Hello everyone! I've spent a lot of time thinking about the perfect thermal envelope. And when I say perfect, I'm not referring to the most energy efficient. For all you mathy folk out there, I'm talking about an optimization problem with my two variables being cost and energy efficiency. I want to achieve the best bang-for-your-buck envelope without breaking the bank or falling short of R-values or thermal breaks. I was recently drawing up a detail that I've used on a Net-Zero ready home that I thought was in the realm of meeting this optimization. So, I thought I would share. I know there are a lot of articles out there on "the best way to insulate" or "the perfect thermal foundation," but none of them seem to tie that together, as nicely as I would like, with building the most affordable Net-Zero home possible. I've included a high-res PDF in case the photo is a little grainy. Feel free to comment with questions or suggestions for improvement. Thanks for reading!

Ranch on Slab Insulation Detail |