Case studies
Not renderings — finished, inspected, occupied buildings. A home that produces more energy than it uses. Forty-eight units of certified affordable housing. All-electric apartments thriving through Michigan winters. Here's what the standard looks like built.
Empire, Michigan
An all-electric 2,600 sq ft home by Endura Performance Homes with continuous exterior insulation, a 4.86 kW solar array with battery backup, and ducted energy-recovery ventilation — airtight at 0.69 air changes per hour.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Built by R-Value Homes with insulated concrete form walls and one of the first air-to-water heat pumps in the nation for radiant heating and cooling. Rooftop solar plus 27 kWh of battery storage send roughly 3,000 kWh back to the grid each year.
Lansing, Michigan
A two-building, 48-unit low-income housing tax credit development by Rockford Construction. All-electric units with right-sized heat pumps, eight fully accessible voucher-reserved units, and mixed-use space near the State Capitol.
West Michigan
A 2002 home retrofitted to net-zero carbon by GHI's own Brett Little — heat pump HVAC and water heating, 9.72 kW of solar, and battery storage — financed through an ordinary mortgage refinance where roughly $50/month in utility savings offset the $40/month payment increase.
Hamilton, Michigan
An all-electric R-Value Homes build needing under 3,000 kWh a year, met by a 5.92 kW solar array. Insulated concrete forms, battery backup, and zero-step entrances make it as resilient and age-friendly as it is efficient.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Michigan's first GreenStar multifamily certification, by Bazzani Building Company. Ductless heat pumps carry the building through Michigan winters with average utility bills around $60 a month — retiring the myth that cold climates need gas.
Chicago, Illinois
The first GreenStar certified multifamily building anywhere — condos by Point B Properties roughly twice as efficient as a typical new build, with fresh-air ventilation, air-cleaning drywall, and every detail third-party inspected and documented.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Inner City Christian Federation certified a dozen renovated homes from a 213-unit affordable housing acquisition — each assessed before and after with a Home Energy Score and GreenHome Inspection to verify real improvement, preserving affordability block by block.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
An all-electric home expected to produce as much energy as it consumes, with ground-mounted solar, passive solar design, CO2-controlled fresh-air ventilation, and a frost-protected shallow foundation that minimized site disruption.
What these projects prove
Nearly every project here is all-electric in Michigan. Bradford Station's heat pumps carry residents through winter on roughly $60 a month — the performance argument is settled in the field, not the brochure.
Capitol Park certified 48 tax-credit units; ICCF certified a dozen renovated affordable homes. Certification isn't a luxury finish — it's a quality floor that residents feel in their health and their bills.
The Little Residence took a 2002 house to net-zero carbon through a plain mortgage refinance, with utility savings covering the payment. The standard is a path for the homes we already have.
Every project above started with the same published checklist. Register with the GreenHome Institute, or size up your own home first with the scorecard.
