Category: Financial resources for low income

Financial Incentives for Green Remodeling

Post author By admin
Post date October 13, 2010
No Comments on Financial Incentives for Green Remodeling

It’s no surprise that there are a lot of incentives out there for folks that are doing any remodeling that help encourage green strategies – everything from tax credits, tax deductions, rebates, grants, municipal incentives, and more! The USGBC Illinois chapter has been working on pulling much of this information together into an educational seminar that will be held Tuesday, Oct 19 in Chicago’s north suburbs. If you are a builder, designer or remodeler looking to capitalize on green building and better serve your clients, this is the event for you.

Title: Leveraging Residential Incentives to Green Your Bottom Line
Date: 19 October 2010, Tuesday
Time: 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM
Location: Ryerson Welcome Center, 21950 N. Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL [view map]

Program Description:
Please join USGBC-Illinois Chapter’s North/Northwest Suburban Branch, the Residential Green Building Committee and the Home Builder’s Association of Greater Chicago for: Leveraging Residential Incentives to Green Your Bottom Line.

This program will focus on the many available ways to defray the cost of building or remodeling a green residence. We will present available tax credits, tax deductions, utility rebates available for green residences. In addition, we will review pending legislation both at the State and Federal level that creates green building incentives. There will be a special focus and case-study on building green affordable housing. This event is co-sponsored with the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago, whose Members are eligible to attend at the discounted Member rate. Residential design, development and building professionals are the primary audience for this program. Home owners may also be interested in available incentives.

Agenda:
6:00 – 6:30 Registration and Networking
6:30 – 6:35 Introductions from USGBC N/NW Branch & Speaker Introductions
6:35 – 7:30 Panel Discussion
7:30 – 8:00 Open forum / Q and A session

Speakers:
Dan Rappel, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Vice-chair USGBC-IL Chapter Residential Greenbuilding Committee
Bill Seeger, EcoHabitat
Chris McCauliffe, Owner, CM Real Estate Development LLC

For additional information and online registration, please click the link below:
Leveraging Residential Incentives to Green Your Bottom Line

Tags Economics, green remodeling, incentives

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

The Vineyard Project

Nestled in South Western Michigan’s wine country this home is located next to a vineyard in Paw Paw, Michigan, thus the project name. This home is a site specific, Passive Solar Prairie style home built with BuildBlock ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) from foundation to the roof. The exterior elevations of the home were designed with deeper roof overhangs, determined by using solar calculations, to both maximize and minimize the sun exposure based on the time of year. In addition, solar awnings on the lower level windows further shade the South-facing windows. The exterior used two of our favorite products CertainTeed FiberCement Siding and Andersen 400 series casement and awning windows. The interior of the home has stained concrete floor on all levels which makes for great thermal mass. The home was also designed with lifetime design principles and has zero step entries. Click here to view the project profile

art of the site specific design was to locate the garage to act as a wind break, to stop snow drifting from the northwest prevailing winds that we have here in Michigan. Part of the passive solar design is to have very little windows on the north side of the home, to keep heat from escaping through them. That is why this homes attention to detail is spent on the Southside of the home, where most of the homes windows face south. In the winter, the sun will warm the living space during the day and shine on the concrete floors on both levels which will store some of the heat gained, for gradual release. The roof overhang will shade the house from excessive solar heat gain in the summer, and west-facing glass is minimized to reduce cooling needs in the summer. ICF construction was perfect for this project because with ICF’s there are no concerns with noise and wind.

The “Vineyard Project” is a Zero Energy Home (ZEH) thanks to the Passive Solar Design, 3.3 kW of Photovoltaic, Solar Hot Water and the Geo-Thermal heating and cooling system. The home is also pre-wired for future installation of a Wind Generator. This home only uses about 600 kWh of electricity per month and has been generating a minimum of 20 kWh of electricity per day with many days’ net-metering backwards since the home was completed. The home was built for $134.00 per square foot (before the 30% rebates from the Solar Hot Water, Photovoltaic and Geo-thermal systems) making it more affordable for the general public.

Besides the pending LEED for Homes “Platinum” certification this home received 5+ Energy Star certification and a HERS score of 34. This is the lowest score every tested in the State of Michigan making it the most energy efficient house in Michigan. This home will be 66% more efficient than typical construction of a similar home of this size. In addition this homes toilets, faucets and shower heads are super low-flow for superior water efficiency. The home also has low-VOC paints, adhesives and finishes and uses recycled content for the flooring, decking, foundation and siding.

Click here for more information and project profile.

Tags energy star, HERS, LEED Platinum, michigan, net zero homes, Passive Solar, solar pv, solar thermal, Zero Energy Home

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Legacy/Habitat Homes Counter tops

Post author By admin
Post date October 8, 2010
No Comments on Legacy/Habitat Homes Counter tops

Can you be environmentally aware, considerate of Life Cycle Impact, cost conscious, and still have beautiful counter tops in your home or commercial building? Yes!

Habitat for Humanity Lake County is using an exciting new cement counter top product in the Waukegan homes being built for Greenbuild 2010.

i Counter has the versatility of both indoor and outdoor use. This application will be for the kitchen counters and bath vanity counter. A chameleon type product it can look like whatever you choose. Have a hankering for exotic granite you saw in an expensive hotel? Or do you like white marble but not the upkeep? What about your company’s logo embedded in the reception counter? You can achieve virtually any look you can image.

The Habitat Homes are new construction, but the core strength of the i Coat Cement Product is in its ‘resurfacing system’.

I Counter can be applied directly over existing counter top materials such as tile, Formica or other solid surfaces. You are not removing your existing counter top. You are not putting it in the landfill. You are reducing waste. You are reusing existing countertop.

But this is a kitchen, so what are the factual merits of i Counter?

Its durability rivals or exceeds the durability of most naturally occurring or synthetic countertop materials with compression strength of 900psi, three times harder than standard concrete.
i Counter is FDA & USDA Food Approved. Its seamless and non-porous surface reduces the potential of food contamination without routine resealing. It is impervious to moisture and contains no known carcinogens.
It is capable of withstanding heat to 500 F
It maintains its installed beauty with only standard cleaning routines and an occasional wipe down with a material like Windex.
Low weight construction eliminates the need for special support generally required for granite, quartz and Corian countertop materials.
Pricing starts at $40.00 psf ranging from basic granite to an exotic stone or a metallic urban look.

I Counter, with minimal material creates great strength and beauty. We hope you can visit the Habitat homes and see this product first hand.

More information about the I Coat products can be found at icoatproducts.com

The Chicago land distributor is www.artesahomevisions.com

Vicki Aleck Gumbiner is an Interiors Artist at www.artisticwallfinishes.net a consulting company for sustainable interior product from floors to cabinetry. She has shared in the procurement of the flooring, counter tops and cabinets for the Greenbuild Legacy Home Project.

Tags counters, habitat lake

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

New LEED for Homes Pre-approved ID: Food Garden

Post author By admin
Post date October 7, 2010
No Comments on New LEED for Homes Pre-approved ID: Food Garden

The White House isn’t the only residence earning accolades for having a food garden on its property. With the newly-released pre-approved Innovation and Design (ID) credit, LEED for Homes projects that incorporate a food garden into the design will be eligible for an ID point, if certain specifications are met.

The intent of the Food Garden credit is to provide a functional and sustainable means of supporting the homeowner’s food needs. A project may earn credit for an on site food garden if all of the following conditions are met:

There are no deed restrictions that prohibit food production on the residential properties.
The area must have solar access (i.e., receive direct sunlight for a significant amount of time during the day).
The food garden must be seeded, or the homeowner(s) must be provided with seeds, or seedlings AND a diagram showing the recommended lay-out of the plants or climate-appropriate crops.
The food garden must comprise at least 200 square feet for one home. For multi-family buildings or multi-home developments, the food garden must comprise at least:
200 square feet per home, if the density for the project is < 14 units per acre;
100 square feet per home for 14-22 units/acre;
80 square feet per home for 23-28 units/acre;
70 square feet per home, for 29-35 units/acre;
60 square feet per home, for > 35 units/acre.

Food gardens allow homeowners to not only provide sustenance for their own food needs, but also help them connect with their environment. As people start gardens, they frequently choose to use natural resources such as rainwater harvesting and encourages waste diversion in the form of composting.

For more details, download the Pre-approved ID credit: Food Garden Looking for help on your LEED for Homes project? Contact , the LEED for Homes Provider of choice.

New LEED for Homes Pre-approved ID Point

Tags food garden, innovation and design, landscaping, sustainable sites

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Download the Energy Code for Free

Post author By admin
Post date October 5, 2010
No Comments on Download the Energy Code for Free

The folks at ICC have made the download of the IECC 2009 Energy Code available at no cost – yes that’s right – you can download it for free at www.iccsafe.org/FreeIECC.

The national model energy code of choice for states, cities and counties that adopt codes, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is referenced in federal law determined by Congress through the Energy Policy Act of 1992. It is the only energy code that serves as the basis for federal tax credits for energy-efficient homes, energy efficiency standards for federal residential buildings and manufactured housing, and state residential energy code determinations. The 2009 IECC is the target building energy code that all 50 Governors agreed to achieve compliance with under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

We’ve talked before how IECC 2009 compares with LEED for Homes, and this reference material being made available for free is a great tool for residential design and construction teams.

Tags energy and atmosphere, energy code, EPAct, iecc, leed for homes

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Racine LEED home shows Modern Minimalism is Green

Post author By admin
Post date September 29, 2010
No Comments on Racine LEED home shows Modern Minimalism is Green

certified another LEED Platinum home in Wisconsin that features a picture-perfect location on Lake Michigan’s west shore in Racine, Wisconsin. The Scekic-Osborne home is a three-bedroom, 1900 square foot home — an example of the recent trend of home sizes retreating to more reasonable levels rather than the McMansions of yesteryear. The home, designed by Johnsen Schmaling Architects of Milwaukee, mixes modern architecture with a growing design trend known as “micro architecture,” which places a premium on petiteness, design and sustainability.

Download Scekic-Osborne Residence Profile

The home’s modern exterior features exposed steel beams and concrete walls, with expanses of glass offering views through the home to Lake Michigan. Large glazing areas necessitate efficient windows (.29 U-value) as a critical component to the home’s energy performance. The windows give expansive views, but are also a source of energy loss. To make up for this, the home’s design eliminated windows on the north wall and included a number of energy-efficiency strategies to keep the home comfortable:

Exterior walls are 2×6 with full cavity R-34 foam insulation
Cathedral ceilings/roofs are R-53 foam insulation
Foundation walls are R-10 full height exterior insulation
Frame floors are R-54 full cavity foam insulation
Final blower door test: 298 cfm@50 pascals, which translates to a significantly low 0.06 natural air changes per hour
Heating and cooling is provided by a geothermal ground source heat pump
Water heater is a tankless gas unit with 0.98 EF rating
The house also has active solar hot water system and 4.2 kw solar photovoltaic system
Whole house ventilation is provided by a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) at 110 cfm

With the impressively low air leakage rate, these energy systems combined to help the home achieve a HERS score of 33, representing that the Scekic-Osborne residence uses 67% less energy than a new home constructed to building code standards.

To learn more about this unique house – just the second LEED Platinum home in Wisconsin – read the informative article from Sept. 26 edition of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, or download our one page PDF Project Profile on the home.

Tags air leakage, air sealing, HERS, LEED Platinum, racine, slider, solar thermal, wisconsin

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Fietler Residence LEED Gold Home

Post author By admin
Post date September 22, 2010
No Comments on Fietler Residence LEED Gold Home

This home which includes a 700-square-foot garage with radiant heat, uses a 6-zone geothermal radiant heating and cooling system. Ninety-five percent of the lighting is LED. The insulation is wood-fiber cellulose and recycled materials. There is no carpet; all the floors are hardwoods, ceramic tile and linoleum. Automated clearstory windows for whole-house ventilation All the paints on the walls and adhesives used with the flooring meet LEED’s standards for low volatile organic compound emissions. It just missed being the first single-family home in northeast Indiana for LEED certification.

The exterior of the home was constructed using commercial grade metal siding and standing seam roof. The home was designed for a 4 kilowatt photovoltaic system to harness year around southern sun exposure. With the use of these technologies, the home will have the potential to be “off-thegrid” and be able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services. Recycled, re used and locally harvested wood.

“It will stand up to an F4 tornado,” Thornsbury said.

Download / View online Project Profile Here.

Tags Auburn, cellulose, durability, Indiana, leed for homes, LEED Gold, solar pv

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Bridge St Place. LEED Platinum

Post author By admin
Post date September 22, 2010
No Comments on Bridge St Place. LEED Platinum

The land and building was purchased from the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The building was renovated into approximately 16 efficiency apartments with individual bathrooms and kitchenettes for homeless survivors of domestic violence. The name for the project is Bridge Street Place. It is permanent supportive housing project, serving single persons at 60% AMI The project has 16 project based housing vouchers provided by the Supportive Housing Division of MSHDA. Referrals and support services are provided by the YWCA West Central Michigan.

The building was renovated from a high content of recycled and reused materials, products that are within a 500 mile radius of the project site, rainwater falling on the roof is harvested to irrigate the landscape, plant materials are drought resistant and the irrigation system is high efficiency. All plumbing fixtures have water conserving fixtures, kitchen appliances are energy star rated, light bulbs are compact fluorescent, roof and patio materials are highly reflective and reduce urban island effect. The building envelope has been improved, reducing on-going energy consumption through reduced air infiltration.

Rockford Construction –
General contractors and construction managers building new and restoring old projects across 41 States.
Dwelling Place – is all about providing affordable housing, supportive
services and revitalizing neighborhoods.
Financed with low income housing tax credit equity.

View & Download LEED for Homes Project Profile

Tags affordable housing, gut rehab, leed for homes, LEED Platinum

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Helenowski LEED Platinum Gut Rehab showcases urban zero energy

Post author By admin
Post date September 21, 2010
No Comments on Helenowski LEED Platinum Gut Rehab showcases urban zero energy

Chicago’s Yannell residence has gained a lot of notoriety as the first “net-zero” home in the city – capable of producing as much energy as it consumes. Yet another home on Chicago’s far northwest side, the Helenowski Residence, has joined the prestigious ranks of ultra-green LEED Platinum homes. In fact, it’s one of the highest overall point totals ever achieved for a LEED-certified home.

Net-Zero LEED Platinum Home – Zukas Photography

This incredibly energy-efficient home was actually a gut-rehab of a 1950’s brick split-level home, with a major addition, resulting in 3,300 total square feet. The owner has done an incredible amount of work focusing on the Materials and Resources as well as Energy and Atmosphere areas of the home. Some of the sample strategies include:

All drywall was recycled-content (for a $1 per sheet premium)
Salvaged douglas fir from 1800’s fire-damaged building for ceiling
Reuse or salvage for all new interior framing members
Diversion of +90% construction debris
Reclaimed copper for roofing and gutters

The home also has some exemplary energy characteristics that helped achieve a remarkable HERS score of 13, meaning the home uses 87% less energy than a new home built to code.

The remarkable energy performance was achieved by using soy-based spray foam insulation and a meticulous attention to air sealing in the project. The technical data is quite impressive. The blower door testing gave a result of 604 CFM at 50 Pascals. With an estimated volume of 37,725 cubic feet of volume in the house, the air changes per hour at 50 Pa was 1.02, and the air changes per hour at natural pressure is .07. In other words, the home is very tight.

Other strategies contributing to the home’s energy performance include:

Triple-paned Pella windows with FSC-certified lumber.
Geothermal ground source heat pump for HVAC.
Solar photovoltaic panels and a vertical-axis wind turbine to generate electricity.
Motorized blinds control solar heat gain on west-facing (front) windows.
Extremely efficient cold-cathode lighting, up to six times more efficient than LEDs.
Roof is partially reflective white and part vegetative green roof.

The is truly a remarkable addition to the Chicago area’s growing green building inventory and offers many lessons for other builders in the area. Detailed strategies with photos are available at the project’s web site, www.leedhomeliving.com, as well as by downloading the 1-page PDF Helenowski Project Profile that has assembled.

Download the 1-page PDF Helenowski Project Profile

Tags air leakage, blower door, chicago, energy and atmosphere, green roof, gut rehab, HERS, LEED Platinum, MR2.2, solar pv, wind

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Greenbuild Legacy Project uses LEED for Homes

Post author By admin
Post date September 17, 2010
No Comments on Greenbuild Legacy Project uses LEED for Homes

The Greenbuild Legacy project is using one of USGBC’s latest additions to the LEED product line-up. This overview is for those of you not familiar with the LEED for Homes program.

In January of 2008, LEED for Homes officially became an active rating system for the residential market. Its introduction offered an opportunity for single family, multi-family, and low-rise housing to be considered for LEED certification. At this time, only new construction and major gut-rehab projects are eligible for the program.

Since its introduction, over 25,000 homes have registered and 6,300 have been certified. This compares to about 20,000 registered and 5,000 certified projects for all of the other commercial LEED products combined. USGBC, recognizing that the volume would be greater for the LEED for Homes program, has instituted a different process and delivery method for LEED for Homes. The first difference is noticeable within the composition of the project team and documentation requirements. A LEED AP must be credentialed as LEED AP Homes to count as part of the team since the rating system is extremely specialized. Additionally, while a LEED AP Homes involvement is optional, a Provider and a Green Rater are required on every LEED for Homes project and need to be involved from the very beginning.

Essentially, the Provider serves in the role of quality assurance and is the field administrator for the program. Projects are submitted at least twice to the Provider, first for design review with registration approval and then final certification. Green Raters are also trained and managed by the Provider and serve in the role of the third party verification entity, much like a commissioning agent for commercial versions of LEED. The documentation process is also streamlined. Only the project checklists, durability documentation, and accountability forms are submitted for certification. All other documentation provided by the project team is verified by the Green Rater and typically is either code required or is already provided by builders committed to market differentiation.

The next difference appears within the LEED for Homes program itself. Each of the familiar credit categories from other LEED ratings systems makes an appearance, with the addition of Locations & Linkages and Awareness & Education. Also, the Innovation & Design credit is recognized as a true credit category because it includes solar orientation design, durability planning, point recognition for an integrated team, and prerequisites. Additionally, the Materials & Resources category has a new twist. Instead of recognizing materials as a percentage of a project’s overall material costs, LEED for Homes awards project points for each building component (e.g. interior framing, flooring, doors, etc.) constructed with Environmentally Preferred Products (EPP).

The program differences do not stop there. Overall, LEED for Homes has 18 prerequisites, 136 total available points, and two paths of compliance for water efficiency, energy, and indoor environmental quality. The two paths are prescriptive and performance. The prescriptive path outlines exact measures that must be implemented to comply with the credit intent. The performance path allows the team to be more flexible with their design strategies and leaves open the opportunity to introduce ideas that normally would not comply with the prescriptive path.

Unfortunately there isn’t time to go into more detail but hopefully your interest has increased in learning more about LEED for Homes. Your chapter Residential Green Building Committee is constantly working to bring more education programs to your area including 300 and 400 level implementation that can be used regardless of the residential rating system you choose. They are also developing a course that will help you green your existing home. If you’d like more information, please consider the USGBC-Illinois chapter as your resource for residential green building education.

Tags leed for homes

Become A Member

Contact