Populus is pleased to announce that David Neiger, Principal at Populus, will be presenting at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Building America Residential Energy Efficiency Summit in Denver, Colorado next week.  The Summit will be attended by residential energy efficiency experts and Building America Technical Teams from across the nation.  The focus of the Summit is to present the latest findings in the area of residential energy efficiency research and outreach activities, and to create a discussion forum for gaps, barriers, and solutions to advance energy efficiency in our nation’s housing stock.

Neiger will be presenting alongside Craig Christensen of NREL and Peter Engelmann and Kurt Hoff of Fraunhofer CSE.  The panel will explore the differences in utility bill data versus simulations (or energy models) for existing homes.  As part of the panel, Neiger will present regarding energy simulations for existing homes including challenges for data collection and addressing the limitations of energy model simulation tools for modeling conditions assessed in existing homes.  Neiger has had extensive experience at Populus conducting research on effective retrofit strategies and providing technical assistance to contractors in the existing home energy retrofit industry.

The presentations at the Summit will be available through a live streaming webinar.  Check the Populus blog next week for a link to the live feed when it becomes available.

Populus is the only RESNET Accredited Home Energy Rating Provider based in Boulder, Colorado.  While we are a local company, the scope our residential and municipal energy consulting is nationwide.  At Populus, we specialize in high-performance and zero-energy residential projects, municipal energy efficiency programs and building science education.  Populus walks architects and builders through the requirements of energy codes and green home certification programs, providing HERS ratings, energy consulting and third-party verification services.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

What impact does window selection have on energy efficiency and sustainability?  What factors influence the energy performance of windows?  Populus Sustainable Design Consulting and SolarGlass Window & Door presented on these issues at last year’s USGBC Colorado Sustainability Conference.  Here is a description of that presentation:

The session will explain the implication of the DOE’s pending 2009 Energy Star changes for high altitude markets and review the product design responses planned by leading manufacturers.  Additionally, the session will discuss the interplay of the following factors on building envelop efficiency, sustainability, and occupant comfort: glazing to floor area ratios, dispersion of windows by elevation, glazing alternatives, frame materials, the often overlooked importance of quality installation

Attendees will come away with an understanding of what design elements should be given priority when developing a window solution for a given project, as well as the trade-offs associated with aesthetic, performance, and price considerations.

Included in the presentation will be an overview of the growing importance of performance-based measurements of building envelop efficiency (e.g.; Resnet’s Home Energy Rater modeling software) and how windows impact the HERS score.

USGBC Colorado has recently posted Populus & SolarGlass’s “Sustainable Window Selection” presentation on its website.  Of particular interest, on page 11 of the presentation, you will find a graph which demonstrates the specific concerns and trade-offs related to window selection for various ranges of desired HERS Index Scores.  Pages 13-18 contain a case study which analyzes the interaction of window selection and mechanical systems as it relates to home energy performance.

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.

The Department of Energy came to Denver this week, promoting its Builders Challenge initiative, which seeks to promote affordable, zero energy homes for all Americans by 2030.  Ed Pollock, the Residential Team Leader for the U.S. Department of Energy hosted the Builders Challenge tour at the EEBA Conference which featured two homes, including Sean Smith & Co.’s Wash Park Green LEED Certified Duplex in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood and Ecofuture’s Solar Harvest House in Boulder.

Ed Pollock of the U.S. Department of Energy promotes the Builders Challenge alongside David Neiger and Laura Hutchings of Populus and Sean Smith of Sean Smith & Company (seen here in Builders Challenge-inspired t-shirts)

David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, led the EEBA conference tour through the high-performance energy features of the Wash Park duplex, which scored a 37 on the Builders Challenge E-Scale.  The E-Scale, which is a “miles per gallon” type rating for a home, is tied to the Home Energy Rating System Index Score, and denotes how the home performs compared to a typical home built to code.  A home must score below a 70 on the Builders Challenge E-Scale to be eligible for certification under the Department of Energy’s program.  In addition, the Builders Challenge program requires the implementation of greenbuilding best practices which address indoor air quality and durability management.

Following the Builders Challenge Tour, the Populus team joined Ed Pollock, Sean Smith, Eric Doub of Ecofutures and Tom Wade of Artistic Homes at a panel discussion focusing on zero energy homes and the goals of the Builders Challenge / Building America program.  Mr. Pollock began the panel presentation by discussing the Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge goal of an affordable zero energy home (or “Net Zero”) for all Americans by the year 2030.  In order to achieve these substantial increases in residential energy efficiency, it is essential that the building industry highlight the operational savings of a zero energy home, rather than merely focusing on the first costs of high-performance home features.

David Neiger of Populus presents to a group of industry professionals at the Department of Energy Builders Challenge EEBA Conference Home Tour

To date, the Builders Challenge program has certified a total of 1800 homes, with six homes scoring net zero or better on the E-Scale and with an average E-Scale score of 63.  While this represents only a tiny fraction of the homes built in the United States each year, the high-performance energy features of these 1800 homes results in an average cost savings of $1.6 million per year.

If you are a builder, developer or architect and would like to learn how you can pursue Builders Challenge certification for your next project, contact Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, a Partner in the Builders Challenge program, and we’ll walk you through the program requirements and the steps to certification.  Unlike some green home certification programs, there is no fee for registering your project in the Builders Challenge program, although there are costs associated with the third-party verification and energy rating that is required under the program.  In some cases, building an above-code performing home can qualify you for substantial rebates, incentives or tax credits.

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.

Interested in learning more about green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy?  The Center for Resource Conservation (“CRC”) has announced that its Solar Week Seminars that start today will be free.  From the CRC:

We have decided to remove the barrier of entry to our Solar Week Seminars, since we want to enrich as many people as possible with information on how to become more sustainable at home.

Please invite your colleagues, customers, prospects, and friends to these events. They are now FREE!!! No need to send me names of your complimentary guests, since they will not have to check in.

Here is the list of seminars (date, topic, location):

• Mon, 9/28, Homeowner’s Have the “Power” on Boulder’s Path Toward Sustainability, CRC
• Tue, 9/29, Sustainable Landscaping for Your Green Home, CRC
• Tue, 9/29, The Energy-Water Nexus in Your Home, Longmont Library
• Wed, 9/30, Seven Residential Green Building Case Studies, CRC
• Wed, 9/30, Weatherization:  The First Step to Energy Efficiency, Louisville Library
• Thu, 10/1, The Future of Renewable Energy Technology, REI
• Thu, 10/1, Steps to Going Solar, Longmont Library

You can read summaries of each seminar here: http://www.conservationcenter.org/e_solarweek_workshops_select.html

Sean Smith & Co.’s Wash Park luxury duplex was recently featured as a case study in Eco Home Magazine.

LEED for Homes Gold Wash Park Duplex by Sean Smith & Company (photo copyright Ooms Photography)

This high-performance, green home pursued various green home certifications and was recently awarded LEED for Homes Gold Certification by the USGBC and Builders Challenge Certification by the Department of Energy.  The home is also labeled under the EPA’s Indoor Air Package (now called “Indoor airPLUS“) and Energy Star programs.

In addition, the home will be featured in the upcoming EEBA Conference Builder’s Challenge Tour on September 28th, led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Residential Building Technologies Team Leader, Ed Pollock.

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting provided consulting services, HERS rating / energy modeling and LEED for Homes™ Green Rater services for this upscale duplex in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood.  The project, including its high-performance features, was also recently profiled in Colorado Expression magazine in the article, “Greened to Perfection.”

Look for more energy efficient, sustainably built, green homes from Sean Smith & Company in the future.

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.