USGBC Releases Green Homeowner Manual

/0 Comments/in /by

Green House

In order to assist green building project teams and LEED for Homes project teams, USGBC has produced a LEED for Homes Homeowners Operations and Maintenance
(HOM) Manual.

The HOM Manual was developed to support the LEED for Homes prerequisite AE 1: Education of the Homeowner or Tenant, and to provide tips on maintaining a LEED-certified home. Be sure to read the Project Team Instructions for how to properly use and customize the manual.

The manual is available to all project teams and can assist anyone looking for information on how a home works.

Download the Basic Operations Training manual (AE1.1)

Chicago to Welcome its First Prefab Green Home

/1 Comment/in /by

The Green Home Institute () announces an exciting new addition to its LEED Homes roster in Illinois: the first prefabricated “green” home to be built in Chicago, which will earn the prestigious LEED Platinum certification upon completion. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes certification provides third-party assurance that a home complies with rigorous technical requirements for energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, non-toxic materials, and environmental performance. Square Root Architecture, along with Helios Design/Build and Indiana Building Systems, will be installing the prefabricated green home, a single-family residence in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.

C3 Prefab in Chicago

Read more

Double-Up Points in MR 2.2 with Reclaimed Materials

/0 Comments/in /by

The Materials and Resources (MR) credit 2.2 is one of the more challenging areas of LEED for Homes to get a handle on. First of all, the unique aspect in LEED for Homes is that credit is awarded on a building component – by – building component basis. This is significantly different from other versions of LEED.  For instance, a project can earn credit just for flooring.

Additionally, there are many options for how a certain building component actually earns credit Read more

Two Affordable LEED Homes to be Built for Greenbuild

/0 Comments/in /by

Habitat for Humanity Lake County has teamed up with USGBC and Bank of America to build two LEED Platinum homes side-by-side as part of the Greenbuild 2010. The homes will offer a miniature regional green building case study in occupancy costs down the road for two construction types.

Both homes will have the same floor plan and appearance but will be built using two different construction methods. The Greenbuild Legacy Home project will feature state of the art ICF and panelized construction, while the second home, targeted for 75% competition by Greenbuild, will be built using conventional stick construction as an opportunity for Greenbuild attendees to view its construction process. Currently both homes are aiming to achieve LEED for Homes Platinum certification. Construction cost data and performance will be tracked and published for both homes once both are complete. USGBC’s commitment to affordable green housing extends beyond Greenbuild, as fully 40% of the homes in the LEED for Homes program are affordable.

The Green Home Institute will serve as the LEED for Homes Provider on the project. Learn more about this affordable housing project by viewing the full article at Real Estate Rama.

Wood frame home on left, ICF home on right

LEED Platinum Midrise in Columbus, OH

LEED Midrise earns LEED Platinum

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

This 4-story affordable housing development leveraged the development team’s quality building practices already in place, and with only minor modifications, allowed the team to earn LEED Platinum certification.

 

Commons at Buckingham - a LEED Platinum Midrise project in Columbus, OH

In order to achieve the level of LEED platinum, fixture specifications were changed, and a complete building exhaust and return air system was added. Commons at Buckingham is a very special effort, by providing housing for 100 formerly homeless persons, 10 of which are U.S. Veterans.

The Commons at Buckingham is 100 units on a 0.6 acre site. Ruscilli Construction Company through great effort were able to construct this building on a very small site, and were able to achieve a rate of 88% for all construction waste to be recycled. Additionally, Ruscilli and their sub-contractors were able to donate many tons of ‘waste’ to a local community college for use in their construction trades training program.

PROJECT BASICS

LEED FactsProject Type: Affordable
Conditioned Space: 60,791 sq ft
Units: 100
Buildings: 1
Lot Type: Infill
Construction Type: New Construction
KEYS TO SUCCESS

Roof Insulation Value: 38
Windows: Alum.NexGen
Lighting: LED
HVAC Type:PTAC/RooftopReturn

Buckingham LEED ScorecardThe Density of this project is what makes the project truly sustainable, 100 units on .6 acres.

THE LEED FOR HOMES DIFFERENCE
Construction Waste Management Plan: YES!
On-Site Performance Tests: YES!
Custom Durability Planning Checklist: YES!
Third-Party Verified Documentation: YES!
About the Project Team

Developer – National Church Residences
General Contractor – Ruscilli Construction Company
Architect – Berardi + Partners, Inc.
Engineers – Jezernac – Geers and Assoc. Kliengers and Assoc. Prater Engineering
Landscape Architect – The Edge Group
Green Rater – Sol Development

Builder pitches net-zero energy LEED homes

/0 Comments/in /by


Solar panels and wind turbines sold Meg Barrett and Doug Smit on the Prairie Ridge Estates development in New Lenox. “I would be an ambassador for this type of technology,” Barrett said. (David Pierini, Chicago Tribune / July 28, 2010)

A newly formed company thinks the beacon that will attract homebuyers to its patch of dirt in New Lenox isn’t a clubhouse or walking paths, the extras that once drew attention to new subdivisions, but 30-foot-tall vertical-axis wind turbines.

Prairie Ridge Estates, as envisioned by local developers Jim and Phil Regan, could just possibly become the nation’s largest net-zero energy subdivision, filled with homes that produce as much energy as they use during a year.

But selling 132 lots of really green housing also could prove a formidable task for Energy Smart Home Builders, and not just because homebuilding has screeched to a halt.

View full Chicago Tribune article

Reproduced from Chicago Tribune, Aug 3, 2010.

GreenBuild registration discounted until Sept 7

/0 Comments/in /by

We’re fortunate this year to have the world’s premiere conference and expo on green building coming to our backyard from November 17-19 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.  Here are some of the residential highlights:

Note: Early bird registration discounts will end Sept 7! Read more