April and May have been a blur of activities for Matt Blomquist (follow Matt’s posts on Instagram and LinkedIn) and his Taylorville High School students as the put the finishing touches on their net zero PGH (Pretty Good House) project.
It’s hard to believe that two school year have passed by since they began working on the foundation. In that time with our monthly visits, we’ve observed Matt’s students transition from novices to picking up a tool and using it with confidence.
Matt’s classes are a mix of seniors and juniors, and as spring fever hit, you can imagine the buzz of excitement among his students, and the effort it takes on Matt’s part to keep them moving in a productive direction. At the same time, it’s clear the sense of accomplishment and pride among THS students in building a wonderful home folks will enjoy for decades….and that the former students can pass by and tell their grandkids about.
Alex and Ty visited last week to tidy up mechanical systems interface wiring and check out controls for the CERV2, Carrier minisplit heat pump, and Aprilaire Dehumidifier. All systems are go, with the CERV2 seamlessly controlling operation of the Carrier and Aprilaire units for managing temperature and humidity in addition to the CERV2’s automated IAQ management.
A few items remain for next fall’s classes. The AO Smith heat pump water heater is in place but needs to be connected. Also, interior paint and trim remain to be applied in the first couple of weeks as school begins. As that happens, Matt and THS students will begin foundation work on their next home!
Matt’s students are introducing high performance home construction techniques to home builders in the Taylorville area. This home’s energy efficiency more than pays for additional expense to properly insulate and seal the home. Homeowner’s monthly payments are stabilized against future utility price increases, and their health is protected by CERV2 automated IAQ management.
Thank you to Carrier, Aprilaire and AO Smith for joining with Build Equinox to donate equipment to Taylorville High School’s net zero PGH project!
One of Matt’s more serious student meetings (about half the class are to my left, out of sight). The class is figuring out where to order pizza, and determining what types of pizza to order for their year end party. High school students take their pizza order seriously!
Students did a great job pulling refrigerant linesets and wiring. They carefully bent refrigerant lines without any kinks, flared tubing, and torqued flare fittings. Students were rewarded with no leaks one both systems!
Students finishing up wiring of the Carrier ductless minisplit heat pump in the open living room, dining room and kitchen. Matthew is ready to try the hand controller out.
Matt is checking the main room’s ductless minisplit to see that it’s working. And it is! Students properly torqued in refrigerant lineset fittings. Pressure testing showed no leaks! The ductless minisplit heat pump and ducted minisplit heat pump combination for the house is a very efficient combination (two 1 ton minisplit units operating at 50% capacity are 20 to 30% more efficient than a single 1 ton minisplit operating at 1 ton capacity!) and provides redundancy in case one unit fails.
Alex is checking over wire connections and setting up menu selections on the CERV2 for controlling the Aprilaire dehumidifier and Carrier 1 ton ducted minisplit heat pump.
AO Smith donated a heat pump water heater (aka, “hybrid water heater”) that is nearly 4 times more efficient than electric and gas water heaters. Annual energy savings from heat pump water heaters is enough for 8000 miles of EV (Electric Vehicle) driving per year!
And here it is! Emily Mottram’s Pretty Good House design has become reality in Taylorville Illinois. The home will be placed on the market next fall as the next group of students finish up a few details.
