Photovoltaic Systems

Archive for the ‘LEED’ Category

I recently noticed this time-lapse video of C3, the first, green, modular home in Chicago, so I decided it was time to update our coverage of the project.  The five-module home was designed by Square Root Architecture + Design, and general contractor Helios Design + Build ensured a smooth assembly in one day on November 9, 2010.  After some site work, the owners are now finishing the landscaping for final images.  But we have some early photos of the completed home.

C3 is clad in a combination of reclaimed barn wood, fiber cement board, and corrugated metal. Below that, there’s a well-insulated shell that will help contribute to overall estimated energy savings of 50% (when compared to a typical home).

Green elements of this single-family home include Energy Star appliances, WaterSense fixtures, a mini-split HVAC system, high performance windows, FSC-certified wood framing, low-VOC finishes, natural hickory and cork flooring, two large solar thermal panels, and six 50-gallon rain barrels to collect rainwater.

The 2,000 square-foot modern home has four bedrooms and a vegetated roof and deck.  The project team is pursuing both Energy Star and LEED Platinum certification.

[+] More info on the C3 Modular project in Chicago.

Credits: Square Root Architecture + Design.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. C3 Modular House Going Up in Chicago
2. Luxe Modular Home for the Wine Country
3. HGTV Green Home Earns LEED Platinum

There’s some interesting history to this net-zero energy home in Lenado, Colorado.  Apparently, a “cranky,” gun-totting squatter named Jack Hogue, or “Lumber Jack,” built a cabin and bathhouse near the top of Woody Creek and took title by adverse possession in the 1990s, after 17 years.  Branden Cohen and Deva Shantay of True Nature Healing Arts bought the place from Lumber Jack and improved it, but at 8,650 feet in elevation, it turns out they needed, among other things, a bathroom *in* the home, not out.

So the owners hired Green Line Architects to design a new home – still off-grid and solar-powered like the previous one – to be more reliable, efficient, and comfortable. Eventually, the cabin and bathhouse were deconstructed and some things like cotton insulation, bronze door hardware, and CFL fixtures ended up in the new home.

Like The Power Haus, the NZE Mountain Cabin received a negative HERS, which in this case was -5, making it 105% more efficient than a home built to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code. There is likely only one other home in the state with a lower HERS index, according to a statement by Green Line Architects, but this is indeed one of the most energy-efficient properties in the area.

Anticipating LEED-H Gold certification, the home was built with triple-pane windows (with a U-value of 0.117) and SIPs to have R40 walls and an R60 roof. Interior tests show 0.10 air changes per hour indicating an extremely airtight and sealed building shell. To keep the mountain cabin properly ventilated, there are two heat recovery ventilators, or HRVs, that deliver fresh air that is warmed in a heat exchanger by outgoing exhaust air.

To save energy on lighting, more than 90% of the interior lights are LEDs, while the remaining are compact and linear fluorescents. Also, the 2,000 square-foot home was finished in low toxicity and natural products and FSC-certified wood materials. Specifically, the interior has earthen clay plaster walls by Laura Bartels of GreenWeaver, Inc. and locally-made custom furniture by David Rasmussen Design.

The property already had two solar arrays on sun trackers, but one more was added to generate all necessary electricity, except for a backup generator that runs during extended periods of cloud, rain, or snow. Plus, a ground-mounted array of eight large solar hot water panels is connected to a storage tank and high-efficiency boiler for space heating and domestic hot water.

All in all, the NZE Mountain Cabin is traditionally detailed, smaller than the average American home, and produces the same amount of energy as it uses over the course of a year. The project team included Steven A. Novy of Green Line Architects, project manager Jeff Dahl (now with Carbondale Beerworks), project manager Dennis Powell (now with DK Architects), builder David Rasmussen Design, and all the other pros listed here.

I first learned about NZE Mountain Cabin through our new green home submission form.  If you have a great green home project or renovation, feel free to submit it to the editors for potential publication.

[+] More info about this off-grid home in Lenado, Colorado.

Photo credits: Green Line Architects, Brent Moss Photography (exteriors).

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Traditional NZE Home in Connecticut
2. Off-Grid Prefab Home on Cusabo Island
3. Near NZE Morning Sun Home in Oregon

Santa Monica-based LivingHomes is doing great things with factory-built homes designed by elite architects. They built the first LEED Platinum home in the country and have since certified about 8 more Platinum-level prefabs in various places. Not satisfied with only single family homes, the company has been working on this 3-unit multifamily project in Los Altos, which is also shooting for Platinum certification.

This is the first multifamily project by Ray Kappe, FAIA.  It’s not the first multifamily project for LivingHomes which completed Belles Townhomes, a project designed by KieranTimberlake, in San Francisco in 2010.

Los Altos LivingHome has three units and one of them is an affordable studio with one bedroom, one bath, and 540 square feet.  Of the other two, one has three bedrooms, three baths, a 380 square-foot deck, and 1,594 square feet, while the other has three bedrooms, three baths, a 186 square-foot deck, and 1,695 square feet.

The building was assembled with a total of eight modules constructed by Irontown Homes in Spanish Fork, Utah.

LivingHomes‘ modules left the factory about 94% complete with windows, doors, and appliances installed and ready for living, according to Los Altos Patch.  All of the homes have an open layout and a private garden.

Credits: LivingHomes.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. New LEED LivingHome for Los Altos
2. First Platinum Multifamily Homes in SFC
3. LivingHomes Now Available Nationally!

The ‘Power Haus’ by Josh Wynne Construction in Sarasota, Florida has achieved the lowest HERS rating on record in the U.S., a negative 22, with an elegant, well-crafted design. Earning 118 LEED points the home is just shy of also becoming the highest scoring LEED home in the country by 1.5 points to the Helenowski Residence in Chicago, which holds the highest known score at 119.5.

With a negative HERS score, the Power Haus is producing more energy than it consumes on a yearly net basis.  The home has a 14.2 kW Uni-Solar Flex-Lite amorphous silica (peel and stick) array to bring it into so-called climate positive territory. Not considering the solar, Power Haus would still achieve a 42 HERS index which is noteworthy in and of itself. They were able to achieve such energy savings through a variety of passive and technological applications.

Power Haus is carefully situated within large existing trees, of which shadow lines were studied in conjunction with large 4’ eaves to provide protection from the Florida sun.  Importance was paid to the ability to open the home to the outdoors and capture the westerly breeze.

To assist in the natural ventilation the house is equipped with ceiling fans, including one 8’ in diameter in the great room, and large expanses of operable windows and doors.  An independent dehumidification was installed to counter the Florida humidity and increase the number of natural ventilation days.

The building envelop is a standard CMU construction wall type with foam insulation filled within the open cells of the CMU block (R-15) and VR-Plus II permeable radiant barrier (R-7.2) to fight against thermal bridging.  Closed cell bio-based R-30 spray foam insulation was applied exterior of the moisture barrier to allow for the elegant interior tongue and groove ceiling and glu-lam beams.

With durability an important goal the builder pursued impact resistant, low-e, argon filled windows from Jeld Wen with a 0.3 SHGC and 0.19 U-value.

Technological applications include 21 SEER Carrier Infinity HVAC system, Eternal gas tankless hybrid water heater, Energy Star appliances and 100% LED lighting.  Power Haus is fully automated with real-time energy production and lighting controls available on an iPad or iPhone through Elan Home Systems.  In addition to energy efficiency, the home shows a commitment to sustainability with polished concrete floors, clay wall finish, and reclaimed cypress or FSC wood throughout the house.

Outside the green home, landscape irrigation is eliminated through the use of a native and drought tolerant plant palate.  Rainwater is captured from 100% of the roof area and feeds a 6,000 cistern for future use interior (once the code catches up and allows filtered rainwater at the tap) and is currently used within the horse stables.  Interior water use is reduced through low-flow fixtures and dual-flush toilets fed with greywater.

Josh Wynne has a great history of producing sustainable homes, previously designing and constructing the former highest scoring LEED home, Codding Cottage.  However, it is not about scoring LEED points, Josh stated, but about setting strong environmental goals and delivering a quality product.  ‘Price Up’ next for Josh Wynne Construction is a new construction home with a -50 HERS Index — stay tuned for updates.

It should be noted that The Power Haus also scored the highest rating possible through NAHB Green (Emerald) and Florida Green Building Coalition (Platinum), in addition to LEED Platinum certification.

Photo Credit:  Matt McCourney.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. USGBC Launches New Home Scoring Tool
2. Audits, Loans, and a Home Energy Score
3. Craftsman Style Platinum in Tallahassee