In 2016, a local builder came to E3 with a vision for his family's new high performance home. The property, tucked back on a quite country road in rural Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, was surrounded by tall old trees and acres of privacy. The builder, Michael, and his wife Marie had picked out a beautiful location for the site of their new family home.

Framing had already begun when Michael called E3 for a spray foam quote. After E3’s initial consultation and site visit with the builder and his wife, the conversation soon progressed from a discussion of spray foam to the design and implementation of a high performance home and all of the complementary components that support a tight house.  

To find the best strategies for this custom build, E3 started by capturing the primary motivations of the homeowners. Comfort, durability, moisture management, and operation cost topped the list. With that feedback, along with the architectural drawings, E3 was able to create an energy model of the house. This allowed for a cost-benefit analysis of different insulation and HVAC options, as well as an estimate of energy savings associated with a sealed crawlspace, different water heater types, and window options. 

The results allowed E3 to provide value engineering that helped the homeowners balance function, performance, and cost while designing for their primary motivations. Based on the modeling results, E3 recommended a strategic approach to insulation that utilized spray foam, blown cellulose, and a radiant barrier. 

During the design and construction phase, E3 provided: 

• Design consultation
• High performance heating and cooling design and installation
• Duct system design
• Mechanical ventilation design and installation
• Bathroom fan installation
• Insulation - Strategic spray foam and cellulose
• Sealed crawlspace system
• Dehumidification
• Other energy efficient and home performance details
• Final testing and quality assurance
• HERS score

Read more about this project in the blog.