Earth Advantage Home Certification's newly launched Net Zero and Net Zero Ready certifications awarded its first certificates and plaques in Bend, Oregon. Matt Douglas provided the custom bamboo plaques to W. H. Hull Builders and Solaire Homebuilders on March 13, 2013. For more info on our Net Zero offerings visit our web page.
Read More »If you live in one of Portland’s close-in, well-established neighborhoods, there is a good chance that a home on your street has been remodeled or even torn down. Do you know where all of the construction debris from those projects went? Most likely into a landfill, contributing to the more than 136 million tons of building-related construction and demolition waste generated each year in the U.S.[1] Only 20-30% of construction and demolition waste is currently recycled in the U.S.
A Profile of Earth Advantage Institute’s New Executive Director, David Heslam
David Heslam, the former director of business development, has now been officially appointed executive director as of January 28, 2013. David previously oversaw EAI’s Energy Performance Score (EPS) development and the development of what is now CakeSystems™ software. In November 2012, the board appointed him interim executive director in order to allow Sean Penrith, the former executive director to move to CakeSystems. In late November, Penrith changed his original trajectory and chose to pursue other opportunities outside of EAI. I spoke with David a few days after his official appointment as E.D. to discuss his background and what the future holds for EAI.
Read More »
Despite positive experiences with nutritional and vehicle miles-per-gallon labels, the U.S. has been slow to create the necessary components for similar efforts in residential energy performance. Recently, Earth Advantage Institute (EAI) has taken on this challenge by working with localities across the country to develop and implement tools that support voluntary residential energy scoring and disclosure efforts.
Read More »Charlie Hamilton of Suncrest Homes has been building in Southern Oregon for 23 years. Before the recession hit, Suncrest was rolling out 40 homes a year, mostly in sub-divisions. Though they were profiting from the housing bubble, Hamilton had a hunch the pace wasn’t sustainable.
Amanda Kolson Hurley’s recent post about her experience receiving a home energy audit highlighted the key role of the energy professional. It is a topic Earth Advantage Institute has been studying for some time. On August 31, 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a report called Behavioral Perspectives on Home Energy Audits in collaboration with Portland State University, Research Into Action, Earth Advantage Institute, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Read More »Before I caved and signed up for an energy audit, I had my own, inexpert opinion about how our house lost so much energy. I knew that it did: The house was built (hastily) as military housing back in 1941 and still has its original single-pane windows. Neighbors joke about how leaky the units in our townhouse complex are. Most of us get drafts in the winter, and our second floors can be hot and stuffy in summer months.
Read More »Last month, Earth Advantage Institute had the opportunity to share comments on Oregon’s 10-year Draft Energy Action Plan, which contained several forward thinking, aspirational, and innovative approaches to energy constraints and opportunities.
Read More »Time for a U.S. version of an Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
I attended a regional council meeting in Oregon recently, where the topic was energy efficiency and how to increase its collective impact in the buildings sector. Our guest speaker, Jules Bailey, Oregon state representative, is well regarded, plugged in, and progressive. While he set the stage of what we might expect legislatively for the state in 2013, he remarked on the fragmented and disparate nature of energy efficiency efforts he encountered around the state. This same challenge is undoubtedly observed in any number of cities, municipalities, and states across this nation. Ryan Colker of the National Institute of Building Sciences wrote in his article ("It Is Time for a National Buildings Policy") that the "U.S. Government Accountability Office identified 94 separate initiatives in 11 agencies with implications for private sector green buildings alone."
In early July, I received an email from a familiar name; Dylan Rivera. Dylan had been our "contact" at The Oregonian for many years. He is now at Metro as a public affairs specialist. Metro is an elected regional government that serves more than 1.5 million residents in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties and the 25 cities in the Portland region. Dylan invited me to participate in Metro's Environmental Scorecard Workshop.
Read More »
In March of 2009, Time Magazine presented a powerful message on its cover employing a very simple yet poignant graphic. A single large, red button with the word "Reset" on its face appeared in the center of a large blank background. The subtext read "The End of Excess, Why This Crisis Is Good for America." For me, there could not have been a more timely message. In this critical period of human history, we sit at a painful crossroads which calls for fundamental soul searching. That crossroads is the confluence of three historically convoluting and global events: the economic crisis; the energy crisis; and the climate crisis. Together, they represent a searing siren's call to reexamine our collective trajectory. The message could not be clearer or more disturbing, and the stakes could not be higher.
How many times have you gone past a neighborhood remodeling project and quietly, wondered to yourself - almost embarrassed for the homeowners -, "Oh, my! What were they thinking?!" Conversely, how many times have you passed a project and thought, "Wow, that looks great! What a wonderful improvement." Similarly, have you ever been to a gathering at someone's newly remodeled home to find spaces that - in spite of the homeowner's obvious pride - just don't feel quite right? Somehow, the flow of that freshened home just doesn’t work. We call this unfortunate but not uncommon situation "orphaned space." It becomes evident when all the architectural attention is given to the new spaces or additions without considering the remaining spaces, which then become vestigial. This suddenly "orphaned space" has ambiguous function, is disconnected, and is non-contributing.
I spent last Wednesday and Thursday in Northern Virginia in Earth Advantage training, learning more about green homes, green real estate, their respective relevance in the market and how best to help and advise my clients regarding such. Below the "fold" is a Storify I did and conversations I had during the sessions, but these are five big takeaways.
Commercial and industrial U.S. buildings accounted for 40 percent of overall energy consumption, which is a startling figure. Subsequently, design initiatives are quickly striving to achieve higher performance and some are striving for the highest possible achievement--net zero consumption.
In the May/June Readers Forum, Matt Golden framed his concerns about energy modeling and disclosure. I’d like to take this opportunity to point out some misconceptions and incorrect assumptions made in that letter.
Read More »I attended the Regional Energy Efficiency Summit late last month, an event hosted by the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. The Summit convened leaders in energy efficiency from across Washington State to share ideas and discuss next steps as community energy efficiency programs evolve into more mature models of integrated program delivery.
Read More »Last week, the Earth Advantage Institute (EAI) attended the BuildingEnergy12 Conference, hosted by NESEA in Boston, MA. While there, EAI attended multiple 90 minute sessions on green building. The highlights of the conference are as follows:
Read More »
Before joining Earth Advantage Institute (EAI), I moved to Bend, Oregon and built the greenest house that I could afford. I just sold this house in a down market. The asking price was $30,000 higher than the market value and I received a full-price offer less than twelve hours after the ‘For Sale’ sign was planted out front.
And we have reached the Top 3! This home, built by Ethan Beck Homes, is the another home built to Passive House standards. Since this home's completion, the homeowners have continued to demonstrate their passion for sustainability by installing an 3.2 KW solar electric system.
Earth Advantage's Top 5 Certified Homes' Series rolls on with the 4th highest-scoring home. This home, built by WA Hughes Construction and designed by Andre DeBar, is the result of half a decade of planning. Dubbed 'Nishiki Gardens' by the homeowners. the rooftop solar features are the only hint to vistors that there might be something more to this house other than the beautiful Japanese details.
Earth Advantage Institute's New Homes certification progam has certified over 12,000 homes in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The program is newly updated for 2012. However, during the previous revision process in 2009, the program changed its scoring system to a friendlier points-based format. We did a little exploring towards the end of 2011 and found the five projects that scored the highest over these last three years.
Last week, the Energy Trust of Oregon released a thoroughly researched and well-documented report summarizing their efforts to establish an “asset-based” energy performance metric for existing homes. The study tested and compared the most highly regarded modeling tools from around the country, including Earth Advantage’s. (Spoiler alert: Earth Advantage’s modeling system was ranked first overall.)
Earth Advantage Institute constantly works with stakeholders across multiple sectors, including policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners. Based on insights gathered over the course of the year, we publish our "10 Green Building Predictions." Here is this year's list:
I had an interesting conversation with a business associate that works at the local gas company about a month ago. We were discussing a joint promotion to showcase sustainable building materials and energy efficient products when the topic of clothes dryers came up. Yes, I know clothes dryers are not the most exciting appliance, but stick with me. I promise there will be an interesting tid-bit of useful knowledge for you at the end.
In Part 1 of this blog, I explained the difference between all of the 'air' terms and identify their importance. Now, let's get into a few of the technical aspects behind the science of air sealing.
What is the difference between air tightness, air infiltration, & air leakage? People often make the mistake of thinking that an airtight building is a ‘stuffy’ building. This is not necessarily the case nor is it the intent of creating air tight structures. Airtightness is NOT the measurement of the amount of fresh air available to the occupants, but rather is the measurement of how much air will leak into and out of the home through undesirable locations, such as small cracks and holes in the building shell.
My office, as one of EAI's Education Specialists, is quite close to our classroom. Naturally, the classroom dialouge tends to drift over the walls, so I've become pretty adept at tuning it out. Every once in a while though, something catches my ear. The most recent example of this was a statement made at our Sustainability Training for Accredited Real Estate Professionals (STAR) class a few months ago.
Yes, it’s true. It rains a lot in Portland– about three feet of annual precipitation on average in fact. However, it’s still a far cry from Hilo, Hawaii at over ten feet of rain per year! Like it or not, all this rain helps provide Portland with the city’s trademark flowers, shrubs, and trees. It is definitely green around here, but the color isn’t the only thing ‘green’ about Portland.
Ella Wong wrote in to update us on the status of her net-zero, passive house, duplex "Trek Haus" being built in southeast Portland by architect/contractor Robert Hawthorne and builder Bart Bergquist. KATU-TV just aired a segment on Tuesday featuring the Portland State University mechanical engineering students who are studying the phase change insulation material being tested in one of the units (the other is the control unit that uses more standard insulation).
Spray foam is a great air sealing and insulating product. However, it is not the cure-all for builders looking for a tight, well-insulated home. The prevailing thought is that “if I use spray foam, I don’t have to air seal.”
The smell of an exceptional bolognese sauce filled the kitchen of the house we were renting for the Christmas holidays. We had all descended on Cape Town to visit my mother. My sister, Tessa, bent over the pot to give the dish a taste as my wife popped a few loaves of garlic bread into the oven.
There are times during the holidays when every appliance in your home might be on at the same time. It’s madness. TVs, ovens, computers, video game systems, stoves, lights, coffee makers and the list goes on and on. But donʼt cringe! There are plenty of small things you can do to help reduce the effects of the energy tsunami and have a healthier holiday overall.
Read More »
One of my favorite presentations at our 2011 Green Day Forum was from John Davies, Director of the Opportunity Council’s Building Performance Center in Bellingham, Washington. His presentation, “The Weatherization Industry Grows Up,” left me fascinated with the work that our northern colleague is engaged in.
Recently an Earth Advantage Institute certified Sustainable Homes Professional, Bruce Butler, wrote to us to let us know how our training paid off for him. Bruce has developed sustainable house plans for stock plan purchase.
I'd like to add that the pay-off is really for all of us. These aren't your ordinary stock plans! As we move toward more sustainable building, we need designers like Bruce to make house plans available to builders and consumers.
‘Capaces’ means capable, and we’re not talking about a singular entity, but a group of capable organizations and people. The CAPACES Leadership Institute in Woodburn will be the first Passivhaus commercial building in the United States, and it is being built with volunteer help, and debt free. Nine sister organizations, including Piñeros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), are working together to build this community center which will focus on leadership development – helping to make sure they stay capaces.
Read More »The 164-seat James Morrison Collier Theatre Building, designed by Bruce Richie, Architect is located in Talent Oregon. Talent has a population of 6,670 - a far smaller community than would typically be required to support a year round semi-professional theatre company. However, Talent is not your typical community!
Read More »Think about one industry that creates a product for sale, has no interest in branding the product, and thus no consequential accountability to the ultimate owner of their product. Imagine if the automakers churned out cars, never branded them, and had no concern over the performance issues the car suffered during service. Unthinkable and unconscionable, right? Homebuilding is one such industry.
 |
Jim Chapman, President and General Manager of Legend Homes stands in front of Edgewater a Legend Homes development. |
There are exceptions of course…..Legend Homes, Renaissance Homes, KB, and Meritage Homes. These building companies are not only seeing the value of establishing a clear brand value but also offering up energy performance labels to transparently reflect their energy efficiency chops to the market. I have always been amazed that the homebuilding industry that caters to families and generations has not taken the opportunity to clearly brand its products so that generations of kids seek out that brand when it comes to their turn to become a homeowner. Isn't that the American way
?
Guest Blogger: Zack Semke
 |
Image courtesy of Holst Architecture |
It’s always cool to be on the cutting edge. Earth Advantage builder Hammer & Hand has joined forces with Holst Architecture to build the Karuna House, an ambitious green building project in Yamhill County, Oregon that aims to meet the world's most demanding green building certifications, including Passive House, Minergie-P-ECO, & LEED for Homes Platinum.
The Karuna House's client, a leading proponent of smart climate policy and sound land use, is pursuing the project as a case study to shed light on the ways that the leading green building certifications and standards complement one another, and the ways that they may conflict.
 |
Kol Peterson's Accessory Dwelling Unit. Located in Portland, OR. |
Kol Peterson, an Earth Advantage Sustainable Home Professional (SHP) alumni, has just finished building an high efficiency Accessory Dwelling Unit in NE Portland. His professional background in environmental planning and his personal interest in high performance buildings led him to want to build and live in an smaller urban space. In the process of building an ADU, Kol became enamored with ADUs as a re-emerging, urban residential model for sustainable, high-efficiency living option.
Read More » |
K-Station is a multifamily project located in Portland, OR working towards LEED Platinum certification. |
This summer Earth Advantage invited Fiona Hoffman Harland, an intern from Hamilton College, to assess multifamily energy and water retrofits. Her study is one of relevance to everyone involved in the multifamily market. How do you encourage tenant engagement and use of energy efficient living systems? Fiona discovered that “after tenants and staff understand the importance of saving energy and know how the newly installed technologies work, systems must be in place to support those involved and allow them to act on the new behavior for an extended period of time.”
Read More »
Energy efficiency is one of those few things in this world that nobody really dislikes. How many people do you know who wish that things would cost more? “Gee, my gas bill was only $50 this month, I really wish it had been $75?” The biggest problem with energy efficiency is that it isn’t sexy. I think we can agree that we all would like to live in energy efficient homes, but most of us don’t really want to pay a hefty up-front premium, especially if we don’t get the emotional satisfaction of impressing our friends with sexy features like solar and newfangled mechanical equipment.
Well, there is a pretty simple solution that is low-cost, easy to do and it reduces energy consumption… wait for it………air sealing! “What?!” you say, “How is that going to impress anyone?” Hold that thought.
Read More » |
Volunteer organizer for PCUN Javier Lara addresses the audience, while architect Patrick McDonald of Communitecture (left) and Green Hammer president Stephen Aiguier (right) look on. More photos
|
Sometimes we green building folks live in a bubble. We talk back and forth among ourselves and trade information on best building practices, the benefits of rainscreens and the latest energy efficiency equipment. We often forget that sustainability is about society and creating a culture -- not just designing, constructing, and worrying whether the buildings will achieve gold, silver or platinum certification.
Last night I went to a reception where I saw all that green building can be. The occasion was a fundraiser for a union of Mexican immigrant farmworkers, called PCUN. This group, located in Woodburn, Oregon, leads a network called CAPACES, consisting of nine Latino organizations that do many things to help their constituents: building and managing housing, operating a radio station, providing services, and involving immigrant parents in their children’s education.
Read More »BY Guest Blogger: Fiona Harland, EAI Intern
This year in Oregon we’ve seen increasing attention paid to both Ecodistricts and certified green communities. Both focus on positive environmental impact in similar ways, including location and linkage, material and resource efficiency, and enhanced community engagement and well-being. However, each development type brings different benefits to the community.
Ecodistricts
 |
In 2009 the Portland Sustainability Institute started planning for five pilot ecodistrict projects in the Portland metropolitan area. The organization defines an ecodistrict as: “A neighborhood or district with a broad commitment to accelerate neighborhood-scale sustainability. Ecodistricts commit to achieving ambitious sustainability performance goals, guiding district investments and community action, and tracking the results over time.”
Read More »A quick glance at recent green building conference programs shows that there is an increased interest in energy and sustainability performance metrics. While I applaud efforts to bring legitimacy to sustainability with measurable outcomes, I hope that we as an industry don’t get so caught up in measuring Air Changes per Hour (ACHs) and carbon emissions that we forget an important aspect of the sustainability equation: people.
Read More » |
Can you feel it? I think summer is finally here. We’ve had a rough go at it in the Pacific Northwest and up until this point have had only a handful of days above 70 degrees. Hopefully that’s about to change. With summer time comes picnics, family vacations, baseball, rafting, bar-be-ques, camping, and everyone’s favorite; house projects. Now depending on your enthusiasm and if you’re a glutton for punishment or not, a house project may be as simple as earning your green thumb and planting native shrubs and bushes to laying footings for that extra additional sunroom you’ve always wanted. However, one of the most popular home projects, especially in the northwest where we only get a few really solid months of sun, is (survey says!): Painting the house.
Read More »In their better natures, I truly believe people really do like to help. Whether it's holding a door for the elderly or giving unsolicited advice to a friend, people are often taking action for the "benefit" of others. Often times this "help" is not perceived as such, rather its viewed as interference or suspiciously regarded as a play for a favor in return. The older man takes it as an affront to his fitness ("Don't hold the door for me sonny!") or "mind your own business" from the friend who didn't ask for advice. It seems to me that oftentimes people over think a situation, rather than communicating in a straightforward way.
Read More »Is Technology the Answer?
 |
The development of new green building technologies can be tremendously exciting, but it can also be a distraction that takes us away from a core focus. A few months ago we saw the introduction of “smog-eating” roof tiles by MonierLifeTiles that are being deployed on all of KB Home’s California projects. In May we saw ALCOA introduce its Reynobond® with EcoClean™ architectural panels that purportedly clean themselves and the air around it.
For us green building geeks, this is exciting and fun stuff. Both use titanium dioxide for air cleaning purposes. MLT uses it as a sunlight-reactive agent roofing product that interacts with smog molecules (nitrogen oxides, or NOx) and converts it to a harmless calcium compound that is washed off by rain. EcoClean is also a titanium dioxide product that is applied to pre-painted aluminum panels. NOx is captured and converted on a super-slick surface and then washed off with rain or small amounts of humidity.
Read More »|
|
Rendings of K-Station help visitors picture it in its completed stage. |
It’s been a while since our last Earth Advantage Broker alumni function, so after introducing our Earth Advantage Broker class coordinator Annah to architect Shawn Sullivan during an open house in June, we quickly hatched a plan to host an alumni event at his newest project, K-Station, along Killingsworth Street and Interstate Avenue in North Portland. Not only is this project unique as a multifamily LEED project shooting for platinum status, but it also has financial funding for homeowners through the Portland Housing Bureau. Funding which will ensure that the units, ranging from 600- 1200 sq. ft., are affordable for homeowners, especially those trying to buy for the first-time.
Read More »At the Showcase Home in Shady Cove, Oregon
 |
The Showcase Home in Shady Cove, OR provides an excellent example of how to build a cost effective, energy efficient home. Alternative and affordable construction techniques used in the Showcase Home will save the future homeowner money and increase the comfort of the home.
The builder used advanced framing techniques of: 24” on center studs, insulated headers and raised heel trusses all of which significantly increased the insulation levels of the thermal envelope. This strategy not only saves energy but it reduced cost of materials by using less wood.
Read More »
Sustainability-minded builders have long chosen wood over cement and steel, when possible, to deliver structures with lower embodied carbon emissions. When you compare wood and wood-alternatives side by side, wood always wins in terms of lower embodied direct emissions. But what about the potential unintended consequences of using wood whenever and wherever possible?
 |
Heat pumps are one of the many ways to heat and cool your home, but how do you know that the heat pump is operating at the most efficient level? It’s having a trained professional perform a heat pump commissioning test.
A very brief overview of the heat pump commissioning testing procedures:
Today’s communities are not doing what they should be – keeping people healthy and safe. Part of the problem is that our transportation infrastructure is set up to support independent automobile travel rather than alternative means such as pedestrian, bicycle or public transportation. This car-reliant society not only has a negative impact on the environment, but affects our health, pocketbooks, and social interaction. A growing body of research that shows how social stimulation and interaction with nature and open space creates a significant improvement in people’s mental and physical health. When looking at the way our communities function, design can play a huge role in enabling a sustainable, healthier, more prosperous and socially active neighborhood.
Read More » |
Town Center Multifamily in Portland |
Move over single family homes, here comes your big brother multifamily projects. With the decline of new homes being built the multifamily building industry has caught fire.
In past years at EA we certified perhaps 2 new multifamily projects each year. Last year alone we certified 5 different projects, 3 in Portland, 1 in Dallas and 1 in Bend. Below are pictures of a couple of projects EA certified in 2010.
Read More » |
Photo provided by www.MelanieMcCloskey.com |
How do you gauge the value of a home? Is it the amount of money spent in acquiring a property to house you and your belongings? Or maybe it is the location that adds worth to your abode. Could it be when you walk in the front door for the first time and realize ‘I’m home’? Or maybe it’s when you have the coolest house on the block. Many differing aspects create value and most of us have a hard time vocalizing just what makes a house valuable. Then the Passive House “Passivhaus” standard comes along, adding even more to consider.
Read More »
So you want to go solar, but can't decide which type of solar energy system to install. Should it be a solar water heater or a photovoltaic (solar electric) system? It's not just a matter of technology. Household size is one very important factor. A standard solar water heater in Oregon is sized for a family of four, and will produce between 2500 and 3000 kilo-watt hours worth of energy each year. However, smaller families may not use all of this energy, leaving some of it wasted.
 |
Steel plates containing closed-loop glycol piping are arranged end-to-end along the side of the sewer canal to capture heat. |
A Paris school is benefiting from a modern twist on an old practice. Using heat generated by sewers isn’t a new idea – in fact, sewer heat is used unofficially in many parts of the world. But this pilot implementation offers a simple and promising technique to capture and direct sewer heat for use in warming the building and its 400 pre-K and primary school students.
Read More » |
Trisha Paul comes to us with a strong sales background in the construction industry, with an education in Business Management, and more recently in Architecture at PSU. Trisha has vast experience in the residential and multifamily development realm comes with over 8 years at DR Horton in the roles of Purchasing Manager and Quality Control Manager. Also with this experience comes knowledge of Energy Trust of Oregon programs and energy efficiency optimization in residential developments.
Read More »It’s pretty crazy to think that some of the most common landscaping plants pose extreme danger to humans and animals.
Read More »Over the years green building certification programs like Earth Advantage, ENERGY STAR, LEED for Homes and EarthCraft have evolved with the building trade. As builders incorporate more green building practices as standard, green building programs have always had to evolve to stay one step ahead of the curve (and/or the code).
Read More »Do you know a person or an organization that is reshaping the way people think about green building? We've just opened up speaker nominations for our Nov. 3 Green Day Forum, Portland's premier green building conference. This year's theme is quite different: "Meet the Champions: Achieving the Triple Bottom Line in Green Building."
Read More »Since a part of green building is about site development and stormwater management, my Saturday DIY-patio project showcases how to correctly build a pervious patio out of 95% recycled/reclaimed materials.
Read More »With the downturn in the housing market that has resulted in a new economic environment in the building industry, many builders and developers are looking for creative solutions to weather the storm. This has resulted in builders using a number of different strategies, including focusing on the remodel market, building at the lowest cost possible, building green or high-performance homes, or just getting out of the industry all together.
Read More »Three Questions to Ask
I want to let you in on a little secret: buildings are complex. We expect them to 1) keep us comfortable, 2) to handle all kinds of weather 3) to be safe 4) durable 5) stylish, and 6) efficient.
 |
The last time I checked, the laws of physics didn’t ignore buildings, and these laws can actually be applied to deliver five of the six expectations above. Perhaps there are even physicists out there who can predict style with science -- I suppose I can extend the benefit of the doubt. But how many people do you know who build, sell, inspect, purchase or occupy buildings and who comprehend how the flows of energy, moisture, and air influence comfort, efficiency, durability and safety?
Read More »Should building owners be required to provide public information on the energy performance of their buildings? Would such disclosure help to promote the local commercial and residential real estate sectors? A number of Oregon legislators and their constituents would answer “yes” and “yes.”
Read More »Guest Blogger: Salvador Del Cid
There are countless high-paying jobs in Oregon. Our housing market is booming. And we have absolutely no water concerns, not in this so-called Webfoot State.
Fiction! All of it.
 |
Yes, it’s well documented -- Oregon employment and housing are standing on wobbly knees. But oddly, it’s the threat of future water availability that would make most bike riding, vegetable growing, recycling gurus here drop their BPA-free water bottles in shock.
Read More »On February 9, 2011, the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the Existing Commercial Building Energy Performance Ordinance, signed into law by Mayor Lee on February 18th. The ordinance requires that owners of commercial buildings of 10,000 square feet or more determine how much energy their building consumes on an annual basis, and make this information publicly available. In addition, building owners will be required to conduct an energy audit of these commercial properties every five years.
Read More »With the downturn in the housing market many builders and developers are looking for creative solutions to weather the storm. This has resulted in a number of different tactics by builders including a focus on the remodel market, building at the lowest possible cost, building green or high performance homes, or just getting out of the industry all together.
Arguably, one of the most interesting approaches builders have used to differentiate themselves is embracing transparency, allowing the homebuyer to truly understand what they are purchasing. Builders have begun to use green building certifications and energy performance scores as tools to achieve this more transparent message. By bringing progressive construction features into the foreground, builders are creating a new set of buying criteria not seen before in the residential market. The measures they are highlighting -- that improve energy efficiency, durability, and improve air quality -- should be important to consumers. Many of America’s leading builders, such as KB Homes, are making this case to their buyers every day.
Read More » |
A morning inspection at a home built by W. A. Hughes home -- Oregon High Performance Home, Energy Star, Earth Advantage Gold Certified |
Being an Earth Advantage field technician requires juggling. Not the flaming sticks kind, but close to it. The team has to be highly proficient in time management, building science and above all, communication skills. With hundreds of new homes to verify each year, field techs need to distinguish what type of job they are inspecting -- Earth Advantage New Homes with ENERGY STAR energy features, ENERGY STAR-only home, a LEED for Homes project or a basic home that only gets an Energy Performance Score (EPS). Once this is recorded, the tech then needs to look at project location (Oregon or Washington) to determine what set of inspection criteria to follow.
The EAI field techs start their day by downloading specific job files assigned to them from the EA New Homes Scheduler. Once the files are downloaded, they plan out a geographic route that takes them to all of their jobs and hopefully ends up near their home or close to the office to end their day. This can become challenging depending on “windshield time” (miles to drive) and in what direction and/or if any of their inspections are time-sensitive. We strive to finalize scheduling within the 1st hour of the work day so we can “escape” before being pulled into other office functions that are not necessarily related to inspections. A delayed departure can cause extra stress on the field tech as they know they have a certain amount of work to perform at each site that can take anywhere from 1 -3 hours depending on the type of inspection.
Read More »Home builders and new homes sales professionals had it easy not too long ago. Practically anywhere in the country in 2004, 2005 and 2006 all one needed to do was stick a sign in the ground announcing a new home, or community, and the orders poured in. Our salespeople became order takers, and consequently some basic selling skills weren’t practiced and became rusty. For the sales rookies during this time frame new home sales strategies were sometimes never introduced to them. Why bother? We were all too busy getting rich.
The basics of new home sales are not any different from selling any other big ticket product.
Read More » |
Clonburris, a new proposal for an EcoDistrict located in Ireland, presents a model for sustainability in the Dublin Metropolitan area. (image source) |
The rising interest in “ecodistricts” by cities and neighborhoods represents the expansion -- to a community level -- of the growing trends toward greater energy efficiency, more local services, and a sustainable quality of life. Cities including Portland, Denver, and Salt Lake City have begun to explore and implement various styles of ecodistricts, in particular as part of urban renewal efforts.
However, taking the ecodistrict concept a step further makes it applicable to industrial campuses and business parks as well. Businesses are communities also. An ecodistrict approach can translate to lower costs over the long term through energy efficiency, a healthier working environment, loyal employees, and community engagement and visibility.
Read More » |
Would anyone think it’s wise to put a V-8 engine in a Vespa scooter? Well, I can think of some suicidal television talent that might think that was cool. With the famous last words -- “Watch this!” -- they would ride into oblivion. But, most of us aren’t showing off for the camera.
We’re more or less rational, so applying unnecessary power to a problem seems wasteful. But that’s standard practice for most new homes built with forced air systems. With today’s modern energy standards, a forced air furnace is typically oversized. For example, a new, 2200 sq. ft. home built to the current Northwest ENERGY STAR (2008) standard would have a design heat load of about 28,000 btu/hr. That’s the amount of heating capacity needed to keep the house comfortable in the coldest expected conditions for western Oregon and east of the Cascades.
Read More » |
If you’re an architect or designer who knows how to use Autodesk’s Revit building information modeling software, how long did it take you to become proficient with the program? While Revit is often thought to have a steep learning curve, teenage students at Northeast Portland Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Academy find learning the program relatively easy. In fact, ACE Architecture Instructor Marjan Rotting reports that students often design entire houses using Revit, over the course of a weekend. Meet the next generation of architects and builders in our community.
Read More » |
Feb 12, 2011: We left excited for a weekend in the snow and headed up to the Cooper Spur area on Mount Hood. Arriving at the trailhead, typically under several feet of snow this time of year, we found patches of bare ground. As we were planning to spend the night at the Tilly Jane cabin, we had a sled full of gear – expecting it would be much easier to haul our gear in a sled on the snow, than carry it on our back. Unfortunately, the sled turned out to be more of a burden than an aid as we had to carry the sled for about half a mile where there simply wasn’t enough snow – bare ground, rocks and fallen trees. I’ve been traveling this trail every year over the last 19 years, and while the snow isn’t always the light fluffy stuff you dream about, I’ve never had to take my skis off and walk the trail due to an absolute absence of snow.
So how exactly does my disappointing weekend snow trip illuminate business risks? Well, right next to the trailhead is the Cooper Spur Mountain Resort, which typically offers skiing, snowboarding and tubing runs for family recreation. The resort is closed right now, due to insufficient snow – and this is an increasingly common state of affairs. The general trend is that over the long term, snow fall and snow pack have been falling. As I work on climate change issues, I know exactly why this is happening, but the issues of climate change aren’t simple and can be difficult to communicate (see my colleague’s blog).
Read More » |
Many Earth Advantage stakeholders are familiar with the term “new urbanism.” I generally describe new urbanism as a planning framework that encourages walkable neighborhoods, dense housing patterns, and proximity between residential and non-residential uses. But have you heard of the term “landscape urbanism”? Until last year, that was a new one for me as well.
Landscape urbanism is a planning/design approach that puts an emphasis on landscape and exterior elements of a project. Charles Waldheim is a leading figure in discussions surrounding landscape urbanism. He defines the term as “a theory … arguing that landscape, rather than architecture, is more capable of organizing the city and enhancing the urban experience” in his book, The Landscape Urbanism Reader.
Read More »Here's a great example of how to properly insulate the furnace supply and return plenums. At Sage Built Homes, West Haven, near Sylvan.
The advantages of insulated ducts are numerous:
Improve Comfort: Duct insulation minimizes conductive heat losses and gains, allowing supply air to be delivered closer to desired temperatures. In winter, leaks of heated air will be reduced in rooms supplied with long duct runs. This can result in quicker recovery from night-time setbacks and a more consistent level of comfort throughout a house.
Slashing First Tracks in the Blizzard of Climate Change Messaging
The one thing all skiers and snowboarders have in common is the question: "Is it snowing?" When the answer is "no" and suddenly it's 65 degrees at 10,000 ft. in February, even the drunkest ski bum will start searching for answers. Climate change? There is nothing simple about climate change and the information explaining it is often over most of our heads. Hopefully, a change is on the horizon. While the climate change industry is stuck on creating a global message, Protect Our Winters (POW) is doing the opposite. By taking a human approach, POW is simplifying the climate change message.
Read More »In their better natures, I truly believe people really do like to help. Whether it's holding a door for the elderly or giving unsolicited advice to a friend, people are often taking action for the "benefit" of others. Often times this "help" is not perceived as such, rather its viewed as interference or suspiciously regarded as a play for a favor in return. The older man takes it as an affront to his fitness ("Don't hold the door for me sonny!") or "mind your own business" from the friend who didn't ask for advice. It seems to me that oftentimes people overthink a situation, rather than communicating in a straightforward way.
Read More »With the war in Afghanistan now in its ninth year and no immediate end in sight, many of us have pushed the mission out of our immediate consciousness as something that’s happening “over there.” Occasionally we will be reminded of the violence by a particularly heinous or tragic event. Yet in our numbness we are prone to forget the real cost of the war in lives lost and lives changed, both military and civilian lives. As deaths and casualties continue we can expect to see the cost increasingly brought home to our own communities.
Already as many as 3,420 soldiers have been seriously injured in Afghanistan, not including the 31, 882 who were injured in Iraq. These wounded soldiers who volunteered to serve their country are now steadily returning home to their families and hometowns. After coping with physical healing and rehab, these men and women must now face re-integration into a society that is largely ignorant of what they went through, and deal with the more mundane but difficult stress of providing for family and functioning normally in society.
Read More »Best quote of the week: In a discussion of building energy efficiency and building performance labeling, and making an analogy to the current requirement to provide miles per gallon information when selling a car, Van Jones proclaimed: “It’s criminal that we don’t provide Energy Performance Scores on all our buildings.”
Worst quote of the week: In online ads interrupting the State of the Union address: “Clean Coal.” Courtesy of the American Coalition of Clean Coal Electricity
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of joining Van Jones in a roundtable discussion preceding his lecture hosted by the University of Oregon on “The Next American Economy.” Van Jones is a leader in the clean energy economy and social justice movements, a senior fellow at the Center For American Progress, a senior policy advisor at Green For All, and is the author of the NYT bestseller The Green Collar Economy. What I enjoyed most about the conversation with Jones was his emphasis on Efficiency First, both as a policy approach, as well as a personal approach. In fact, he suggested that everyone should have a “house tune up,” just like we schedule our regular car tune ups. As a green building non-profit, EAI focuses specifically on energy efficiency, but as Jones points out, it should be a priority for everyone. Why exactly, you ask? What about renewables?
Read More »The Unique Advantage of High Performance Homes
 |
One of the biggest challenges builders face is the inventory of existing homes for sale. The financial crisis has raised this issue to a critical point because much of this inventory consists of foreclosed homes that the lenders are selling at a deep discount. Realtytrac expects 1.2 million homes will be repossessed in 2011, which is 20% more than in 2010 and would signal the peak of this current foreclosure crisis. These foreclosed homes on the market are known as the “visible” inventory. Unfortunately, the housing market will not bounce back until most of these units have been sold, as consumers are hesitant to buy if they think prices will continue to drop. Another threat is the “shadow” inventory, which are homes lenders have foreclosed on, or will soon, but are withholding from the market because they don’t want to further depress prices. Corelogic estimates that as of August 2010 the shadow inventory consisted of 2,100,000 housing units! The other component of existing inventory, speculative new home construction, is at historic lows. As of last November there were approximately 197,000 new homes for sale nationwide, the lowest since March 1968. Therefore, a new home builder is much more likely to be competing against an existing home than a new home.
Read More »The 3rd Annual Earth Day Run is coming up and this year's event is shaping up to be the most fun yet! Over 800 people came out last year to experience this great event focused around community, healthy lifestyles, and of course, our planet.
If you're not an avid runner, this is still an event for you! Last year, a woman ran with 4 dogs (actually, they ran her), and a man ran the 10k while pushing his twins in a stroller – he lost 20 pounds (okay, not really). Serious runners, don't worry, the people out to have an extra good time are the last ones out of the gate. The Earth Day Run is truly for all ages and abilities. Featuring a 10k Run, 5k Run/Walk/Doggie Run, Kids' race, and a Kids' Recycle run, there is an event for every member of the family.
Read More » |
Rivermark provides bike/walk-up teller access supporting alternative modes of transportation. |
The new Rivermark Community Credit Union on SE Hawthorne has been certified!
Rivermark is at the top of our leadership list, since this is the first building to achieve certification under the Earth Advantage Commercial pilot program, and it was the first to enroll. In addition to numerous energy efficiency and green features that helped it meet certification, this building is just plain elegant! It is designed by Baysinger Partners and constructed by LMC Construction.
The building's energy efficiency measures include a high performance envelope, efficient HVAC with economizer cooling and night flush capabilities, and a lighting system that uses 35% less energy than code. The project also adopted an acceptance testing protocol for all HVAC and lighting systems, and as a result, Rivermark was able to implement a number of post completion optimizations.
Read More »Design Team-Friendly, Family-Friendly
After several years as a pilot program, the LEED for Homes Mid-Rise rating system was officially launched by the USGBC near the end of 2010. We now have several projects that have been enrolled in the program and are now under construction.
The Mid-Rise program is designed for multifamily projects in the 4-6 story range, including those that may have a mixed-use component. It can be seen as a hybrid program between the LEED for Homes low-rise rating system and the LEED for New Construction program for commercial projects. Major differences in the Mid-Rise program from the standard LEED for Homes program include full unit-compartmentalization, measures that address the nature of larger multifamily projects such as bicycle parking, increased compact development, and tobacco smoke reduction. One other big difference is that the energy pathway for mid-rise projects will require the project’s energy performance to be at least 14% better than the ASHRAE 90.1 standard.
 |
An unprecedented number of architects, contractors, and real-estate related professionals in Oregon are currently unemployed or underemployed. It’s no secret that the housing industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors of the U.S. economy since the 2008 recession. Despite the dark clouds that have surrounded the housing industry over the past two years, a silver lining has emerged.
Read More »January is a time we all look forward to because the new year holds such promise. We believe it's going to be a promising year for the green building industry -- despite flat market conditions for conventional homes, we've seen market share for high performance homes increase from 18.5 to 23 percent in the Portland Metro area alone. In both Seattle and Portland 1 of every 4 new homes is certified. Clearly the time has come for energy efficiency, and with it, healthier green homes.
In keeping with the spirit of renewal, we are releasing our annual green building trends for 2011. The trends, which range from “affordable green” to lifecycle analysis of materials, were identified by Earth Advantage Institute based on discussions with a range of audiences over the latter part of 2010. These sectors include policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners. We encourage you take a look, cogitate and comment...
Read More »Currently, homeowners of energy efficient and green homes are typically eligible for a few tax breaks and minor dollar amounts in utility incentives. What’s missing from the picture is the development of a financial “ecosystem” around the consumer where financial advantages make high performance green homes a no-brainer. Besides benefitting the consumer’s pocketbook, such green financial models offer tremendous opportunity for lending organizations themselves -- through the potential for increased loan volume, decreased risk of default, expansion into new markets, the ability to deliver highly targeted value-added products and the assumption of a position of market leadership. Such financial services will catalyze and enlarge the green home/green remodel market.
Read More »So far Greenbuild 2010 has been jam-packed with great sessions. Today's pick: Reducing Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment. While energy efficiency is agreed to be a top priority for carbon reductions, speakers at this session also emphasized the importance of addressing the embodied energy and carbon in buildings (particularly those buildings that use significant amounts of concrete, a very GHG-intense material). The well made argument was based on the fact that we need to achieve radical GHG reductions within the next twenty years to hit target levels. By reducing embodied carbon in the buildings we are building today, we can make those reductions immediately while also benefiting from the reduced emissions during occupancy as a result of energy efficiencies. The bottom line: embodied carbon reductions provide the benefit of immediate emissions reductions.
Read More »This past week in Chicago has been an exciting buzz of anticipation along with a cautious touch brought on by the continuing economic malaise. But the annual gathering of green professionals hosted by the US Green Building Council has continued to grow over the years and this year it looks no different with what looks like will be over 30,000 in attendance.
Read More »We were fortunate enough to be selected by USGBC to take part in a special initiative for select sessions at GreenBuild this year. This is part of USGBC’s efforts to keep the conference fresh and exciting for attendees. Our session on the Energy Performance Score (EPS), a Market Catalyst, was selected by the Special Programs Working Group to take place in a new interactive and multimedia environment in order to better engage the audience in our presentation.
 |
The project was not without peril. Our PowerPoint, which included man-on-the-street video interviews, was projected on a suspended cube hanging above a runway catwalk of sorts. The audience completely encircled the runway so that we had to walk, turn to all directions, pass off the single remote control, and talk at the same time, all without falling off (luckily the platform was only 16 inches high). Thanks to the USGBC providing rehearsal time, we were able to traverse the runway and engage the attendees in a fairly unusual format, while remaining safe. We opted not to take advantage of instant smartphone polling capability as we had enough to keep track of already.
If your sustainable product team is looking to learn more about your audience and hone your message, we invite you to sign up for our one-day course, Marketing the Value of Sustainability, and challenge you to take your best shot at answering a few green marketing basics.
Read More »With recent affirmation by the Army Corps of Engineers that Arctic warming has resumed at a record pace, the planet has never been under such stress. How can we change our built environment to be more harmonious with our earth? The PBS series E2 points out that "design today must reflect a new spirit, one that sees nature and commerce as one; not as mutually exclusive but mutually coexistent."
Featuring Edward Mazria on the future of design.
By Guest Writer Jordan Palmeri, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Are you aware of the Accessory Dwelling Units concept? An ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) is a second dwelling unit created on a residential lot. The second unit is created as a smaller auxiliary to the main dwelling.. These homes represent a tremendous opportunity to improve a community’s environmental, economic, and social well being. From an environmental standpoint, small homes use fewer materials, less energy, create less waste, and increase density. Initially, they can also provide a more feasible scale for incorporating reused and natural building materials, and achieving green building standards such as Passive House and the Living Building Challenge.
Read More »Think of it as a series of TED talks with a common sustainability theme… On November 4th sustainability leaders from around the Northwest will convene for Green Day Forum. Discussions will take place around regional trends and policy, how sustainable building is moving to the next level, whether technology influences occupant energy behavior, and what the issues are that green building is ignoring.
Read More » |
It’s not often that you see a concept get traction fast, but the Energy Performance Score (EPS) is an idea that has gained considerable interest and a growing track record.
The most recent milestone for this residential energy labeling system – a miles-per-gallon style indicator that enables home-to-home comparisons of energy consumption and related carbon emissions -- is a multi-state award from the US Department of Energy for $11 million to roll out an EPS infrastructure for locales in Massachusetts, Virginia, Alabama and Washington.
Read More »In a typical year, millions of houses are built. Each house will last 50 to 100 years. Today each new house encumbers society with a debt of energy required to operate it over its life. The vast majority of houses built today are old-fashioned energy hogs and each one is a missed opportunity.
Energy visionaries have set their sights on homes that create more than they consume. In ten to twenty years, every new building could be a “zero-energy building,” Or “net zero.” The technology exists today, all we lack is the proper motivation.
Read More »It’s more than bamboo floors and low-VOC paint. A green home contains a collection of design elements, materials, and equipment assembled with careful attention to detail.
The global economy is about to enter the zero-energy generation. Over the next 2 decades, residential buildings will evolve to a point where they generate as much energy as they consume over the course of a typical year. Because it is generally less expensive to conserve energy than it is to generate energy, this “net-zero” energy approach starts with the outside shell: floors, walls, and ceilings. It’s like an overcoat and requires as much insulating value as can be accommodated in the walls, ceilings, and floors. Air leakage must be restricted as much as possible by sealing every opening, crack, and penetration with caulk, gaskets, or expanding foam sealant. Windows lose 7 to 10 times more heat than walls, so the windows must be oriented to maximize or minimize heat loss and solar gain as appropriate to the local climate and building design. The building shell has no moving parts and should last the life of the house, so it pays to make it as efficient as possible at the outset.
Read More »Third-party certification offers many benefits to home builders. The certifier is an independent company that assists the builder in identifying green building measures, such as those above, and then ensures that the measures are properly installed. Many builders want to build green, but may not have all the necessary experience or information.
Read More »Seattle real estate professionals and appraisers will receive free training to boost home energy upgrades. Brokers will play a key role in transforming the Seattle residential marketplace by marketing the benefits of the EPS. It will also be important for residential appraisers to understand the EPS and how it applies to homes. EPS is a points-based home energy scoring system and audit that can include energy upgrade recommendations. The City's objective is to boost the number of residential energy upgrades.
Read More »While fewer new homes were built in the past year in the Portland metropolitan area than in the previous year, the market share of third party certified homes increased. Twenty three percent (23%) of all newly constructed homes in the Portland metropolitan area sold between May 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010 received a third party certification. This finding is based upon data reported by the Portland area RMLS to Earth Advantage Institute.
Read More »Welcome to Earth Advantage Institute’s new website and blog, a new interactive portal that’s designed to be a source of information and data -- for our growing green building and climate solutions community, as well as for those individuals and organizations just beginning to learn more about sustainable construction and carbon mitigation in the built environment.
Read More »
Copyright © 2012 Earth Advantage Institute
