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.

Interested in learning more about ENERGY STAR?  The ENERGY STAR Summit and Awards Dinner will be held in Denver on December 9, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel at Stapleton.

Come learn about the ENERGY STAR program from local champions and ENERGY STAR leadership.  The day will provide excellent education opportunities, networking, and continuing education.  In the evening the Smart Energy Living Alliance will recognize champions of the ENERGY STAR program during an awards dinner.

Don’t Miss the Early Bird Rates — Register Now!

• 4 Educational Tracks
  • ENERGY STAR New Homes
  • Lessons from the Field — Advanced Building Science for ENERGY STAR
  • Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
  • Multi-Family Housing

• Come meet and learn from  ENERGY STAR leadership such as Sam Rashkin, National Director, ENERGY STAR for Homes at U.S. EPA
• Get local information on utility programs, Governor’s Energy Office programs, and federal incentives
• Interact with panels and provide feedback on programs affecting your business

Register, Learn More, and Nominate Award Winners

Visit Populus at the EEBA Conference Off-site Builders Challenge Home Tour sponsored by the US DOE Building America – Builders Challenge on September 28, 2009.

The tour will be led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Residential Building Technologies Team Leader, Ed Pollock, and will feature two Builders Challenge qualified homes.

The first home on the tour will be the Solar Harvest house in Boulder, Colorado by Eric Doub of Ecofutures Building.  The second featured home will be  Sean Smith and Company’s Washington Park Duplex which recently earned a 39 on the Builders Challenge E-Scale and is pending LEED for Homes Gold certification with the USGBC.

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting provided high performance consulting on the Washington Park Duplex project and performed energy modeling and verification services for both the Builders Challenge and LEED for Homes programs.  Populus will be on-site at the Washington Park Duplex during the tour to answer any of your questions regarding the high performance and green features of the home.

The bus for this tour (Tour IV) loads at 7:30 a.m. and will depart the Denver Marriott Tech Center at 8 a.m.  The bus will return to the Denver Marriott Tech Center in time for the EEBA Conference opening lunch.  This tour is limited to the first 50 attendees to register.  Learn more about the EEBA Conference Off-Site Tours and register here.

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.

David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting presented regarding high performance remodeling to the Boulder County GreenBuilding Conference at the University of Colorado on July 17th.  View the video:

David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, will be presenting regarding performance-based green building codes at the MidAtlantic Renewable Energy Association’s Pennsylvania Renewable Energy Festival.

The Future of Building Codes: Learning from Boulder, Colorado’s Energy Efficient, Green Building Codes

Municipalities throughout the world are adopting green building codes that address issues from indoor air quality to energy efficiency.  This new generation of building codes is performance-based in nature, providing flexibility to create green, energy efficient homes.  Learn  about the implementation of cutting-edge energy efficiency codes in Boulder, Colorado and how municipalities nationwide can drastically reduce home energy consumption and carbon emissions.

David will present on Saturday, September 19th at the Kempton Community Center in Kempton, PA.  The PA Renewable Energy is a three-day festival about renewable energy, natural building construction, sustainable agriculture, land-use planning, forestry and healthy living practices in general.  The festival features dynamic speakers, national exhibitors, workshops, hands-on demonstrations, vendors, live music and entertainment, children’s activities, food and more.  Learn more about the festival at www.paenergyfest.com.

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.

Populus is pleased to announce that Frank Romero and Michael Deleon (aka “Team Talud”) are headed to the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to compete nationally in the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition after taking first place in the USGBC Colorado’s competition.  David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, served as an advisor to Team Talud, providing the team with guidance and mentoring on high-performance design and building-integrated energy solutions.

David Neiger of Populus with Team Talud

Regarding the Team’s upcoming trip to compete at Greenbuild in Phoenix, Romero said it was ” just the frosting on the cake – our real goal was to design a building that will stimulate this new way of thinking about the built environment.  We hope that our design can be a model for future buildings.”  In addition, both Romero and Deleon are “very honored honored to represent Colorado and thank the USGBC and Emerging Green Builder’s Colorado for the opportunity.”

Romero and Deleon studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder together where they received their degrees in Environmental Design in Architecture.  Both are inspired by the natural world and feel that the majority of today’s issues can be solved by studying the way nature produces and reproduces organisms and ecosystems.  This approach informed the Team’s design, ultimately contributing to their success in this year’s competition.  The jury of sustainable design industry professionals, including architects and engineers, were impressed by the Team’s holistic approach to the design problems presented by the Competition.  To learn more about the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition, visit USGBC Colorado’s site here.

Team Talud's Project Focuses on Holistic Design

Denver Mayor Hickenlooper delivered the welcoming remarks at the Awards Ceremony.  “Having the Mayor attend the event was special,” said Romero, “it just goes to show you that what we are doing isn’t a fad, but its the future and we are glad to be apart of the movement.”

As the top team in the Colorado competition, Team Talud will go on to compete nationally in the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition at Greenbuild in November.  Populus is proud of the team and grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented young professionals who are dedicated to advancing sustainable design.