On Monday night, David Neiger of Populus Sustainable Design Consulting presented regarding high performance green homes to a sold out crowd at USGBC Colorado’s monthly Monday evening series at REI Denver.  The topic of the evening was “How to Build an Energy Efficient, Green Home.”

Neiger and Smith answer questions regarding green homes after Monday night's presentation.

Sean Smith of Sean Smith & Company presented alongside Neiger, sharing lessons learned as a LEED Gold homebuilder. In addition to discussing the the challenges and opportunities of building green homes, Smith presented data regarding the increased costs of high-performance systems.  A case study for a recent project demonstrated how a home can be built to achieve a level of energy performance that is 35% more efficient than code in a cost neutral manner (over the 30 year term of a mortgage).  When Smith added modest fuel price escalation  to the equation, the energy efficiency upgrades became cash positive, offering a healthy return on investment.

David Neiger, who has consulted on high performance green homes nationally, gave the crowd a “behind-the-scenes” look at residential energy modeling, describing how home energy performance can be measured to create a “miles per gallon” rating for a house.  In addition, he discussed the various green home building programs available to architects and builders, including USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, the EPA’s ENERGY STAR and Indoor airPLUS programs and the DOE’s Builders Challenge certification.  While these programs can offer market differentiation, they also offer tremendous value to a project team looking to employ best practices for managing durability, indoor air quality and moisture concerns, while optimizing home energy performance.

Populus presents to USGBC Colorado's first sold-out REI Monthly Monday seminar

If you’d like to learn more about LEED for Homes, David Neiger will be teaching a LEED for Homes Intensive Training over three Monday evenings in March 2010 in Boulder, Colorado.  Learn more on the Populus website.  Interested in pursuing a green certification for a project or having energy analysis performed on a proposed project?  Give Populus a call at 303-325-7650 or contact Populus by email at info@popboulder.com.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Populus will be teaching an Economics of Green Building course in Denver on Thursday, March 18, 2010 on behalf of HalfMoon Seminars.  The all-day seminar at the Denver Doubletree Hotel is designed to qualify for 7.0 HSW PDUs for Colorado Architects and qualifies for other continuing education credits as well.  The class will be taught by David Neiger and Laura Hutchings, principals at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting.  For more information, or to register, download the Economics of Green Building class brochure.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Over the holidays, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson hosted Populus Sustainable Design Consulting at its Philadelphia offices.  David Neiger, Principal at Populus, taught an Energy Design seminar for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson architects regarding high-performance home design, building science and residential energy modeling.

David Neiger of Populus with Christopher Renn and Joyce Raybuck of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is a national architecture firm that was founded in 1965 and has offices in Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco.  The firm is known for exceptional design and has received more than 410 regional, national and international awards for design.  The firm’s work is published regularly in professional journals worldwide.

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting offers a variety of workshops and seminars for architects regarding high-performance home design and how residential energy modeling can be used as a tool during the design process to improve energy performance.  Interested in learning more about Energy Design seminars for architects?  Contact Populus Sustainable Design Consulting at 303-325-7650.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.populussustainabledesign.com.

Looking for a USGBC LEED for Homes Study Guide?  They’re now available to pre-order from USGBC, visit the site here.

The USGBC’s LEED for Homes Study Guide is a perfect compliment to taking Populus Sustainable Design Consulting’s LEED for Homes Intensive Training.  We have an upcoming class scheduled in Boulder, Colorado for evenings in January 2010 – now’s the time to register!  Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive class on residential building science, green building or energy efficiency – this class has it all.

Just a reminder to all of our architects and builders that Populus Sustainable Design Consulting will be teaching its Energy Design Workshop in Denver tomorrow.  The workshop is sponsored by the City and County of Denver, the Governor’s Energy Office and the Environmental Protection Agency.   Populus’ Energy Design Workshop will familiarize participants with the HERS energy modeling process required for the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program and give architects and builders hands-on experience learning how to achieve above-code home energy performance within a budget.

Currently there are over sixty people registered for Populus’ workshop, but please contact Jack Sinclair at the City of Denver if you are interested in attending:  Jack.Sinclair@denvergov.org.  You can find more information about the workshop here.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

We are pleased to announce that Populus Sustainable Design Consulting will be teaching an ENERGY STAR for New Homes Energy Design Workshop in Denver on December 7th.  The Energy Design Workshop is sponsored by the City and County of Denver, the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and will highlight How to Achieve Above-Code Home Energy Performance within a Budget.  For more information, including how to RSVP for this free workshop, please download the Energy Design Workshop Brochure.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Want to learn more about the LEED for Homes green home certification program? Populus Sustainable Design Consulting has just scheduled a new Boulder, Colorado LEED for Homes Intensive Training in January 2010 (with a discount for BGBG members!).  If you were unable to attend our previous two-day intensive classes for scheduling reasons, there’s good news!  We’ve spread the intensive class over three evening sessions in January.

New! Monday Evening LEED for Homes Class in January

January 11th, 18th and 25th, 4 p.m to 8 p.m., Populus, 1727 Fifteenth Street, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302

Registration Fee: $230 (only $199 for BGBG Members)

For those of you who couldn’t take time off for our previous two-day intensive training classes, Populus’ January LEED for Homes Intensive Training takes place over three sessions on Monday evenings in January. Registration is limited, so sign up early!

To enroll in a training class please email laura@popboulder.com or call Populus at 303-325-7650. We will contact you to confirm your registration and to process credit card payment by telephone.

Included in the Registration Fee: LEED for Homes Intensive Training class and Populus’ LEED for Homes outline.

Who Should Attend

The class is geared toward green building professionals (especially architects and builders) interested in learning more about the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, those interested in learning green building and building science principles (especially as it relates to durability issues, indoor air quality and energy efficiency), real estate professionals who seek to understand and market green homes, as well as product manufacturers and salespeople who want to better understand how their products interact with green building certification programs.

While the class is an intensive introduction to green building and building science principles, it is also designed for those interested in studying for GBCI’s (the “Green Building Certification Institute”) LEED for Homes AP (or “Accredited Professional”) exam.

Populus’ LEED for Homes classes are taught by David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting:

• 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

Featuring

• Hands-on learning experiences that emphasize project team roles and credit requirements
• Green Rater demonstrations
• In-depth coverage of building science, including air leakage, moisture control, ventilation strategies and durability management
• Overview of RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System (or “HERS rating”), including key energy efficiency strategies
• Comprehensive coverage of green building, including materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, sustainable sites and landscaping
• Introduction to complimentary green building certification programs, including EPA’s Indoor airPLUS and ENERGY STAR for New Homes program

Join us for a free one hour workshop on designing high-performance green homes in Denver, followed by a wine and cheese networking reception.  Event will include a LEED for Homes plaque dedication by Deb Kleinman, Executive Director of the USGBC Colorado Chapter.

When: Thursday, October 22nd 6pm-8pm

Where: 233 South Washington Street, Denver, Colorado (LEED for Homes™ Gold, ENERGY STAR, Indoor Air Package and Builders Challenge Certified home)

Free Workshop Includes:

• Green features tour and building details discussion of a LEED for Homes Gold Certified Wash Park home by general contractor Sean Smith of Sean Smith & Company, LLC
• Behind-the-scenes explanation of how architects can use the Home Energy Rating System (“HERS”) as a tool to design high-performance homes by David Neiger of Populus Sustainable Design Consulting
• Overview of available green home certification programs and the benefits to architects and homeowners of certification, including: LEED for Homes (USGBC), Builders Challenge (DOE), ENERGY STAR (EPA), and Indoor airPLUS (EPA).

Continuing Education for Architects: Under the State of Colorado’s rules for continuing education for state licensure renewal, this program meets the requirements for 1.0 HSW professional development unit (HSW).

RSVP by October 18^th at http://event.pingg.com/GreenHomesDenver or to laura@popboulder.com

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Populus is pleased to announce that we’ve scheduled a LEED for Homes Intensive Training in Santa Fe, New Mexico for October 26th and October 27th, following the Santa Fe Greenbuilding Summit and Expo (Oct. 22-25).

Are you a builder or architect in Santa Fe, Albuquerque or elsewhere in New Mexico?  Then you’ve probably heard of New Mexico’s Sustainable Building Tax Credit that rewards you for building a LEED for Homes Silver Certified Home.  Under the Sustainable Building Tax Credit, a single-family or multi-family home that earns LEED for Homes Silver certification or higher and achieves a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index of 60 or lower, can earn $5 per square foot for the first 2,000 square feet and $2.50 per square foot for the next 1,000 square feet of home.  Those numbers increase dramatically for LEED for Homes Platinum Certified projects, which receive $9.00 per square foot for the first 2,000 square feet and $4.45 per square foot for the next 1,000 square feet.  That’s a tax credit of $22,450 for a LEED Platinum Certified Home in New Mexico!!!

Want to learn how you can promote greenbuilding and help your clients qualify for this tax credit by designing and building LEED Certified homes?  Populus’ LEED for Homes Intensive Training is coming to New Mexico!  The class 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 or LEED Green Associate exams.

Classes are taught by David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting:

• 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

Featuring

• Hands-on learning experiences that emphasize project team roles and credit requirements
• Green Rater demonstrations
• In-depth coverage of building science, including air leakage, moisture control, ventilation strategies and durability management
• Overview of RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System (or “HERS rating”), including key energy efficiency strategies
• Comprehensive coverage of green building, including materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, sustainable sites and landscaping
• Introduction to complimentary green building certification programs, including EPA’s Indoor airPLUS and ENERGY STAR for New Homes program

Who Should Attend

The class is geared toward green building professionals (especially architects and builders) interested in learning more about the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, those interested in learning green building and building science principles (especially as it relates to durability issues, indoor air quality and energy efficiency), real estate professionals who seek to understand and market green homes, as well as product manufacturers and salespeople who want to better understand how their products interact with green building certification programs.

While the class is an intensive introduction to green building and building science principles, it is also designed for those interested in studying for GBCI’s (the “Green Building Certification Institute”) LEED for Homes AP (or “Accredited Professional”) exam or Green Associate exams.

Registration

Included in the Registration Fee: 2-day training class, Populus’ LEED for Homes outline, continental breakfast and lunch.

Classes are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Today, Populus concluded its third LEED for Homes Intensive Training Class in Boulder, Colorado.  The class is geared toward green building professionals (especially architects and builders) interested in learning more about the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, those interested in learning green building and building science principles (especially as it relates to durability issues, indoor air quality and energy efficiency), real estate professionals who seek to understand and market green homes, as well as product manufacturers and salespeople who want to better understand how their products interact with green building certification programs.  While the class is an intensive introduction to green building and building science principles, it is also designed for those interested in studying for GBCI’s (the “Green Building Certification Institute”)  LEED for Homes AP (or “Accredited Professional”) exam or Green Associate exams.

David Neiger Teaches Indoor Air Quality and Building Science Principles at Populus' LEED for Homes Class

Populus’ next LEED for Homes Intensive Training Class is scheduled for October 1st and 2nd in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the Marvin Design Gallery by SolarGlass.

Populus is in the process of scheduling our next class in Colorado and will be releasing more details in the near future.  If you live in Boulder or Denver, or elsewhere in Colorado, and have an interest in our LEED for Homes Intensive Training Class, please email Laura Hutchings at Populus (laura@popboulder.com) and we will add you to our interest list and notify you when the next class is scheduled.

For organizations who are interested in scheduling a green building LEED for Homes educational event at their offices, please contact Populus at 303-325-7650.  We offer our intensive training nation-wide and will work with you to tailor our green building educational program to meet the goals of your organization.  Oftentimes this option will be more affordable than sending numerous individual attendees to our LEED for Homes Intensive Training.

Populus has experience training corporate sales teams, municipalities, real estate professionals, architects and builders regarding green building and building science principles, indoor air quality, energy efficiency (including an in-depth explanation of the Home Energy Rating System (aka “HERS Rating”)), and green building materials.  Populus seeks to empower the green building industry with the information required to create healthy, high-performance (whether its ENERGY STAR or Net Zero) green homes.

Populus also has experience consulting with municipalities nationwide regarding performance-based energy codes.  We can tailor our training and consulting services to effectively educate municipalities, code officials and industry stakeholders about the implementation of progressive energy efficiency codes.

If you’re interested in learning how Populus can provide green building education and in-depth coverage of the LEED for Homes program or RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System, contact Laura Hutchings at laura@popboulder.com to find out more.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.