It is two below zero on a mid-December afternoon. Despite the cold, it’s a sunny day, and rays of sunshine sparkle across an array of solar panels covering a home’s south-facing roof slope in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood. The “Evergreen House” is one of the first net zero homes developed in Duluth, meaning it produces as much energy as it consumes.

A group of students from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) are gathered outside. They’re here to tour this fully electric, solar-powered home and learn more about the design and mechanics required to achieve its net zero status.

Rachel Wagner, designer of the home and owner of Just Housing, explains features of the home that make it more energy efficient. Features like continuous insulation, triple-pane windows, heat pumps, ventilation systems, and careful attention to air sealing contribute to its efficiency.

Ben West and Rochelle DeLovely are both mechanical engineering students. They’re particularly interested in the heating and ventilation systems.

“There’s a lot of heat transfer and thermodynamics going on,” West said, something he’s excited to learn more about in future coursework.

DeLovely also appreciated how the home utilizes building materials with a lower environmental impact, like mineral wool insulation and fiberglass framed windows. “We get to see what houses can be like in the future and how well we can help the environment,” she said.

West and DeLovely appreciated the opportunity to take their learning beyond the classroom. They were inspired by seeing firsthand how new building practices and mechanical systems are making homes more efficient. After the tour, they felt these concepts were more approachable.

“It’s really fun and fascinating to see that there is change going on and there is innovation happening in how we make our homes,” West said.

When the tour ends, the class steps back out of the climate-controlled interior and into the frigid sub-zero day. It’s a stark reminder of the importance of the systems they’ve learned about today and a lesson that’s bound to stick with them far into the future.

This learning experience was facilitated by the Institute on the Environment (IonE), a University of Minnesota System effort to develop the next generation of leaders in sustainability.

Header image caption: The “Evergreen House” is a solar powered, fully electric home in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood.