When Fred Kreigh walks into his home, his eye is always drawn to his back patio doors. Spanning the length of his living space, the outdoors becomes the art in his living room. But for him, they also represent something he’s been advocating for 50 years — energy efficiency.
“Guess what makes me smile when I walk in the door? That piece of glass,” Kreigh said, walking to his sliding door. “Two-and-a-quarter-inch thick assembly, double thermally broken, with a center of glass R-rating of 14. It's nearly as good as some walls that go in a house, and I can look out of it.”
It’s just one piece of what he and his wife, Jodi, envisioned when they were planning their new home south of Kendallville.
As a Graduate Master Builder who constructs custom homes, Kreigh has always been focused on how to make each home comfortable — and in turn, energy efficient — for his clients. Then, he turned that attention on his own new home.
A high-quality, high-efficiency home is usually graded in the 40s for a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) score. The smaller the number, the more efficient the home is.
The Kreighs’ house is -9.
From choosing a heat pump water heater to triple-pane windows to a dual fuel HVAC system, he knew exactly what he wanted. But more than the big stuff, for him, it’s the details during the build that matter. Specifically, something that a lot of builders don’t put stock in: caulking.
“Skip expensive things like windows and doors and insulation, any kind of fenestration. How much do you think you can improve the quality of the home you're living in, because we're going to cut down on mass airflow by caulking not just at the base, but every single joint? If it can't be insulated, caulk it,” Kreigh said. “I focus on the little things, and it’s a habit. I’m a pain in the neck.”
These decisions culminated in his home being designated a Power Moves Home, earning him $3,300 in cash back, when combined with other energy-efficient incentives. And on top of that? His investments will net him about $3,000 in savings each year.
Noble REMC Energy Advisor Brian Hawk worked with the Kreighs as the home was under construction and then as it was rated as a Power Moves Home. It was a relationship born from their connection and love of building science and energy efficiency education.
“It’s all in the approach, and [Brian’s] approach is very open-hearted and genuine, and I appreciated that. He treats everyone the same,” Jodi Kreigh said. “Fred's really good about making connections. First, he calls them clients, and then he calls them friends, and that makes a good builder in my opinion.”
So those personalities communicating and working together during the construction of a highly efficient home? Jodi described it as a “bromance.”
At the end of the day, Fred Kreigh said, he would have built his house just the same, regardless of the rebates or designation. It’s what he and Jodi envisioned four years ago when the process began, and it’s not over. They’re continuing to come up with new ideas to make their house even more of a home.
“Everything outside and inside of this house started with, ‘Let’s take a drive,’” Kreigh said. “I already knew where I wanted to go. I just didn’t know where I was headed.”
To learn more about Noble REMC’s Power Moves Home program, visit nobleremc.com/rebates.