More examples of good work for a good cause

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=18850

 

This is a nice tie into the work that ADi is doing with FONHOH.

 

 

Mission Zero House: A Net-Zero Retrofit

A rehab project in Ann Arbor turns a house in a historic district into America's oldest net-zero residence

Tropical Trailer

Modular, Off-Grid 'House Arc' Comes As Flat Pack - It's Also Disaster-Resistant

Clyfford Still Museum

Clyfford Still Museum is a Light-Filled Dedication to the Work of One Denver Artist

Urban Depavers Return Parking Lots to Paradise

http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/urban-depavers-return-parking-lot-land-nature.html

Promoting Passivhaus in Bulgaria

Massachusetts architect Guergana Barbonkova has launched a design competition for a single-family Passivhaus project in Sofia, Bulgaria

True Zero Net Energy Vermont House

This home is an inspiring example of zero net energy design -- it was designed and built with the health of our planet in mind! Not only is it a net zero user of energy, it is an energy producer.

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2009/05/passive-solar-zero-net-energy-charlotte-vermont-house.html

The Stretch Code and HERS Ratings

The above map shows only 46 Massachusetts municipalities that had adopted the Stretch Code as of September 8, 2010, but that's old news.

Now over 100 Massachusetts municipalities have adopted the Stretch Code, and that means that any new construction project built in such a municipality will need to have a HERS rating. For more information on the HERS Index and what a HERS rating is, please see our post below.

The Center for Eco Technology, a local certified Home Energy Rating organization, pointed out in their recent newsletter that many building inspectors will require the builder to submit the preliminary HERS rating at the time of permitting.

Generally speaking, this is a step in the right direction for homes to be designed and constructed in a more energy-efficient way. With the homes using less energy, they will be more environmentally-friendly and this will also ultimately save homeowners money on their utility bills.

HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index

The above scale is called the HERS Index. This Home Energy Rating Systems Index is a useful tool for comparing the energy efficiency of different homes, although it is not without its shortcomings.

What is the HERS Index?

The HERS Index was created by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). As RESNET's website explains, the HERS Index is a scoring system in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a zero net energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home's score, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in the energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient.

At Austin Design, in recent years we have designed and built homes ranging from a HERS Index of 53 to a HERS Index of 8. In other words, these homes are 47% - 92% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home (or, a standard home built to code, which is the same thing).

Why is the HERS Index controversial?

The link below offers an interesting forum discussion on the pro's and con's of the HERS Index:

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/community/forum/energy-efficiency-and-durability/14558/problems-hers-rating-system

Among the chief complaints of those pointing out the weaknesses of the HERS Index are that it does not take occupant behavior into account (which can dramatically affect the energy usage of a home).

Another issue arises with the accuracy of the software used to generate the HERS Index of a home. At least one of the two accredited software tools used to generate a HERS Index lacks data input to account for differences in the geometric shapes of two homes being compared. As folks know, a simply-designed home with fewer corners and less exterior surface area will perform better energy-wise than a home of relatively equal size and square footage that has a more complicated design with a greater number of corners and greater exterior surface area.

We enjoyed reading the above discussion and hope you will find it interesting too.

Stretch Code Town Map

The Patrick-Murray Administration Announces over 100 Massachusetts Municipalities have Adopted Nation-Leading Energy-Efficient Building Code Requirements.

Click the link below to check out the map of the communities that have adopted the "Stretch Code":

http://www.mass.gov/eea/pr-2011/communities-adopted-ee-building-code-requirements.html

Massachusetts Ranked First in the Nation for Energy Efficiency

Massachusetts has been named number one in the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) annual state-by-state energy efficiency scorecard.

http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases/2011/111020-energy-efficiency.html

Highly Accessible

This Seattle project inspires us as we prepare to market our own strengths in Universal Design, ADA/Section 504 compliance, and accessibility planning for individual residences, commercial spaces, and public town spaces.

http://www.dwell.com/articles/Highly-Accessible.html