Brett Little, GHI Education Manager, recently led a virtual tour of his house in a Weekly Wednesday Free CEU webinar Series.

If you missed this session, want to rewatch it, or share it with a friend or colleague, you can now do so, as the recording is available below. In addition, Max answered some of the remaining Q&A below, and your question may have additional follow-up below.  

Participants learned a wide range of insights from the webinar, with many highlighting the importance of sequencing improvements—particularly that solar panels should be the last upgrade after reducing loads and improving efficiency. People gained knowledge about heat pump water heaters (including the need for flushing/maintenance), the value of green home inspections, radon mitigation and monitoring, energy and water tracking systems, differences between ERV/HRV and dehumidification, financial incentives and rebates, and how proper equipment sizing and duct choices affect comfort and efficiency. They also appreciated seeing real-life case studies of retrofits, the evolution of “good idea” systems, and lessons learned from Brett’s own homes. Many found the monitoring tools for air quality, radon, noise, and water use to be eye-opening. At the same time, questions remain about specific costs of converting from gas to electric, choosing and integrating indoor air monitoring devices, understanding pros/cons of different dryers and ventilation systems, affordability of geothermal, and how to integrate automation tools like electronic water valves with sensors. Overall, attendees valued both the technical details and the broader lesson that creating a green home is an ongoing journey requiring planning, patience, and careful decision-making.

Check out more details on Brett’s home and technologies here

Questions and Answers

Q. What about thermal solar to charge the water heater tanks?

A. This was not even considered because no one installs these systems, they can leak and because it is cheaper and better to add more PV and power a heat pump water heater.

Q. Does the tax credit for geothermal systems sunset this year on January 1? That’s what I have heard

A. Yes, HOMES 25D, which is a credit for solar and ground source heat pumps, sunsets Dec 31, 2025. Consult your Tax advisor on further information.

Q. Retrospectively, If that extreme polar vortex lasted longer, or was in northern Plains (Canada), would you add a back-up system to the heat pump system for resilience ?

A. I am concerned about power outages in the winter, it would be difficult to function in extreme cold, no power, and no sun.

Q. Do you have any new insights on monitoring or enhancing a wildfire filter system, if you started today ?

A. I am not sure other than a smart ERV that shuts down when PM2.5 gets too high, check out the Build Equinox CERV2. Thankfully, my climate risk factor for fire is very low here (for now).

Q. If you see a home changed from baseboard heat and the HVAC, which has ducts in the ceiling, but the ones running to the return air vents are just interior walls…is there a problem? Think a house built in the 50s…

A. Yes, very concerning, leaks, humidity issues, lack of delivery, the list goes on. Not an issue with my house.

Q. Do you use lose microwave clocks when switching to battery in outage?

A. No.

Q. Have you calculated your 2024 utility costs using the 2016 rates (to have a fair comparison to the prediction, i.e., eliminate the utility cost inflation?)

A. Not yet, but I am looking into it. It is hard because in 2016, there was also no time of use pricing, and I did not track back then, when I used energy, or at least I never downloaded that data to know to track it.

Q., Do you have ceiling fans in your home? Or would you consider using ceiling fans to help distribute air and reduce air stratification in rooms?

A. I do, I no longer use them, I used to. I think it is a great idea but there other impacts of ceiling fans on mental health that people may need to consider, it is likely a rare issue but one to consider.

Q. What is a “professional” water heater tank flush? I turn off the heater twice a year and open the drain for five minutes. No sign of CaCO3 in flush water.

A. Having a plumber or HVAC come and flush it out if you are not comfortable doing it

Q. Does your air handling system handle MERV 16? Usually, MERV 11 or 12 is the limit?

A. Well, it works, but I need to get a static pressure test done. We never did one in COVID during install.