Want to show off that green home?  August 17, 2009 is the submission deadline for the 2009-2010 Western Home Awards.  The Awards are sponsored by Sunset magazine and the American Institute of Architects.  Architects, designers, and owners of new or newly remodeled homes from the 13 Western states are invited to submit completed designs in six categories, including a category for Green Homes.  For details on categories and how to enter, please visit Sunset.

On Thursday, July 9th, the City of Boulder’s Planning Board met and recommended the acceptance of the July 9th Staff Memo, with amendment, regarding a Compatible Development Ordinance.  The Ordinance would apply to certain residential properties in the City of Boulder and addresses “Bulk Plane,” building coverage and floor area ratio (”FAR”).  You can view the Meeting Minutes here, and can view the Summary of Planning Board Recommendations here.  The Planning Board Recommendations to City Council include a 60-day implementation period after any legislative action by Council.

Boulder City Council will meet on Tuesday, August 4th for the first reading and public hearing on the Compatible Development Ordinance.  The meeting will be held in City Council Chambers at 1777 Broadway.  The City Council is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, August 18th for the second reading on the Compatible Development Ordinance.  For more information, visit the City of Boulder’s website here.

David Neiger, Principal at Populus, presented this morning to the HBA of Northern Colorado Remodeler’s Council regarding performance-based building codes.   The presentation, which was hosted by Solarglass Window & Door at its Fort Collins location, focused on the “Future of Building Codes” and explored the rapidly growing trend away from prescriptive building code requirements to more flexible, performance-based residential energy codes.

David Neiger presents to crowded warehouse at Solarglass in Fort Collins

David, who has extensive experience helping architects and builders navigate performance-based energy codes in the City and County of Boulder, provided insight into the real world application of these codes to both new construction and remodel projects.  In addition, the presentation provided an introduction to the RESNET Home Energy Rating System (“HERS”), describing the process and method employed to create a residential energy model.

You can learn more about performance-based energy codes on the Populus website at http://www.popboulder.com/codes.php.

Populus is a Boulder-based, full-service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus is your partner in high-performance design solutions, specializing in energy efficiency codes, green building certifications and LEED for Homes™ training.  Contact Populus at news@popboulder.com.

Register Now: August 24- August 25, Steel Yards, Boulder, Colorado

Populus’ LEED for Homes training is designed to expand your knowledge of the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program or to help you study for the new LEED for Homes AP Plus exam.

Featuring:

• Hands-on learning experiences that emphasize project team roles and credit requirements
• Green Rater demonstrations
• In-depth coverage of building science and HERS rating

Class taught by David Neiger, Principal at Populus:

• B.S. Architecture, Penn State University
• RESNET Home Energy Rater
• USGBC Green Rater
• LEED AP Homes
• Served as a Subject Matter Expert to the USGBC

Registration:

• $299/person
• Includes Populus’ LEED for Homes outline, continental breakfast and lunch each day
• Contact laura@popboulder.com or 303-325-7650
• Payment: Visa, Mastercard or Discover
• Class sizes limited to 15 people

Populus is a Boulder-based, full-service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus is your partner in high-performance design solutions, specilalizing in energy efficiency codes, green building certifications and LEED for Homes training.

According to a  report released today by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (“ACEEE”) and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (“ASAP”), new Obama administration appliance energy efficiency standards could cut total U.S. electricity consumption by more than 1.9 trillion kilowatt-hours by 2030, resulting in consumer and business savings over $123 million.  The ACEEE and ASAP estimate that these new standards could play a major role in the United States’ efforts to reverse global warming by “eliminating 158 million tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, roughly the amount emitted by 63 large conventional coal-fired power plants.” Learn more by visiting the ACEEE’s press release here.