Category: Net zero energy conference

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

Helenowski Residence - Chicago Net-Zero LEED Platinum 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

Helenowski Residence Scorecard

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

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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.

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Greenbuild Early Registration Deadline 9/17

For discounted rates to the Greenbuild 2010 Conference and Expo, you must Register by Sept. 17, and take advantage of the 1-day Residential Summit for just $250 ($300 after Sept. 17).

Greenbuild 2010 Residential Summit

Greenbuild: Residential Summit and More!

The third annual Residential Summit – Thursday, Nov. 18 – headlines a full week of residential education and networking events as Greenbuild returns to Chicago. Greenbuild 2010 is the event of the year for professionals across the residential sector, from developers, to state legislators, to Green Raters.

At Greenbuild’s Residential Summit, the premier residential green building conference in the United States, the most pertinent and modern issues in the industry are addressed through sessions, discussions, and collaborations. Affordable housing, energy-efficient retrofits, and REGREEN are just a few of this year’s topics. With 15 educational sessions throughout the day – including 3 Residential Master Speaker sessions – there’s something for every residential professional.

See you in Chicago!

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Healthy Home 2010 to Max out IEQ Points

A LEED home in Palatine offers exemplary design details, intending to max out the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) section of the LEED for Homes rating system.

In a groundbreaking partnership with industry leaders in green design, Healthy Child Healthy World plans to create a real-life, interactive, educational model for healthier living. Healthy Home 2010: Designer Showcase & Tour will be a cutting-edge initiative that will raise the bar on sustainable design by focusing on healthier indoor environments. The home will be open to the public when completed in September and available for tours from September 25, 2010 through October 10, 2010.

Healthy Home 20110 LEED house in Palatine, IL

  • Healthy Home 2010 will be the first designer showhouse in the nation to bridge the gap between traditional green building and healthy interiors by implementing a new interior design protocol developed by a distinguished advisory board consisting of industry leaders in sustainable design.
  • Healthy Home 2010 will be the first house in the U.S. to incorporate elements of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute’s first-ever Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Management Plan for Residential Construction, a system for creating—from the ground up—buildings that contribute to healthier indoor air.

Located in Chicago’s northwest suburb of Palatine, the home will feature a wealth of sustainable design – from landscaping to building to healthful interiors – and will seek U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes certification. Each material and product used in the home will be pre-approved by Healthy Home 2010’s Interiors Advisory Board (IAB).

Members of the IAB, which will vet all materials, furnishings and products under consideration include:

-Penny Bonda, FASID, LEED AP, Partner, Ecoimpact Consulting

-Annette K. Stelmack, USGBC LEED Faculty™, LEED® AP, Sustainable Design Consultant, Educator, founder and principal of Inspirit-llc

-Leslie Gage, LEED® AP, GREENGUARD Environmental Institute

-Leigh Anne Vandusen, Owner, O Ecotextiles

-Jill Salisbury, principal and founder, el: Environmental Language

-Victoria Di Iorio, education outreach coordinator, Healthy Child Healthy World

Healthy Home 2010 will also seek to develop sustainable and healthful solutions via a collaborative build-and-design approach. Dior Builders and Susan Fredman Design Group will team up to bring together traditional green building with healthy, beautiful interiors. The Healthy Home will feature energy efficient products, innovative technologies, green building materials, and furniture and accessories that will help foster a healthful living environment and showcase some of the highest standards of environmental integrity.

Public tours and special events take place from September 25 through October 10, 2010.  The home is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m – 5 p.m and Thursday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted in the case of special events.  The home will also host tours during the Greenbuild Conforence and Expo in November. For additional information on the home and to purchase tickets for events and tours, please visit www.HealthyHome2010.com.

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Net-Zero Affordable Homes Come to Illinois

32 three-bedroom homes to lease for $590/month in Jerseyville, IL
Solar panels, wind turbines to cut utility bill to $0; LEED Platinum preliminary rating

The long-awaited promise of affordable, net-zero, green living will finally become reality in a St. Louis suburban cornfield in southern Illinois, where 32 single-family homes will be rented for $590 per month. Solar panels, wind turbines and other technology will reduce the utility bills to $0. The homes are expected to be LEED Platinum certified at completion, with as the LEED for Homes Provider.

Groundbreaking Event for Lexington Farms Subdivision

Where: Fairgrounds & Cemetery Aves., Jerseyville, IL
When: September 14th, 11:00 AM

“Cutting edge green renewable technology has been a cost-prohibitive, inner-city luxury that few could afford. Until today,” said Bill Luchini, President of Capstone Development Group. “This development will be rented to rural families that earn less than $41,000 per year. And they won’t have a gas bill. They won’t have a heating bill. When they get their electric bill, it is more likely to be credit instead of a cost. Green technology will truly make a more affordable and more sustainable life for everyone in the community.”

Financing for the development includes Federal Tax Credit Equity from the National Equity Fund. Financing from the Illinois Housing Development Authority ensures that the development will remain affordable for working families the long-term. Additional financing was provided by Sterling Bank.

The 32 single-family homes will each have three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and an attached two-car garage. A separate building will house a clubhouse/resource center, community room with kitchenette and bathroom, conference room, computer lab, property manager’s office and a storage room. The site will be landscaped with native plants to reduce water usage and will include a state-of-the-art playground.

When complete, it will also be the first LEED Platinum Certified affordable community of its kind in the nation.

Building Highlights

The homes will be approximately 1,230 square feet, and will feature central air conditioning, heat, hot water and other appliances that all run on electric energy, powered by roof-mounted solar panels on all homes, as well as wind turbines throughout the subdivision. Even the streetlights will be powered by wind and solar.

Modern building techniques will reduce construction waste to nearly zero. The design will incorporate highly energy efficient materials, long-term durability and maintenance, and an interior clean air environment.

* Sustainable landscape practices include efficient irrigation systems
* Water efficient faucets, showerheads and WaterSense toilets
* Bathroom and kitchen exhaust vented to the outdoors removing sources of pollutants
* Energy-efficient design, ENERGY STAR appliances, exceeding ENERGY STAR for New Homes requirements
* Wall insulation at R-21 and R-49 insulation in the attic
* Well sealed and air-tight construction reducing drafts
* Low VOC paints
* Energy efficient florescent light fixtures
* Argon gas U35-rated low-e windows
* Extensive use of recycled materials

Construction will begin in September 2010. The first homes will be complete and ready to lease starting in late 2010 to families making 60% of the area median income (60% AMI). The need for affordable family living is particularly acute in rural Illinois suburbs of St. Louis. According to a recent market study, the median family income in Jerseyville is 36% lower than the rest of Illinois and one-third of all families in Jerseyville earn less than $25,000 per year.

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