Super-insulated homes can present a unique set of challenges for HVAC contractors. But the home of Paul Collins in Sheffield, MA, boasts a comfort system tuned and tailored to its specific needs, thanks to Jim Patterson and Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling. The home netted Patterson his 10th Contracting Business Quality Home Comfort Award.

Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling may be the quintessential high-quality one-man shop. Patterson specializes in Design/Build projects for residential new construction and renovations. His specialties include radiant heating, solar, geothermal, variable-speed ducted air systems, indoor air quality (IAQ) services, and indoor pool environment systems.

Patterson performs all of the design work for Orchard Valley's systems, and until recently also performed the installation and set-up of every system. However — in the truest example of organic growth — Patterson's two sons, Brian and Matt, have begun assisting in the installation and start-up work. Brian recently completed his two-year degree in HVAC at Springfield (MA) Technical Community College, and Matt is finishing his first year.

The 1,935 sq.ft. home is not the biggest house on the block, but it serves admirably as a "home away from home" for Collins, who lives in London but visits family in Massachusetts often. It's small but packed with energy-efficiency technology.

"Practically everything you can do from an energy efficiency standpoint was done with this house, and Jim combined it all in a very effective way," says builder John Cromwell, who has known Collins for 35 years and served as his representative on this project (as well as several others over the years).

"Mr. Collins always wants us to do the best possible job, and he's also very interested in building responsibly and trying out innovative ideas." Cromwell says. "This house is so efficient that we received a five-star rating on it from Energy Star, and a Home Efficiency Rating System (HERS) rating of 44."

The home features 8-in. double-framed walls with Icynene foam shell. The double-framed walls eliminate thermal bridging. The comfort system includes a Carrier 19 SEER Infinity heat pump mated to a variable-speed air handler. The home's three zones are controlled by an Infinity zone control system.

All ducting is mastic-sealed and insulated to R-8. Ventilation and bath exhaust is provided by a Lifebreath total recovery ventilator that features both aluminum and desiccant cores to ensure good cold-climate performance. The IAQ is enhanced by a Trion Air Bear filter, Atmosair bi-polar ionization system, and an Aprilaire 400 humidifier.

Back-up heating and domestic hot weather is provided by a Navien modulating/condensing on-demand gas unit with a Navien heating box.

The basement slab is used as a heat dump for the solar heating system, which compliments the low energy use of the home and enhances comfort and IAQ.

"This home presented a wonderful opportunity to combine many facets of modern home comfort into one package," Patterson says. "Plus, my working relationship with the builder and the architect, Alan Clark, has spanned the past decade. My first Quality Home Comfort Award, in 1999, was for a home that included both John and Alan. Their projects always include stellar clients and unbelievable quality. They're a great pair to be matched up with."

Renewable energy was a driving force behind the design. "Mr. Collins was very happy to learn that this house would save an estimated $3,000 per year in energy usage compared to standard construction," Cromwell says. "And it's not that big of a house."

The combination of efficiency and comfort provided by air-source heat pump heating and cooling combined with the Carrier forced-air and zoning systems drew particularly high marks from Patterson. "In addition, the Navien system used on this project is a great fit for solar thermal," he says. "It only heats the domestic hot water by the delta-T required, ensuring the least possible amount of fossil fuel consumption."