Green Home and Sustainability Feb 2024 Jobs Round-up

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The latest Green Home and Sustainability Feb 2024 Jobs round-up is out, and after seeing a dip in job openings like these the last few months, I was surprised to see how fast these types of job openings shot back up! I can barely keep up.

One of the jobs I want to highlight that I am biasedly excited about is with our SlipStream, their HVAC installation Installer. I am excited that they will oversee the MI Heat Pump Collaborative and help train HVAC here in our state to get more contractors listed as trained and engage HVAC for heat pump installs. Something that is severely lacking in our state. Learn more about the position here.

Note below that SlipStream has additional openings as well.

If you are looking to find a job in this field or even transform your current position into a sustainability position, please consider the internationally recognized sustainability credential, Green Associate. You can take our training class here on your time, any time! https://greenhomeinstitute.org/green-associate-exam-prep-course/

GHI members get free access to the training and practice exam. Below are several jobs you may be interested in applying for yourself or sharing with a friend. Follow us on Linked In at #greenhomejobalert to get real-time updates on jobs over the next months and subscribe to our newsletter to get monthly updates on jobs and all green home news.

Job Listings

GreenHome Institute Member Various positions, Slipstream, Madison WI, and remote

IL scores 2nd place in the top 10 LEED States in the nation, putting the Midwest on the map!

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IL scores 2nd place in the top 10 LEED States in the nation, putting the Midwest on the map!

IL comes out 2nd most LEED buildings per square foot and 5th place for LEED professionals.

This news is exciting because 10% of GreenHome Institute members are from IL.

Our 2nd highest number of webinar attendees come from the great state of IL.

We know they are making this happen, demanding greener homes and buildings and putting in the effort and hard work (LEED or not) to make buildings BETTER.

Also, our top tier sponsor, Build Equinox, is headquartered there, ensuring healthier buildings that save energy more smartly and paving the way for LEED and green building practices.

A special shout-out to our members who are making green building happen in the state, including Eco Achievers, Tom Bassett-Dilley, Benjamin Van Horne, SPACE architects & designers, Joe Konopacki, michael kollman, Regina McClinton, Foster Dale, Brian Rayski and many more!

Illinois Green Alliance is an inspiring organization that brings everyone together to make it happen.

Let’s keep working together and keep striving to make it happen!

Whether in IL or anywhere else, you can check our GHI resources, such as green building certifications and/or education and credentials, to help get your state on the map in 2025 and help ensure we build BETTER. 

Top 10 LEED announcements
https://lnkd.in/gParMY8R

Learn about our LEED Certification Services here

Learn about our LEED education here

Get yourself involved
https://lnkd.in/gNAMCsKu

GHI Education Manager stays warm in cold snap using heat out of the air 

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The cold snap here in West Michigan is finally subsiding after nearly a week, and I am excited about another year we made it through with just pulling heat out of the air outside to heat our home and keep it cozy. This was despite us being 15 degrees below normal. 

Temps throughout the day averaged in the teens, with some highs in the low 20s and the lowest low at negative 3. The historical average for our region is 30-degree highs and 17-degree lows. 

Using a Mitsubishi Cold Weather Climate Air Source Heat Pump, we kept our comfortable 68-degree set point temp throughout the cold snap without any backup resistance heat or backup methane gas. 

This is now our 3rd winter being a heat pump compared to a traditional methane gas furnace, and it has worked great because we are fortunate to have an energy-efficient home, and the system was sized, installed, and commissioned appropriately. It keeps the home very comfortable throughout the day and night. 

Using our Sun Radon air quality monitor plugged into the adjacent bedroom, you can see our data use over the last week with an average of 68.5 degrees. Still, if you drill down to 5-minute intervals, there is a lot of variation in the temperature, as one would suspect, ranging from 65 to 70 degrees. 

Beyond comfort, I wanted to look at energy use for the week, so I looked back at 2021 to find an average temperature in the same period. Looking at Jan 13 – 20th, 2021, I noted I used 76 kWh daily vs. 80 this year. Also, during that time, I did not own an electric car, nor did I have a whole home dehumidifier running, so the reality is counting for those loads; this cold snap did not add any additional energy load on the house. 

I wanted to focus on Jan 16 this year, the day I used the most power, the coldest average during the cold snap of about 12 degrees. I want to see how much power came from the heat pump vs. everything else. During that day, we used 91 kWh of power. 5.5 came from car charging, and 2.3 came from the heat pump water heater (more on that later). We average 16 kWh a day in the home throughout the year without heating and cooling, meaning about 60 kWh of power, or 65% of our power, was used to heat this house that day. Update – Edward Louie PNNL Pointed out too – “Another important thing is you never exceed 10 kW and often never even exceed 5 kW. Electrification of everything using heat pumps results in very low peak loads even on a cold day. And also it shows how the need for a 200A service to do full electrification is rarely actually needed. In your home a 100A service would be way more than enough even when accounting for factor of safety.”

I also like to look at where that power comes from; using the MISO EIA data, I can see my local grid’s power and energy sources powering my house and heat pump. As the storm picked up on Jan 12, at one point, you can see Wind power surpassed coal and natural gas briefly, and then wind stayed a pretty good mix on the grid thoughout much of the storm, helping ensure I consumed more carbon-free power to heat my home vs. if I was just using 100% methane gas (furnace), it would all be emissions. 

I also use a RHEEM gen 3 Heat Pump Water Heater, which works great during a cold snap; since we were all home more, we used more hot water and never had an issue. You can see in this chart that the week used 21 kWh of power, which was not any more than the previous weeks. The device works by taking the heat out of my utility room, so their energy comes from the heated energy in the house, so you need to be mindful of these devices.

Looking at my Sun Radon data here again, I looked at this graph and noted that from Dec to mid-January, the adjacent room averaged nearly 64 degrees, but during the cold snap, it dropped to 62 degrees. This is in part directly related to the heat pump water heater. Still, the home’s existing ductwork has panned ductwork into the joists and hidden behind drywall. Meaning my home distribution system could be better. So air delivered to the basement or living room will be off the temperature set point, which I notice is sometimes off by 10 degrees. To fix this issue, I could blow in an air sealant into the ducts or, better but more expensive, could redo all the ductwork, which would require tearing out all the drywall, which is in good shape. Poor air delivery is sometimes why people use mini-splits to heat and cool rooms that the existing ductwork does not reach well. In my case, the room adjacent to the utility room is used sparingly, but these are things to consider when considering your systems and how they work with the existing home and your budget. 

What about getting fresh air and good ventilation in the cold?

I also looked at our energy recovery ventilator (ERV) and the fresh air it brings in. Most ERVs freeze up when they get cold, but my Panasonic Intellibalance ERV can operate down to -22 before the defrost cycle kicks in. One easy way to know if it is working is to look at carbon dioxide levels in the home. Two weeks previously, we were all here for Christmas break, and it was much warmer than this week when we were here due to the storms, but it was cold. You can see little difference in the CO2 levels, but we maintain our targeted levels. Keeping CO2 low helps improve performance; since I work from home, it helps improve sleep quality. 

Despite this cold snap, the reality is, overall, it is getting warmer; in December, we have some record-breaking heat here, and one side benefit of this is it makes our colder climate more conducive for heat pumps as we can expect to see much warmer temps, keeping energy costs lower for heat pumps. However, we will still experience extreme cold temps, likely record-breaking at times, and so having a versatile cold weather climate heat pump properly designed, installed, commissioned, and maintained within a home that is air sealed and insulated well is a great way to switch to healthier and comfortable heating that can reduce carbon emissions.  

New Inflation Reduction Act Tax Credits & Rebates can also help fund these systems up to $8,000 and help you get an inspection to determine their feasibility. You can learn more about that here.

Want to learn more about heat pump technology? Here is a great article with nice visuals that just came out from the Guardian.  

Learn more about my green home renovation and how you and your clients can. 

January 24 Green Home & Sustainability Jobs Round Up

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Are you looking for a job in sustainable housing? Consider the internationally recognized sustainability credential, the LEED Green Associate. You can take our training class here on your time, any time! GHI members get full access to the training and practice exam all for free too. 

December Residential Green Home & Sustainability Job Openings

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Green Building Jobs are surging! According to Green Biz “the average global green hiring rate peaked at 24 percent above the overall market rate this year. But according to Business Insider, “Only 1 in 8 workers globally have the green skills companies are looking for — such as measuring carbon emissions, building solar, wind, and electric vehicle projects, preventing waste, and protecting water quality, LinkedIn found. The gap is most acute among women: 9 in 10 of whom don’t have a single green skill or work experience.” GHI believes that by achieving equality in the residential building movement we will have more people available to fill the skills gap AND new ideas brought to the table that increase innovation. 

December Residential Green Home Job Openings

Follow us #greenhomejobalert on Linkedin to get these job updates daily and subscribe to our newsletter to get monthly job updates here.

Member New Leaf Home Design wins DOE Housing Innovation Award.

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GHI member New Leaf Home Design, LLC, is excited to announce their Moreland Hills home project has been honored as a recipient of the 2023 Housing Innovation Award! This project is also certified under the GHI Zero Energy Home Certification program because it met the DOE Zero Energy Ready Certification, achieved a negative 2 HERS rating by a certified rater.

As a “Zero Energy Ready”, a distinction that places it among the nation’s finest in the realm of high-performance residential architecture. The Zero Energy Ready verification process confirms the home’s ability to provide exceptional energy efficiency, indoor air quality, comfort, and construction quality. 

The Moreland Hills home stands as a prime example of how thoughtful design, precise construction, and renewable energy can converge to create a residence that’s both visually stunning and environmentally responsible. Designed to take advantage of its ravine views, the home is also oriented to maximize the efficiency of its solar panels. With 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a spacious 3900 square feet of finished area, it has a HERS index of -2, a testament to its net-positive energy efficiency.

The homeowners are thrilled with the outcome. They shared, “We knew we wanted to mirror the land and build a functional, beautiful house that was sustainable and energy efficient. We have lived here for one year now, and the craftsmanship, efficiency, and livability have far exceeded our expectations. It is a joy to be in the house with the views of mature woods and new native landscaping. “

Hallie Bowie, the architect behind New Leaf Home Design, LLC, expressed her enthusiasm for the recognition: “We are immensely proud to receive the 2023 Housing Innovation Award. It reflects our dedication to high-performance home construction and electrification. Building green is no longer a cutting-edge approach used by just a few people on a handful of projects. The details and systems for sustainable construction have been implemented on thousands of homes, and researchers have verified their performance over decades of use. This award recognizes our implementation of these proven strategies.”

Cornerstone Construction of Northeast Ohio, the general contractor for the project who previously achieved LEED Platinum certification on a previous home with GHI, played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life. Their detail-oriented commitment to quality construction and sustainability mirrored that of New Leaf Home Design, LLC, resulting in this outstanding achievement.

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This is what GHI members do

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Get signed up here today 

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GHI announces founding technical committee members

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Technical Advisory Committee Member Announcement:

As activities that are central to our mission, the quality of the GreenHome Institute’s green building consultation services and certification programs is essential!  To this end, we have established a Technical Advisory Committee to guide our certification programs and consultation services. This committee will be a forum and vehicle to ensure key decisions are made with input from multiple expert perspectives and will provide input on program development and improvement.
We are excited to introduce the five founding members of the committee!
Larry Bridge | Harvey Bell | Debbie Coleman | Matt Ahearn | Rick Hall

Larry Bridge

Larry (Lawrence) Bridge – Larry has 36 years of industry experience at Procter & Gamble (P&G) in

engineering, third party governance, change management, facilities, environmental sustainability, real estate and information technology. Larry holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from Michigan State University. He is a US Green Business Council Accredited Professional (USGBC AP) and GreenHome Institute Certified Green Professional (CGP). He was a founding board member of the Greater Cincinnati Green Business Council and USGBC Southwest Ohio Area Board Member. At P&G, he developed P&G’s third-party governance processes for P&G’s Global Business Services and was appointed to the CIO IT Distinguished Expert Circle based on this expertise. Larry managed P&G’s Workplace Governance Programs for 20 years, overseeing general office and R&D facilities and

supporting real estate. Larry most recently worked on the development, transition and management of a global, outcome-based contract supporting P&G employee care, employee IT and site network & voice services. He retired from P&G in 2023 and is currently an Executive Advisor with SynFiny Advisors in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Harvey Bell

A. Harvey Bell, IV was appointed Professor of Engineering Practice and Co-Director of the

Multidisciplinary Design Program on September 1, 2010 after a 39 year career in the automotive industry with General Motors.  During his career with General Motors some of his significant positions were: Chief Engineering, 2.5 Liter Engine, Vehicle Chief Engineer, 4th Generation Camaro and Firebird, Executive Director, Vehicle Performance and Executive Director, Advanced Vehicle Development Center for North America.  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and undertook graduated studies at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Debbie Coleman

Debbie Coleman has been a GreenHome Institute member since 2018 and is a current member of the Board of Directors. As a licensed architect for over 30 years, she has designed hundreds of low-energy passive solar homes for clients across the United States and Canada in many climate

zones. She authored The Sun-Inspired House: home designs warmed and brightened by the sun which is available in the ever-expanding eBook with over 150 house designs from Sun Plans. She believes that every home should as a minimum have a third-party Home Energy Rater working with the builder and homeowner to assure that the home is constructed to the level of energy efficiency chosen by the client whether it be to the entry level of Energy Star or all the way to net zero energy.

She is excited to be on the GHI Technical Advisory Committee to help assure that GHI programs reach the maximum number of homeowners who desire to save energy while living in comfortable, healthy, and resilient homes.  She sees building connections between homeowners, certified green professionals, energy raters, builders, and designers/architect as a key and one in which GHI is poised to facilitate.  The GreenStar program by GHI is an entry level certification program with fewer barriers, but with most of the same benefits as the more complex green and energy certification programs. This should allow more homes to become certified and appropriatly appraised during the financing and sales phases for their low-energy and green features. As these homes are listed on the Green Building Registry, which may be integrated into MLS systems throughout the country, this is an additional financial benefit to the long-term energy savings and health benefits of living in a comfortable, resilient home. Homeowners can then go on to choose even greater energy independence by becoming Zero Energy Ready or Zero Energy Capable.

Matt Ahearn

Matt Ahearn is the Technical Lead of Sustainable Services at Bright Power. Leveraging his deep

technical expertise in energy efficiency, Matt works to incorporate both high-performance and sustainable construction concepts to promote healthy living along with both energy and carbon reduction via the built environment.

Matt’s six-year tenure at Bright Power, and his previous experience as a Technical Field Representative have equipped him with extensive knowledge in the energy conservation and sustainability services industry. Matt also holds a HERS Rater Certification alongside BPI Certifications in Envelope and Heating. In addition to his leadership on Bright Power’s Sustainability Services team, Matt is excited to join the Technical Advisory Board at the GreenHome Institute, where crafting green building certification programs and policy are driving the industry forward to achieve healthier, more efficient buildings.

Rick Hall

Rick has been in the HVAC industry in every capacity from installer, technician, service manager and owner.  He started in the trade in 1984 and currently holds a Kentucky state HVAC masters license.  He was an HVAC instructor at Jefferson Community and Technical from 2002-2012.  He began training others in Building Science-related areas privately in 2012 and still trains across the United States with HVAC contractors in size from 10 trucks to 300 trucks.  He is the principal for BSPT, LLC, a company that is currently a BPI test center, a NATE Training/Testing Organization, ESCO Institute Testing Organization and formally a RESNET Training Provider, Rating Provider and QA Designee.  He currently holds certifications from Building Performance Institute, North American Technician Excellence, ESCO Institute and Association of Energy Engineers.  He was on the BPI 1200 Standards Committee. 

November Green Home & Sustainability Jobs Round-Up

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Are you looking for a job in sustainable housing? Consider the internationally recognized sustainability credential ‘LEED Green Associate.’ You can take our training class here on your time, any time! 

Follow us #greenhomejobalert to get instant updates daily on jobs!