A New Era Begins at Earth Advantage Institute

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.

Relationships Matter

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.

Human Behavior

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.

Oregon 10-year Draft Energy Action Plan

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.

How 29 Nations Made a Plan

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."

Creating the Not So Big® Inspired Home: Right Sizing the American Dream

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.

Creating the Beautiful Home:  Avoiding “Remuddling”

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. 

5 Green Real Estate Takeaways

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.

Net Zero Building: Reality or Wishful Thinking?

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.

Energy Efficiency Modeling: A Rebuttal

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.

Running On Empty

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.

Lack of Home Branding Requires Energy Scoring to Capture Value

Home builders often don't have to pay to fix the home performance problems they leave behind.

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
?

Green Building – It’s Not Just About Green Building

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.

Ecodistricts and Certified Communities: What’s the difference?

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.” 

Where Are the People in Sustainability?

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. 

Give It To Me Straight, Doc!

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. 

Smog-Eating Buildings and the Snackwell’s Effect

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.

A Visit to K-Station: a Multifamily LEED Project

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. 

Cost Effective Energy Efficiency

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.

A Case for Testing Heat Pumps: One Tech Staffer’s Experience

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:

• The air temperature and air pressure of the supply and return ducting are measured and recorded. 
• Using a TrueFlow plate, the airflow is measured inside the furnace and must pass a minimum airflow rating.  The TrueFlow plate measures the air pressure difference from one side of the plate to the other.  The difference in pressure is then calculated into cubic feet per minute (CFM).  The goal is 350 CFM per 12,000 btu’s of energy.
• Complete a performance check on the heat pump by connecting refrigerant gauges to the unit and verify the correct amount of refrigerant as per manufacturer specifications. 
• If everything meets the minimum requirements of the manufacturer, the system passes.

Evaluating a PassiveHaus? Measurable and Hidden Benefits

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.

A Consumer’s Guide: Solar Hot Water or Solar Electricity?

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.

Meet the commercial team’s newest member Trisha Paul

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.  

What’s the Energy Performance of Your Home?

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.  

How to Find a Great Builder or Watch Them Run for the Hills

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? 

Oregon House Debate Highlights Building Performance Labeling

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.”

Oregon shares water management concerns with many states

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.

What Else Don’t You Know About Your Home?

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.

It Ain’t Easy Being Green: A Day in the Life of a Field Technician

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 1^st 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.

Builder Sales Tips to Increase Your Closing Ratio

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. 

Ecodistrict Features May Enhance Corporate Campuses

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.

Don’t put a V-8 in your Vespa

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. 

The Next Generation of Green Architects and Builders

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.

Winter Recreation Takes a Hit: Business Risks of Climate Change

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).

Is Landscape Urbanism a Threat?

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. 

Just Tell It Like It Is: Energy Labels for Homes

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. 

Healing Through Homes

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. 

The State of the Union, Clean Coal Ads, Green Jobs , Energy Efficiency and Van Jones.

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? 

New Homes Sales Tips: Competing Against Existing Homes

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.

Ready, Set… Earth Day Run 2011!

The 3^rd 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.

Rivermark’s New Building Receives First Certification of its Kind!

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. 

The Scoop on LEED for Homes Mid-Rise

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.

The Silver Lining in Residential Design and Construction

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.

Top Ten Green Building Trends for 2011

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...

Greenbuild 2010: Sound Materials Decisions Can offer Immediate Carbon Reductions

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.

Greenbuild 2010: Net Zero is a Dominant Theme

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.

Test Your Green Marketing Knowledge

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.

Green Day Forum 2010: Design Today Must Reflect a New Spirit

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.

Accessory Dwellings Units: Good for your pocketbook, good for the city

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.

Green Day Forum to Hit Gerding Theater Nov. 4

Think of it as a series of TED talks with a common sustainability theme… On November 4^th 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. 

From Here to Zero Energy Buildings

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. 

What does it take to make a green home?

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.

Benefits of Third-Party Certification

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. 

New Certified Homes Command 18% Premium

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.

The New Site Has Arrived!

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.