Ann Arbor’s Net Zero house wows preservationists

Boy, those Grocoffs get around. Applying sustainable technologies to their 1901 Old West Side house they’ve cast the mold for matching yesteryear’s aesthetics with today’s eco-awareness… but not without some bumps along the way. Excerpt: “The first $6,500 you spend can reduce your energy consumption by 35 percent,” Matt says. “So the biggest bang for your buck really is with the initial money you invest.”  Matt is careful to emphasize the word “invest”: “By spending a few dollars more in the beginning, you’ll save in the long run.” Starting small isn’t just the most economically sensible thing to do, it’s also the best thing you can do for your house, says Doug Selby, co-founder of Meadowlark Energy, an Ann Arbor-based subsidiary specializing in energy-efficient renovations. “Your house works as a system,” says Selby, who has worked on numerous LEED platinum-certified buildings and consulted with the Grocoffs on parts of their project. “You can’t just throw on some solar panels and call it a day. You have to go in with a plan, and you have to get to know your house and how it responds to the smaller changes before making the bigger ones.” Read the rest of the story here.