Populus Sustainable Design Consulting offers HERS rating and LEED for Homes™ consulting and training for Boulder and Denver, Colorado. » Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance

Washington Post: Energy efficiency codes mean lower utility bills, but not all builders are sold

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:16:50 +0000

Interested in energy codes? Check out this article by the Washington Post that discusses the significant effect that energy codes have in keeping housing affordable for vulnerable groups.

Jim Logan and David Neiger Discuss Challenges and Opportunities of Existing Residential and Commercial Buildings

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:51:27 +0000

On Monday evening, Jim Logan, Principal at Jim Logan Architects and David Neiger, Principal at Populus, discussed the energy efficiency opportunities and challenges presented by Boulder’s existing buildings with members of PLAN Boulder County. The panelist of experts also included Ruth McHeyser, Director of the City of Boulder’s Department of Planning and Building Services and Yael Gichon, Staff member of the City of Boulder’s Environmental Affairs Department. While the topic of the event focused on Residential and Commercial Energy Conservation Ordinances (“RECO” and “CECO”), the panelists addressed a variety of ideas to increase the efficiency of Boulder’s residential and commercial buildings.

Logan and Neiger Address Energy Efficiency of Existing Buildings

According to Yael Gichon and Ruth McHeyser at the City of Boulder, initial proposals to address residential energy efficiency will likely take the form of new efficiency requirements tied to rental permit applications, but will not include a broad-based Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance. Based on the progress made by the City of Boulder so far, it is likely that the energy efficiency measures could be considered by City Council by the end of the year. On the commercial front, the City of Boulder is still in an initial information-gathering phase.

The City of Boulder is expected to announce upcoming opportunities for public comment regarding residential energy conservation measures. We’ll keep you updated of any developments through the Populus blog.

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.

PLAN Boulder County Event Tonight: How Is Boulder Doing on the Residential and Commercial Energy Conservation Ordinances?

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:23:21 +0000

Join PLAN Boulder County for an EVENING forum
Monday, June 29, 7:00pm – TONIGHT!
Upstairs room of Sherpa’s Adventurers Restaurant & Bar, 825 Walnut Street, Boulder
Dinner and beverages will be available. Program will being at 7:p.m.. Those who want to order dinner should arrive at 6:45.

The RECO and CECO are critical parts of the City of Boulder’s Climate Action Program. To date, work on them has been slow, but now the pace is accelerating. The panel will explain the status of the work and the prospects for passage of RECO and CECO by the City Council in the near future.

Panelists:

Yael Gichon, Staff member of the City of Boulder’s Environmental Affairs Department

Jim Logan, Chair of the Climate Action Network’s (“CAN”) CECO committee

Ruth McHeyser, Director of the City of Boulder’s Department of Planning and Building Services

Dave Neiger, Chair of the Climate Action Network’s RECO committee

David Neiger to Present Regarding Residential Energy Conservation Ordinances

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:29:10 +0000

David Neiger, Principal at Populus, will serve as a panelist regarding residential energy conservation ordinances (or “RECOs”), at PLAN-Boulder County’s upcoming meeting.

The discussion will address the on-going development of residential and commercial energy conservation ordinances in the City of Boulder. The panel will also include Jim Logan of Jim Logan Architects, Yael Gichon from the City of Boulder’s Office of Environmental Affairs, and other experts in the energy conservation field.

PLAN-Boulder County describes itself as “[a] citizens’ organization that uses education, political action and public involvement to promote far-sighted and imaginative land use, so Boulder County retains its individual character and remains an attractive place to live.”