A Green Home Club Investigation
THE BASEMENT FILES
In a 2017 analysis, federal researchers ranked one upgrade first for statewide annual bill-savings potential in Minnesota’s single-family detached homes. State guidance tells homeowners it is usually not a good idea to do it from the inside. Xcel Energy's insulation rebates exclude it.
Read The Basement Files →A Better Home Energy Retrofit Starts With A Plan
What should happen first?
Air sealing, insulation, moisture, ventilation, and safety before a new heat pump.
What can wait?
Phase upgrades by budget, equipment life, and contractor availability.
What must be verified?
Electrical panel, ducts, air leakage, moisture, and envelope conditions.
See how the Green Home Predictor works
No signup. No property data to enter. A sample home is already loaded. Just click through six steps.
Try the 2-Minute Demo →Need help collecting Home Facts?
Use the GHP Field GuideStart A Home Energy Retrofit Plan Now
Choose your starting point — free, instant, and no account required.
Option 1: Starting Fresh
Walk the Home Yourself
No professional assessment yet? Gather basic details about your insulation, draftiness, and equipment to calculate a preliminary GHP Score.
- Identify safety, air sealing, and insulation priorities
- Verify readiness before purchasing heat pumps
- Prepare questions before hiring a contractor
Mobile Walking room-to-room? Use the GHP Facts Catcher
Option 2: Have an Energy Audit
Turn Your Audit into a Plan
Already have an official report? Convert static energy audit data into a sequenced, phased scope of work that contractors can price.
- Auto-fill data from Home Energy Score (HEScore) PDFs
- Phase improvements by budget, incentives, and rebates
- Produce a clear contractor workscope to request quotes
Works best with Home Energy Score reports. Other formats may need more manual entry.
Learn the 3-Step Retrofit Process →
How it works
Score → Explore → Renew the Core
Start with what is known about the home. Explore the right improvements and their order. Then work with qualified professionals to move the project forward.
Understand
Score
Understand the home
Use the mobile phone Facts Catcher and do a walkthrough to gather Home Facts. Another option is to upload a Home Energy Score, or other previous energy assessment. The Green Home Predictor will produce a working snapshot.
- Record what is already known.
- Flag what still needs confirmation.
- Identify what should be checked next.
Options and planning
Explore
Build a practical plan
Click workscope and let the Predictor rank possible improvements, but you decide what should happen first, and identify what can wait. Consider likely costs, available incentives, and the questions contractors still need to answer.
- Put improvements in the right order.
- Identify the trades and checks needed.
- Prepare the project for contractor pricing.
Green Home Predictor outputs
Take action
Renew the Core
Move the project forward
Bring in the right contractors and specialists to confirm conditions, finalize the scope, complete the work, and verify the results.
- Confirm site conditions and the final scope.
- Confirm equipment, pricing, and responsibilities.
- Install, test, and verify the completed work.