Virge “believes that architecture has the power to change our lives. Our world is undergoing monumental shifts in climate due to natural evolution as well as the impact of human activity. Our firm is committed to the goal of utilizing environmentally sound materials, systems, design, and construction methods in the creation of our built environment, in order to reduce the impact of buildings on our environment.’Virge just recently completed the ITHACA home, a LEED platinum new construction in Gills Rock, WI that averages $30.00 energy bills and used low and no voc paints for improved indoor air quality. She is now working with WI’s premier rater Thomas Krawczyk on a new registered LEED rebuild in Sturgeon Bay that will target platinum and aim to reuse or locally recycled 100% of the existing home onsite in the new home. Learn more and follow the project.
Virge Temme received her Master of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, and has been a professional residential designer since 1988. Widely recognized as an expert in the field of green architecture and sustainable design, Virge is often a featured speaker, panelist and author on these issues. Virge Temme Architecture, Inc. was founded in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in 1999.She is an active member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) the Passive House Alliance and now GreenStar / AES!
Check out all her work and philosphy here at VirgeTemme.com
Maria Finsness is thrilled to have the opportunity for an internship with Greenstar this summer. It fits perfectly with her passion for environmental sustainability that she has had since high school.
Maria is going on to be a senior at the University of Minnesota studying Bioproducts Marketing and Management in the track of Residential Building Science. This unique major provides her an opportunity to be prepared for the growing future in sustainable construction. Along with construction, Maria’s other environmental efforts are put into urban beekeeping and ecology.
Maria will be spending her time updating, cleaning up and helping overall the Greenstar program, manual and checklist. Greenstar expansion is contingent on better user functionality of our checklist and up to date building science information and practices. Maria may be reaching out to YOU at some point for your feedback prior to roll out. I
Besides her Internship Maria also will be
spending her weekends at her parent’s cabin, get to some yoga classes and drink good beer!
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The 126 apartments that were renovated for this project were made possible by the Hometown Housing Partnership (HHP) of East Lansing. HHP is a nonprofit that has been providing access to affordable housing for over 20 years, and was formerly known as East Lansing Housing and Neighborhood services. In 2012 HHP became the managing general partner of 126 units of affordable housing at Deerpath Apartments and partnered with Hollander Development to complete renovate the townhomes.
A large amount of materials were reused in rehabbing the home including: exterior framing and siding, foundation, cabinets, counters, roof framing, and the roof, floor, and 2/3 the wall sheathing. A 800 watt solar photovoltaic collector system is installed on top of the carports, which provides electricity for the lighting of the carports. All interior and exterior paints used are water based, low VOC, latex paints. Each apartment is outfitted with Energy Star certified appliances and energy efficient lighting.
Project Details:
Type Multifamily
Conditioned Space (126) 988 sq. ft. apartments
Bedrooms 2
Bathrooms 1
Lot Type Previously Developed
Construction Type Affordable Key Features:
Air Filtration MERV 10
Roof Insulation R50
Wall Insulation R15
HVAC Efficiency 94% AFUE
800 Watt Solar Panels installed on the carport
Efficient Outdoor LED and Indoor Lighting
Renae Hesselink is the first in West Michigan homeowner to sign up for the program and just completed her panel install Monday May 19th. Renae served as the past Chair of the US Green Building Council West Michigan (USGBCWM) and is a local sustainability leader.
Tell us about the process
“Finally after months of waiting, mostly due to the weather, Srinergy along with a local electrician team has installed the 5Kw solar system on my home. I will be sharing the entire journey soon. I will have access via the web to see what my panels are generating by hour, by day, by week, month, annually. My goal is to help educate the many people out there that solar does work in Michigan and it is affordable. It should produce nearly the amount of electricity that I use on an annual basis with a return on investment”
“I turned on my solar panels around 5:00 p.m. on May 23rd – that was roughly 25 days ago. To date it has produced 554.9 Kwh an average of 23+ Kwh per day. From mid-April until Mid-May I used 434 total Kwh of electricity. This system has produced above and beyond what I will use in a month’s time for sunnier months so far.”
What is the Pay back?
“My Solar PV will have an estimated return on investment of close to 10 years, increase my home value and allow me to take part in the sustainability movement to get away from fossil fuels”.
What about your home energy use?
Before going solar Renae worked with to get home energy audit and a Residential Energy Performance Score and is currently looking at ways to improve her energy efficiency and comfort.
Renae currently is the Vice President of Sustainability at Nichols in Muskegon and is exploring this application for their corporate headquarters and distribution centers.
Akron Summit Community Action, Inc. (Akron YouthBuild) partnered with Saint-Gobain through the Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation with support from the Saint-Gobain family of companies, to complete a green renovation at 887 Garfield Street in Akron, OH. Saint-Gobain was founded in 1665 to manufacture glass for the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France. They are the Worlds largest building materials company. Recognized as a 2009 & 2010 Energy Star partner of the year by the US EPA, Saint-Gobain earned the 2011, 2012, & 2013 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The YouthBuild program started in 1978 in East Harlem, New York. The program concentrates on youths aged 16-24 who work full-time for 6-24 months while working toward their GED’s or High School Diplomas while at the same time learning job skills by building affordable housing in their communities.
The Garfield Project is the first YouthBuild Akron home to achieve the prestigious LEED Platinum certification. Saint-Gobain and its family of companies have donated a range of building materials and many hours of on-site support from CertainTeed Building Scientists to complete the green home renovation. The home features a heat recovery system and very efficient CertaSpray Closed Cell Foam Insulation which contribute to its energy efficiency. The home received a HERS score of 65 meaning that it is 35% more efficient than other comparable homes. In addition to energy efficiency measures the home incorporates several landscaping features that reduce it’s irrigation needs. For example, drought tolerant plants were installed along with a slow-growing grass that needs no fertilizers, little mowing, and relatively little water. The home harvests rainwater from its roof. These aspects have accumulated a 59% water reduction due to the sites landscape architecture alone.
CertainTeed (an affiliate of Saint-Gobain) donated many of the building materials. These materials contributed significantly to the overall efficiency and sustainability of the home. Grenite Engineered Stone Countertop’s were used and constructed with up to 85% post-consumer recycled content. Air-Renew Gypsum Board boasts industry only technology that removes VOC’s from the air and converts them into safe inert compounds, once they are captured in the board they cannot be released into the air. This Gypsum Board also aids in the reduction of moisture and mold. On the rooftop, LandMark Solaris – Solar Reflecting Roofing Shingles were utilized. They reflect the suns rays and reduce roof temperatures up to 20%.
There are currently over 140,000 registered LEED® for Homes™ projects worldwide and over 50,000 certified with each project requires third-party on-site verification and performance testing by a LEED Green Rater. If you’re interested in filling this need as part of USGBC’s LEED for Homes Green Rater program, this training is for you!
The two-part LEED for Homes Green Rater Training is designed to prepare qualified participants to provide verification services on LEED for Homes projects.
Applicants must meet/submit initial qualifications and complete a two-part training (this two-day workshop and an online course component). Following the training, participants will take a computer-based exam provided by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) and complete a mentorship on real projects before earning the LEED for Homes Green Rater Certificate. Must register by August 1st to be accepted.
Learning Objectives
Identify responsibilities of a LEED for Homes Green Rater in each phase of a project
Manage and conduct verification activities
Effectively use the project checklist file
Communicate effectively with project teams and LEED for Homes Providers
Apply the sampling protocol on applicable projects
Prepare accurate and complete certification submittal packages
Speak to major changes when V4 for Homes is launched
Audience
This training is intended for professionals with a minimum of three years’ experience in the residential construction industry and basic residential green building knowledge who are interested in providing verification services on LEED for Homes projects. Those with a background in on-site verification and/or energy rating are particularly qualified. This program is being co-sponsored with Priority Energy, a RESNET and BPI training provider.
Step 2: Attend online live or recorded Implementing LEED for Homes Course ( LEED AP+Homes can skip step 2). There will be an offering the day before on Aug 26 for those interested.
Step 3: Once accepted, complete five self-guided online learning modules prior to participating in the two-day LEED for Homes Green Rater Training.
Step 4: Take and pass LEED for Homes Green Rater exam through GBCI.
Step 5: Complete Green Rater Mentorship with a LEED for Homes provider within 24 months.
Step 6: Receive LEED for Homes Green Rater Certificate.
If you have any questions about Green Rater eligibility or working with a LEED for Homes provider, please contact Brett Little,
Bonus! – Become a GreenStar rater and assist contractors, remodelers and DYI homeowner’s on Green Certified remodeling projects that do no qualify for LEED. The GreenStar checklist and program will be reviewed during this class to make you an official GreenStar Rater.
Instructors Jason La Fleur, LEED AP+Homes and LEED for Homes Green Rater
The owners of this split-level home wanted an addition that was healthy and provided more space. The problems with this home were its uneven slope and its lack of natural lighting and good flow. To fix these concerns the yard was carved evenly to the ground before the addition started and the positioning of the porch was placed in the most direct sunlight to provide ample natural lighting. An addition was added to the back of the existing house to provide additional spaces: an office, dining room, family room and a four season sunroom. By adding skylights in the great-room it fixed the problem of lighting and made the space more open. From start to finish this project was designed, constructed, and finished in GREEN and followed the state green certification requirements which included: tests, energy calculations and inspections. The homeowners enjoy the extra space with lower energy bills.The homeowner commented on our project that “We chose Mike Otto as a builder based on four primary things: quality, reliability, cost, and his support of doing a green project. Mike was supportive of doing a green remodel from the beginning; he actually got us involved in GreenStar. He helped tremendously as we made choices based on the GreenStar checklist, and gave us a lot of guidance on some of the things you don’t see when you look at the new space — things like framing techniques, insulation and heating and cooling. The final product is beautiful, well-executed and built to last.”By Mike Otto, Mike Otto Construction
Quarve Contracting, Inc. has completed a Minnesota GreenStar Pilot remodeling project for the Gitzen home, a 1957 rambler in Roseville. Homeowners, Chuck and Kathy Gitzen worked with Quarve Contracting, Inc. by volunteering some sweat equity. They’ve installed their own rain garden, indoor and outdoor compost bins, rain barrels and reducing their energy costs by installing CFL lighting. Green Remodeling does not need to add extra costs to a remodeling project. It can reduce homeowner’s energy costs well into the future. The Gitzen’s scope of work included; reinsulating the home, sealing bypasses, which resulted in a 44% tighter home. This came in as one of the tightest home tested for MN GreenStar. We removed a side door on the west side of home and installed a new window in the south side. The light switch in the room was switched so one switch could shut down all computer monitors and cpu units. We also installed: windows, solar tubes, energy effeicent doors, Energy Star rated appliances and life-time warranty – Energy Star rated – United States Platinum Seamless Steel Siding with a natural drainage plan and ceramic based paint which is solar reflective. Ventilation was also an issue, we brought the home up to manufacturer specifications as there was no soffit ventilation before.By Julie Quarve, Quarve Contracting
For more information on this project visit www.quarve.com.
Live Green, Live Smart’s The Sustainable House TM is a participant in Minnesota GreenStar’s Remodeling pilot program and the LEED for Homes Pilot ProjectTM. Live Green, Live Smart has transformed an ordinary post-War rambler in a suburban neighborhood into a Century hour that will be energy efficient, environmentally healthy, respectful of the natural environment, and comfortable for family life as climate and energy resources alter in the coming decades.
Environmentally-Conscious Applications
The green building materials and techniques as applied to the House are less conspicuous than alternative energy sources, but no less important to our Platinum remodel.
Efficient insulation and an air transfer system ensure that none of the heat or cold generated goes to waste, and that the air inside the home stays clean and breathable.
Solatubes provide natural sunlight all day long, even in the basement, reducing electricity needs.
Every lightbulb in the house is an energy-efficient compact fluorescent or LED.
Low-voltage radiant in-floor heating is an efficient way to reduce furnace needs.
Greywater is collected from the showers for reuse in the double-flush toilets.
Windows are triple-glazed and argon-filled to reduce heat transfer.
Appliances are EnergyStar rated, and an induction stove is used for cooking.
All electrical energy purchased from the grid is the product of windfarming – no coal-fueled energy will be used in the House.
By Peter Lytle, Live Green Live Smart
For more information on this project visit http://livegreenlivesmart.org.