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   Trusses

An energy-heel truss extends slightly further past the outer wall and higher over the wall to allow attic insulation to fully cover the top of the outside wall at full depth. We needed an 8-12 pitch to accommodate solar panels flat-mounted on the roof and to give south exposure, the trusses spanned the 38 foot depth of the house. This resulted in a very high truss. The additional eve over the upstairs south-facing windows allows for shade in the summer and sun in the winter at the window surface.

FIGURE 1: Illustration of energy-heel truss advantage.

FIGURE 2: Energy heel trusses installed on the new dorms at the GVSU Allendale Campus.

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