system, windows, and insulation. The total savings are evident with estimated utility bills of $70.00/month or less.