When it comes to the thermal performance of insulation, it is important to select a good product and then make sure it is properly installed. A fiberglass batt may be rated at R30 but if it is poorly installed, it may perform at R5, or not at all. For batt insulation to perform effectively, it needs to touch all six sides of the space it is installed in and there can be no gaps or voids. Other kinds of insulation, like blown-in cellulose, are more easily installed to maximize performance.

A lot of the lumber used to build a wood-frame building is not actually needed. There is a habit to add more than is necessary for structural integrity. By working with a good structural engineer and employing advanced framing techniques, it is possible to build a safe, sturdy structure using about 20 percent less lumber. This not only cuts down on the cost of construction, it also means there is more room to install insulation, creating a higher level of thermal performance.

Eliminating thermal bridging like we’ve done in this home prevents heat from moving through materials, which means that very little energy use for heating and cooling is required. Thermal bridging is the passage of energy from inside to outside (or vice versa) via relatively highly-conductive materials.

Heat pump water heaters use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly, so they can be two to three times more energy efficient than conventional combustion water heaters. The plumbing system is designed so that the main hot water line is routed as closely as possible to all the hot water fixtures.

Because the building shell (the floor, walls and roof) does such a good job of maintaining a constant temperature, the heating and cooling demand is greatly reduced and can be provided with smaller, less expensive systems.

A blower door is used to test the airtightness of a home to ensure that air sealing strategies are effective. The blower door can be seen in the video (the red membrane in the doorway).