
2021 Featured Home
Laurent Meillon and Megan Leff Home
Laurent spent several years retrofitting a 3000-square-foot 1972 “energy hog” home, which had inside temperatures that stayed in the low 60s even with the furnace running full time. He started with an energy audit and infrared camera analysis to identify the weak points.
Now his gas bill is $200 for the entire year. Using solar thermal, a 1000-gallon water storage tank was installed, providing 500,000 BTUs for both domestic hot water and zoned hydronic space heating, installed by Capital Solar Energy. Heat for the system is collected
by 12 Novan thermal panels resurrected from the 1970s. A wood fireplace insert supplements the interior heating. The home also includes Solar PV, whole house fan, and other clever touches to maintain comfort while reducing energy use.