Category: On-Demand Green Home Videos

How to Buy a Refrigerator that Doesn’t Suck (Energy)

Post author By admin
Post date March 19, 2013

How to Buy a Refrigerator that Doesn’t Suck (Energy)

That 200-pound towering box of steel in your kitchen prevents food from spoiling every second of every day. Whether it contains a single jar of pickles or all the ingredients for a holiday feast, it’s hard at work all the time—even when you’re asleep or away on vacation. Consequently, your refrigerator consumes more energy than most other appliances in your home.

If you’re shopping around for a new refrigerator, why not choose a brand new unit that helps protect the environment and save you money? Below are some tips for finding an energy-efficient refrigerator that won’t suck up your power or your wallet.

Labels Tell an Important Story

While you’ll be tempted most of all while shopping to visualize yourself using the various amenities offered with today’s refrigerators, be sure to first slip on your reading glasses and examine the contents of two important labels adhered to the appliance.

ENERGY STAR. Since the mid-1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has helped consumers identify appliances that “substantially exceed minimum federal standards for efficiency and quality.” A product earns the ENERGY STAR label when it meets strict criteria, including:

- Product must provide energy savings nationwide
- Product must deliver energy efficiency without sacrificing the features or performance consumers demand
- Consumers can quickly recover the extra cost of an energy-efficient product by paying lower energy bills
- The technology used to make a product energy efficient is easily accessible and can be duplicated by multiple manufacturers
- Product can be tested to verify energy savings
- EnergyGuide. To help shoppers make an informed purchase decision, this yellow label displays the appliance’s average energy consumption and operating cost over the course of a year (based on the national average cost of electricity). The federal government requires manufacturers to place an EnergyGuide label on most appliances.

Part of attaining a well-rounded view of your options includes comparing the various operating costs. Remember you’ll be creating a long-term commitment to paying operating costs through power bills for whichever appliance you buy. If that expense clashes with your budget, keep exploring your options until you find the right combination of purchase price, operating cost and refrigerator features that excite you the most—which brings up a few noteworthy considerations.

Beware the Awesome Features that Suck!

Certain refrigerator amenities are impressive, for sure. And in this twenty-first century shouldn’t appliances perform at least a dozen different functions out of convenience? That is a common mindset for many homeowners nowadays, but there’s more to consider about a refrigerator than if it can replace the can opener. For example:

Refrigerators with bottom-mount or side-by-side freezers use 10 to 25 percent more energy than models with top-mounted freezers

The larger the refrigerator, the more energy consumption
Models with automatic ice makers and dispensers use 14 to 20 percent more energy than models without

Once again, while these features may be great to have, you need to take into account the operating cost they each incur. Are they worth the added expense or can you live without them? Think big picture over big appliance—avoid buying a model that is larger than you truly need (16 to 20 cubic-feet models are typically the most energy efficient).

You will no doubt locate the ENERGY STAR-minted refrigerator that best fits your needs and your budget. New models are released every year from top brands like Frigidaire, GE, Whirlpool and many more. Just be sure to forecast a refrigerator’s operating cost, and think twice about its flashy amenities, before you make the purchase.

Were you aware of the magnitude of your refrigerator’s energy suck before reading this? Are you ready to (safely!) scoot your fridge away from the wall and read its labels? Please share your findings and thoughts in the comments below.

James writes on behalf of Sears and is a member of the Sears Community, an online community where you can discover new ideas, ask questions, and just be you. When he’s not writing about the importance of energy-efficiency, he spends his time searching for the next big thing.

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NEXT Building Event: Ann Arbor MI – Emerging Technologies Dow Solar Shingles

Post author By admin
Post date March 12, 2013

DOW Solar Shingles

Emerging Technology

Welcome to the NEXTbuilding Forum: An exciting new series of educational events highlighting leading-edge building and remodeling practices, ideas, and technologies focused around high performance-sustainable-green building.

www.Nextbuildingforum.org

Dow Chemical, based right here in Midland, Michigan, is introducing in limited markets its new building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing shingles, DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles. We have been hearing about this product for quite some time now and we are pretty excited to see that it has finally hit the market.

Jane Palmieri, VP of Dow Solar will be personally traveling down to Ann Arbor for a special presentation of this exciting new product- entirely conceived, developed and made in Michigan. She will have samples of the actual solar shingles on hand and will share with us an in-depth presentation as well as answer questions about the product and its intended application. Come learn if this might be a solution for your next energy efficient or Green building project where your clients are hesitant about putting ‘skylab’ panels on their home.

This free product launch presentation event will be held this coming Thursday morning, March 14th., from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon at the office of Meadowlark Builders in Ann Arbor. Disclaimer: NEXTbuilding Forum does not endorse any product or technology, including the Powerhouse Shingle. The information is merely presented for your continuing education.
For full information visit NEXTbuidlingForum.org.

Details:

Product Launch Presentation

Cost: Absolutely Free

Date/Time: Thursday, March 14th, 2013 10:30 am – noon

Location: Meadowlark Energy, 3250 W. Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

2012 Corporate Sponsor

Supporting Sponsors

Event Sponsors

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Mixed Use Midrise LEED Certified Silver In Cincinnati

Post author By admin
Post date February 19, 2013

BANKS Banks Details

Banks Ingredient

Tags: featured, leed for homes, Midrise, ohio

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Abandoned house gets new life in planned LEED renovation

Post author By admin
Post date February 18, 2013

Indianapolis, IN) GreenPath Homes will renovate a formerly abandoned 110-year old cottage in Fountain Square, Indianapolis, to the US Green Building Council’s rigorous LEED for Homes standard to show how distressed urban properties can be given new life as healthful, efficient homes.

In addition to reaching for the LEED Platinum certification level, GreenPath Homes is leading professional-level green building education and an extensive homeowner and community awareness campaign. A 10-person project team has been planning the renovation and will document the credits for certification. Open houses during and after construction will allow the public see inside the walls of a green home, and the project’s blog can be followed at www.takethegreenpath.com.

“This home will be the first LEED Platinum renovation in Indiana, and the second oldest home in the Midwest to receive this standard,” says William Wagnon, principal at GreenPath Homes and a LEED Accredited Professional for homes. “I hope homeowners, developers and even ‘flippers’ will take note of what new life can be possible with the City’s abandoned houses.”

Acquired through Southeast Neighborhood Development’s (SEND) Transfer and Transform Program, the home at 1055 Elm Street was once on a list of properties slated for demolition. The planned renovation seeks to preserve character and charm of the 960sf, 2-bed 1-bath home, while updating the space use for modern lifestyles. The home will also receive a deep energy retrofit including insulation, air sealing, high efficiency HVAC and Energy Star appliances. The energy model projects the home could be 40% more efficient than a standard home and 30% more efficient than an Energy Star home.

In committing to the LEED process, the project must also focus particular attention on:

Durability measures
Indoor air quality
Water efficiency strategies and storm water management
Environmentally preferable products and finishes

Being located within blocks of the heart of Fountain Square and the Cultural Trail, the home also has excellent access to community resources and public transportation, another component recognized in the LEED for Homes rating system.

The renovation is expected to get underway in December and be completed in just 2 to 3 months. After work is complete, the home will be offered for sale.

William Wagnon, LEED AP for Homes, has been renovating distressed urban properties in Indianapolis since 2005, and recently organized GreenPath Homes to consult and contract with homeowners and developers for better urban living spaces. His passion is smartly-designed small residential projects where he can preserve the charm of older homes and update their function for current lifestyles.

Tags deconstruction, featured, gut rehab, Indiana, LEED AP+H, leed for homes, LEED Gut Rehab, LEED Remodel, Single-Family Projects

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Quality Assured HVAC Training – ESV3 – High Performance Professional

Post author By admin
Post date February 18, 2013

has Partnered with Advanced Energy To help HVAC contractors Qualify as High Performance Home leaders. Those installing systems in ENERGY STAR qualified homes are need to ensure are properly trained and qualified to perform HVAC QI services, EPA is requiring that contractors:

Document that they possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and tools (e.g., through training, work experience, and/or company policies) to effectively deliver the services required in the ENERGY STAR HVAC QI checklist; and
Be credentialed and subject to oversight/quality assurance by an independent, third-party organization.

Cost: $100 – $350 depending on location*

* Other Fees (1/2 – 1/3 the cost of ACCAs program)

$199 Application Fee

$299 per year renewal fee

$35 per job up to 50 jobs

less for more than 50 jobs

Why Become Qualified High Performance Energy Star Version 3 Contractor

Scalability – whether you are working on one house or 5,000, our program offers scalability to fit your needs. The primary fee associated with our program is a per-unit quality assurance review process, meaning that you only pay for what you use.
Technical assistance – if you find yourself struggling while out on an install or designing a duct system, Advanced Energy is here to help you. As a participating contractor, you have easy access to the technical resources you need to ensure quality work on your ENERGY STAR installations.
Contractor development – our program is more than just a certification, we strive to make you better. If you think your business could use some additional help, or if the program’s standards are not being met, hands-on training and consulting will be provided by program staff to get you up to speed. We can also help you put the policies and procedures into place to ensure quality installation to help you continue working on ENERGY STAR jobs.
Streamlined ENERGY STAR quality assurance process – we have automated the reporting process making it quick and easy to track your progress and view all of your ENERGY STAR jobs in one place.
Click here to view or download our Program Brief for HVAC Contractors.

HVAC Quality Installation Oversight Organizations (H-QUITOs) are the EPA-recognized independent, third-party oversight organizations that establish the required credentialing programs and provide oversight/QA activities for HVAC contractors who install systems in Version 3 ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

Date/Time*	Event Title / Location

Mon, Apr 29, 2013 8:15 AM – 5:15 PM	Quality Assured HVAC Training – ESV3 – High Performance Professional WARM Training Center Detroit MI
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM	Energy Star Version 3 for HVAC Contractors – Get Credentialed Jackson Systems Indianapolis IN
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM	Quality Assured HVAC Training – ESV3 – High Performance Professional Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC) Madison Wisconsin

What the H-QUITO Does

As an H-QUITO, Advanced Energy is required to:

Develop and maintain a credentialing program for qualified contractors;
Provide general orientation training for contractors on the ENERGY STAR Version 3 guidelines;
Maintain a database and a publicly-available, online list of credentialed participating contractors;
Conduct periodic quality assurance of participating contractors; and
Develop and maintain a participating contractor dispute resolution process that includes procedures for investigation of complaints, contractor probation, dismissal, and appeals.

More From the GBA Blogs – The 7 Biggest Opportunities for HVAC Contractors

Tags energy star, ESv3, HVAC Training, ohio, slider, training

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Madison/Cincinnati/Grand Rapids: Understanding the Living Building Challenge Seminar

Post author By admin
Post date February 11, 2013

This workshop provides a 6-hour in-depth introduction to the Living Building Challenge. Attendees are the green building leaders in their community: design professionals, contractors, developers, owners, government officials and employees of public agencies. In short, anyone and everyone who can impact the development of the built environment.

Learning Objectives

•Identify the key components of the Living Building Challenge
•Discuss the rationale for restorative design principles
•Understand successful strategies for compliance with each performance area
•Recognize financial, regulatory and behavioral barriers and
•incentives related to high performance design
•Describe the Living Building Challenge Community resources and certification process

Cost:

Ticket Type Early Registration* Regular Registration
Living Building Challenge $195 $215
Community Subscribers & Partner Organization () Members
Non-member General Registration $295 $345
* Register up to two weeks prior to event

Our Expert Faculty: Richard Graves

Richard has extensive experience establishing and supporting green building programs in national and international settings. A registered architect with degrees from Rice University and Virginia Tech, Graves was the U.S. Green Building Council’s Senior Vice President of Community. He has over a decade of field experience working on leading-edge green building projects and is a staunch advocate for transparency and responsibility in the building industry.

Includes:

•6 AIA Learning Units
•6 GBCI Continuing Education hours
•Instruction from expert faculty
•Continental breakfast and lunch included

Madison WI APRIL 10th
Cincinnati, OH April 17th
Grand Rapids – Fall 2013- TBA

Tags ILFI

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expands and fills ED position due to growth in Green Building Market

Post author By admin
Post date February 10, 2013

A local nonprofit organization that educates and trains homeowners, builders, architects, and others in green building practices is growing.

The Green Home Institute () began in 2000 as a resource for sharing best practices in sustainable building. In 2005, they became one of only 12 organizations designated by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to support a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes pilot program. There are now 38 LEED for Homes providers around the country and primarily serves the Midwest. In addition to their location on Wealthy Street, they also have staff in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.

Recently, named Brett Little as its new executive director and Jamison Lenz as its LEED for Homes Program Manager. Both men are graduates of the Aquinas College Sustainable Business program.

Little served as the administrative director at before getting promoted. He started as a volunteer, then became an intern, and later, an AmeriCorps VISTA employee. He and his wife Laura recently spent around $30,000 “greening” their 87-year-old home. Afterward, Little and his wife noticed a 50 percent reduction in their heat bills and their electric usage decreased by 30-60 percent as well. (You can read more about the Littles’ greening experience in a previous Rapid Growth article here.)

Lenz’s position was created with a grant from the Home Inspector General, a residential energy inspection company operated by President and Founder Michael Holcomb. Before joining the team, Lenz was a volunteer and later, an AmeriCorps VISTA employee at the Habitat for Humanity, where he helped with LEED construction administrative work.

Lenz will assist with client documentation and residential LEED consulting services, while Little will mostly focus on launching new initiatives.

With these recent staff changes, is implementing more programs in addition to the time currently spent educating people and organizations interested in the LEED for Homes program.

The way LEED for Homes works is that each registered project must have a third party Green Rater to handle the onsite verification. Green Raters ensure specific conditions have been met on the LEED for Homes checklist. Based on how many points the project has achieved, the home can earn the basic certification level on up to the highest level of Platinum LEED certification.

Additionally, energy performance testing must be done by a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater, which many Green Raters do as well. The greater a home’s heating and cooling efficiency is, the lower the HERS number and the more LEED points earned.

The LEED for Homes certification also takes a holistic approach to building so features such as being located within the city and near bus routes add points. If a person can walk to where they need to go and not use a car, that helps improve the environment.

Lenz says that living in a LEED-certified home is “more than just lower energy bills, it’s also about having a healthy environment where you can raise your family and be connected to the community in which you live.”

Builders, contractors, or homeowners typically work with the Green Rater on measures they can take to raise the number of points and level of certification. also consults with them and acts as a liaison between the Green Raters and the USGBC.

Some common tips to get more LEED points include adding a level of insulation to increase the HERS score or using only non-invasive plants in landscaping. Another simple way to raise points is to keep all plants at least two feet away from the house to prevent pest infestations.

When the home construction is completely finished and the Green Rater has turned in all required documentation, reviews it and then submits it to USGBC to obtain the final certification.

If that sounds like it’s a lot of work for builders and contractors, it often can be at first and it usually also costs two to three percent more to build a LEED-certified home. However, Little and Lenz assure their customers it gets easier with time and it’s definitely worth it.

“Building to LEED certification is not easy, nor should it be,” says Lenz. “But the more you build to this standard, it will soon become ingrained into your mindset and all that you do.”

Little adds that only about three percent of homes get LEED certified. “Most builders are not interested because they think it’s too hard,” he says.

typically works with contractors, builders, and architects and not many homeowners. In order for an existing house to become LEED for Homes certified, Little says “a homeowner pretty much has to gut their whole house, so it’s a big deal.”

Some of the advantages of having a LEED-certified home are lower utility bills, increased air quality, less illnesses and allergies, reduced impact on the environment, and a higher resale value.

“On average, we will spend 90 percent of our lives indoors, therefore it’s paramount that our buildings are healthy, efficient, and connected to the community,” says Lenz.

In 2012, hosted free monthly webinars, which were quite successful and attracted attendees from around the world. They’re planning on doing more in 2013 with topics ranging from the LEED process, green building leaders and products, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and more.

, in partnership with Integrated Architecture, Habitat for Humanity, and the City of Grand Rapids, was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from Bank of America to transform the Wealthy Heights neighborhood into a LEED Neighborhood Development area. This will ensure healthy, affordable, efficient, and durable construction and remodeling practices. Chris Hall, formerly with Habitat, and Matthew VanSweden of Integrated Architecture worked with Little to acquire the grant.

is also now putting together a Living Building Challenge team. This “next generation of LEED for Homes” was developed by the International Living Future Institute.

Little says “if you thought LEED was hard,” the Living Building Challenge is even more complex. The certification is comprised of seven performance areas: site, water, energy, health, materials, equity, and beauty. Homes that qualify must have zero energy and water waste, be built with nontoxic materials, maximize health, blend with surroundings, and be socially just and beautiful.

The process is not simple and Little adds, “That’s why they call it a Challenge.”

Another initiative that is starting is green remodeling education and certification for homeowners who want to reduce energy costs. will teach the homeowners ways to become certified, though Little says this isn’t about minor repairs — “you really have to be committed.”

has also recently partnered with Advanced Energy in North Carolina to train HVAC professionals how to become Energy Star Version 3 credentialed installers and designers.

In addition to all of these new initiatives, the staff at has been very busy lately educating people on the LEED for Homes program and other green building tips.

“The market is up for new construction and we follow its success,” Little says.

They’ve been getting some help from students at GVSU, Aquinas, and MSU with video documentation, research, and surveys.

On top of the webinars, training, and consulting they offer, Lenz wants people to know they contact anytime with questions about anything having to do with greening a home.

“Our mission is to get the word out about healthier, more efficient homes,” he says. “It’s more than just about LEED, it’s about green communities.”

Full Article Here

As the editor of our Do Good section, Heidi writes about nonprofits, educational initiatives, and people and organizations making West Michigan a better place. She’s also a freelance writer, graphic designer, and marketing consultant who works out of her home while being pestered constantly by her two spoiled dogs. You can find her on Twitter at @HeidiSocial, but be aware that she likes her opinions strong and her humor warped

Photographs by Adam Bird

Tags Economics, Green Jobs, slider

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Greenest Home in West Michigan Certifies LEED Platinum

Post author By admin
Post date February 7, 2013

1 Hour Recorded Webinar Available Now – 1 AIA/GBCI

” In the 5 years I have been involved with and Regional Green Building Certified Homes, I think I can finally throw my 2 cents in the ring and call this the Greenest Home in West Michigan” – Brett Little, Executive Director

What make’s it the Greenest? For starters, Michael Holcomb – President/CEO and owner of Home Inspector General has called this “the tightest home I have ever tested.” It comes in at 0.44 ACH @50PA (for all you energy geeks). Michael has test 1,000’s of homes and buildings in the Midwest in his 20 years of experience so that is saying something.

Next, this project almost achieved passive house standards! Sam worked an experienced PHIUS rater “John Semmelhack” to use the advanced modeling software to design his house. The house tested below the air change requirements of Passive House but only made 7.20 KBTu’s as opposed to the required 4.75 ( Energy Geek Talk) Sam’s reasoning’s “The primary driver of that cost was the building geometry. Since a primary objective was to build a barrier free home, we designed it all to be on one level. This meant that the ratio of exterior wall and roof area to the floor area was not optimal for thermal design (of Passive House). It was more important to us to have the barrier free design that to meet the PH requirements, though we came very close. The only changes we made from the original PH design was to reduce the thickness of the perimeter walls from 22” to 19”, and specify a window that was not quite as high performing as the one that would attain the PH rating.” Sam told me that there was 99 year back on the window required to meet the standard (at that time).

3rd, First Zero Energy Home in West Michigan (if anyone wants to dispute that let us know!). Obviously we can’t officially call it Zero Energy without a year’s worth of data but we will keep you all up to date to see it makes it. The HERS score is not 0 but it is 18 which is the lowest in West Michigan with A home in Stanwood and hour north getting a 12. There is a lot of mis-information out there stating that a HERS of zero is required to be “Zero Energy” but in practice we see homes scoring HERS of 35 and achieving Zero Energy.

Last, LEED for Homes Platinum Certification has been achieved. This requires 3rd party onsite verification that proves you the home is green through actual testing.

But, but… This project is in Lowell outside of an Urban Area and lacks community resources and connectivity. It’s true, the one place that this house poorly scores is in location efficiency. You can find data to support that reliance on automobiles is more costly and has more CO2 emissions than very well insulated home. Currently Sam is using the home as his office as well as his living space and so he does not have to drive to an office in a far away location. He can grow alot of food on the site as well and eventually add more solar and purchase an electric car to power it with all Solar.

This must have cost millions right?

“We spent $167.00/Square Feet, but if you add in O+P, Design fees, and my sweat equity, I estimate about a $200/ SF cost to construct.”

• Gross SF 2010

• Basement SF 851

• Conditioned SF 2547

• Garage / Workshop 621

• $167/SF Hard cost

• $200/ SF Buildable cost

+ Overhead and Profit
+ Design fees
+ Sweat Equity

PDF Project Profile Details

Further Resources

Read back on Sam’s progress documented on his Blog and stay informed as he monitors the home’s energy use, durability, comfort, indoor air quality and water use. http://sumacgrove.blogspot.com/2013/01/certified.html

Recorded 1 Hour Webinar on the entire project – 1 AIA/GBCI
Sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on Spring 2013 Tours. Potential GBCI Credit
2 Hour GBCI approved Film Series documenting the project from Start to post occupancy informed can be seen here for free
Contact with Questions Sam Pobst, BO+M, BD+C, Homes and ID+C, a USGBC LEED Faculty™
Principal
ecometrics llc
P. 616.897.4967 C. 616.648.7493
Email sam@ecometrics.biz

Tags energy star, featured, geothermal, green rater, HERS, leed, leed for homes, LEED Platinum, michigan, net zero homes, Single-Family Projects, solar pv

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Green Building Winter Trainings throughout the Midwest

Post author By admin
Post date December 17, 2012

As part of the Alliance’s mission to educate the builders, architects, developers and the public at larger on the latest in Green Building, we are offering several courses around the Midwest and online this year. Studying for your Green Associates? LEED AP Home?

DATE/TIME*	EVENT TITLE / LOCATION	CEUS

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	An Introduction to the Living Building Challenge – Lunch Time Webinar – Free	1.0 AIA /GBCI
Thu, Feb 14, 2013 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Subslab ventilation systems for moisture control
Tue, Feb 19, 2013 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM	HOMES 401: Green Rater Training Priority Energy – Training Center Park Ridge IL	14.0
Wed, Feb 27, 2013 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	A Homeowner’s Tale, Passive House & LEED Home Case Study – Free Webinar	1 GBCI / 1 AIA
Thu, Feb 28, 2013 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Implementation of successful daylighting control systems
Wed, Mar 6, 2013 7:00 AM – 3:45 PM	Better Buildings: Better Business Conference Kalahari Conference Center Wisconsin Dells, WI	IACET \| AIA \| NARI \| RESNET \| USGBC/GBCI \| WI-DSPS \| BPI
Wed, Mar 6, 2013 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM	Living Building Seminar Pre Conference Networking Event TBD Ann Arbor	1 AIA 1 GBCI
Thu, Mar 7, 2013 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM	Understanding the Living Building Challenge 6 Hour Seminar Guardian Club Banquet Hall Detroit Michigan	6 AIA/GBCI
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM	LEED GA: Core Concepts & Strategies – Naperville Electric Association Naperville IL	7.0
Wed, Mar 13, 2013 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM	HOMES 252: Understanding LEED for Homes – Wilmette TBD Wilmette, IL	7.0
Tue, Mar 19, 2013 12:00 AM – 12:00 AM	eQUEST energy modeling series NIU Outreach Center at Naperville Naperville IL	IACET • AIA • GBCI • ISPE
Tue, Apr 9, 2013 12:00 AM – 12:00 AM	eQUEST energy modeling series Radisson Paper Valley Hotel Appleton Wisconsin	IACET • AIA • GBCI • ISPE • WI-DSPS
Wed, Apr 10, 2013 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM	Understanding the Living Building Challenge 6 Hour Seminar Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC) Madison Wisconsin	6 AIA/GBCI
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM	Understanding the Living Building Challenge 6 Hour Seminar Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC) Madison Wisconsin	6 AIA/GBCI

*All times are US Eastern time (EST)

Group rates available on workshops! Contact info@alliancees.org for details.
All programs approved for AIA and GBCI credit. Other CEU programs may also apply.

As a 501(c)3 charitable organization (view our details), we deliver green building education courses through out the Midwest usually at cost. Please support us to help keep these going. Your donation to the Green Home Institute may be tax-deductible. Please check with your accountant or tax attorney for details.

Thank you for your support!

Tags AIA, Continuing Education, Education and Events, GBCI, Illinois, michigan, slider, wisconsin

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Webinar: Post Occupancy Study – LEED for Homes on Affordable Housing

Post author By admin
Post date December 17, 2012

recently partnered with Michigan State University (MSU) to perform a Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of 235 LEED-certified homes in the Midwest, and we are pleased to share the results. The goal is to identify the homes’ actual performance after people moved in, and also the benefits and shortcomings of the current LEED for Home certification system. The survey consisted of various categories including (1) general satisfaction with the LEED-certified home, (2) satisfaction about the home in general and various aspects of the indoor environment, (3) overall well-being including the health impact, (4) energy efficiency and building performance, (5) the environmental behavior of residents, and (6) demographics.

The findings of this study revealed that most residents of the LEED-certified home were satisfied with their home and their quality of life in their home.

Continuing Education

1 GBCI – General
1 MI Contractor (Code & Green)
1 MI Architect
If you need continuing education units for a license in another state, this course may apply. Please consult your state’s requirements.

This webinar is free to review. If you are interested in continuing education credits, you must follow the following steps:

1. Watch the webinar presentation by Eunsil Lee, PhD for FREE.

2. Contact to take the quiz and score at least 80% to be approved. Please also post a comment below and help add to the conversation.

3. Pay the fee below to get your certificate and CEUs. You must be an member to pay the reduced member fee.

Webinar Pricing

Two methodological approaches were used for this study. Qualitative case studies were conducted with 15 LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity residents in Kent County, Michigan through in-depth interviews, observations, and IEQ measurement. 16 % respondents came from LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity homes in Michigan. These residents in particular, were more satisfied with their homes and their quality of life than residents of Non- Habitat homes were, although their satisfaction with their neighborhood and specific aspects of home environment (e.g., space layout, size of space, finishes, visual privacy, view, temperature, humidity) was lower than that of Non-Habitat residents. Residents of the Habitat for Humanity tended to perceive the improvement of their quality of life since moving into their LEED-certified home more strongly than residents of the Non-Habitat home did. They were also more satisfied with energy efficiency of their home than residents of the Non-Habitat home.

2 page graphic summary of Study PDF Here

Full 96 Page Report on Post Occupancy Study

Report Recommendations:

Promote sustainability in low-income housing: More programs should be developed that can offer incentives for participation in LEED green building certification programs and increase funding opportunities to cover the initial costs of sustainable home building for low-income families at both state and local levels, because those efforts will produce long-term economic and environmental benefits.

Improve the design of low-income green housing: Architects, designers, engineers, contractors, and facility managers can gain greater understanding of design and the performance of low-income green homes with the findings of this POE project by receiving feedback for the future projects. Although the houses were LEED-certified, some problems in maintaining the green features, building performance, and comfortable home environment were identified. Architects, designers, engineers, green policy makers, and Habitat for Humanity Affiliates should pay attention to the specific needs relevant to these issues to improve the design quality of low-income green home through the process of planning, design, and construction.

Implement Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE): More extensive implementation of POEs is critical. Since LEED certification is based on “as-designed” performance, further implementation of POEs is exceptionally important to verify actual performance and expected performance. In particular, since there is no mandatory post-occupancy evaluation process included in LEED or other green home certifications, there is no empirical data to verify whether these green homes perform satisfactorily in terms of heating, cooling, or indoor environmental quality.

Contribute to the general body of knowledge: Although there is a consensus about the benefits of green homes, few empirical studies about the actual effects of LEED-certified green homes on residents’ health, comfort, and satisfaction have been conducted. The findings from this study therefore increased understanding of the benefits to be gained from LEED-certified low-income homes by applying empirically tested, research -based knowledge.

Promote public awareness: This report will educate the public about the impact of LEED-certified homes on (1) improving the residential environmental quality and energy efficiency, (2) reducing residents’ health risks and (3) enhancing residents’ comfort and satisfaction by disseminating the results of this research at conferences and by publishing articles in scholarly and extension journals.

Make a Policy Recommendation:

1) Incentives for green homes, such as LEED-certified homes, Energy Star Homes, or National Association of Home Builders’ Green certified homes, should be offered to developers, contractors, and homeowners. This will be critical for both new and existing homes located in the cold regions such as Michigan to encourage energy-efficient green home constructions for low-income families in order to offer lower utility bills.

2) Policy makers should collaborate closely with local builders and developers to apply more green home features to new or existing low-income houses. Certain types of incentives for local builders and developers are desired.

3) Post-occupancy evaluations of green certified homes should be encouraged, particularly for low-income housing. Continuous efforts should be made to save energy and keep green homes energy-efficient for these households and homeowners.

4) We suggest conducting POEs of green certified homes in five or ten years to preserve their green features and energy efficiency. Based on the POEs, the homes may or may not be repaired to keep the original functions of green features. In the POEs and repairing process, local home remodeling companies can be involved. Some incentives should be considered for the local companies or businesses to be involved in this green process if they are small or micro businesses. Tax reductions for these types of companies (i.e., energy auditors, window replacement companies) can promote small entrepreneurs working on sustainable housing projects in local communities. This can create more local jobs.

5) We suggest offering regular educational seminars for residents of green certified homes in order to offer precise information about the green features of their homes and educate them how to keep their homes green. On-site seminars can be offered one or two times in the development phase and right before the new owners take occupancy. Once residents move to their new homes, it is recommended to send flyers via mail or email to remind them of the green features of their homes and inform them of how to use and maintain these features. Mailed or emailed flyers will work better than on-site seminars because many residents have full- or part-time jobs.

6) In addition, incentives should be considered for upgrading low-income housing to make it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Currently there is a 500 dollar maximum tax credit for upgrading any housing features to make them energy-efficient. This maximum should be increased to keep up with the real cost of upgrading energy-consuming HVAC systems to energy-efficient ones. In particular, more aggressive incentives should be offered to households below a certain income level so that homeowners can be more active in upgrading their conventional houses to energy-efficient green ones.

Thanks to the Michigan Applied Public Policy Research (MAPPR) Grant from the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) and Michigan State University (MSU) who worked with to perform this Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE).

See more details on a similar LEED Pre-Occupancy Report.

Tags affordable housing, leed for homes, Post Occupancy Study, slider

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