Answers
Feb 11, 2022 - 09:29 AM
Great to hear of your interest in an efficient, electric home. There are a number of homes that have installed geothermal heat pumps in Massachusetts, and MassCEC has some good information on the technology to get started. And if geothermal does not work well, based on the conditions of the site of your future home, you can still get very efficient, electric heating through an air source heat pump.
You're right that insulation is an incredibly important piece of this puzzle as well. Continuous insulation — making sure there are no gaps between studs, windows, doors, etc. — is the best way of keeping your home tight and energy efficient.
In building your home, you'll need to calculate a HERS rating score as part of meeting building code requirements. The lower the score, the better. The HERS Rater you work with on your project can provide technical expertise on how to make your home the most efficient. Your rater will also be your connection to Mass Save incentives for energy efficient new construction, and there has been talk of greatly enhanced incentives for all-electric (not just heating but also hot water, cooking, etc.) projects — up to $25,000 for a single-family home. As soon as those incentives are finalized and posted online, I'll link them here.
Planning for solar is also a wonderful idea, and as you're considering the orientation of your home, consider not just how to position rooftop panels to collect the most solar energy, but also think about how you can optimize your windows to effectively capture light/heat in the winter and keep you shaded in the summer.
Some other resources for learning about high performance homes are Passive House and the Pretty Good House. And please reach out with further questions!
You're right that insulation is an incredibly important piece of this puzzle as well. Continuous insulation — making sure there are no gaps between studs, windows, doors, etc. — is the best way of keeping your home tight and energy efficient.
In building your home, you'll need to calculate a HERS rating score as part of meeting building code requirements. The lower the score, the better. The HERS Rater you work with on your project can provide technical expertise on how to make your home the most efficient. Your rater will also be your connection to Mass Save incentives for energy efficient new construction, and there has been talk of greatly enhanced incentives for all-electric (not just heating but also hot water, cooking, etc.) projects — up to $25,000 for a single-family home. As soon as those incentives are finalized and posted online, I'll link them here.
Planning for solar is also a wonderful idea, and as you're considering the orientation of your home, consider not just how to position rooftop panels to collect the most solar energy, but also think about how you can optimize your windows to effectively capture light/heat in the winter and keep you shaded in the summer.
Some other resources for learning about high performance homes are Passive House and the Pretty Good House. And please reach out with further questions!
Jun 22, 2022 - 09:46 AM
Update! Here is information on the Mass Save all-electric new construction incentives: https://www.masssave.com/en/saving/residential-rebates/all-electric-home
