Looking for an introduction to municipal green building programs or energy efficiency codes?  In October of 2009, David Neiger of Populus Sustainable Design Consulting traveled to Idaho to present to the Hailey City Council and the Blaine County Board of County Commissioners regarding above-code energy programs and green building codes. The presentation is a great introduction for elected officials and municipalities to the world of green building.

Watch the full presentation on the Environmental Resource Center’s website: Creating a Green Building Program.

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.

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.

Want to learn more about building green, high-performance homes?  David Neiger of Populus Sustainable Design Consulting will be presenting at the USGBC Colorado Chapter’s Monday night REI series in February regarding high-performance homes.  For more information and how to RSVP, see the information below from USGBC Colorado regarding this upcoming event:

Please join USGBC CO Chapter for the first Monday event of 2010!!

Monday February 1, 2010

6-8pm at REI

Presenting

HOW TO BUILD AN EFFICIENT & HIGH PERFORMING HOUSE

(aka GREEN, LEED, ENERGY STAR or just BEST PRACTICES!)

This session will focus on what it takes to build a LEED certified home. Whether you are interested in building a LEED certified or ENERGY STAR qualified home or just want to understand how to build an ultra efficient home this session is for you.

Our speakers will talk about different degrees of building “green,” how to get subcontractors on board, how much more it really costs, what kind of time commitment is involved and whether it is any more difficult to build than the standard home we’ve all become accustomed to building.

Speakers are LEED gold homebuilder Sean Smith of Sean Smith & Company and David Neiger of Populus Sustainable Design Consulting.

Sean Smith, Denver builder since 2000, made his start in the renovations and additions market.  After moving to new construction, Sean discovered a lack of attention to energy efficiency in the marketplace and decided to make it his forte.  He specializes in custom homes and spec projects that are high performing. Having built two LEED for Homes Gold Certified projects in Denver, Sean has another project pending final certification. Sean’s focus has shifted to optimizing energy performance through sound cost/benefit analysis, and by stressing the need for quality control at the ground level on construction sites.  Sean’s projects have also been certified under the Department of Energy’s Builder’s Challenge, and the EPA’s ENERGY STAR programs.

David Neiger is a Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, an energy performance and green building consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado.  David holds an architecture degree from Pennsylvania State University, as well as certification as a RESNET Certified Home Energy Rater, RESNET Green Rater, BPI Certified Building Analyst, LEED AP and a LEED for Homes AP.

David has consulted on well over a hundred single and multi-family projects along the Colorado Front Range and has extensive experience managing LEED projects and working with architects and builders to achieve net-zero and above-code home performance.  As a recognized expert regarding home energy performance, David has presented to a variety of audiences and has trained municipalities, architects and builders nationally regarding green building and above-code energy performance.  David has served as a Subject Matter Expert to the USGBC in connection with its LEED for Homes program and currently acts as a Technical Advisor on the City of Boulder’s Climate Action Plan Strategy Residential Technical Team.

RESERVATIONS TO ATTEND CAN BE MADE at

http://www.usgbccolorado.org/metro/events-calendar.html

To assure a seat, please register online in advance

CAPACITY ATTENDANCE IS EXPECTED, SO RESERVE EARLY

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 has been chosen by Wonderland Hill Development Company to serve as Sustainability Consultant for its Washington Village project in Boulder, Colorado.

Washington Village is a cohousing community located in the heart of Boulder within walking distance to the Pearl Street Mall.  Cohousing communities are designed to foster stronger community ties and to promote environmental sustainability.  The Washington Village project occupies the site of the historic Washington Elementary School and will incorporate the Washington’s School historic charm while featuring thirty three private residences and a shared common house in a park-like setting.   In addition to superb community connectivity and access to public transporation, the Washington Village will incorporate green building materials with energy efficient systems to create comfortable, efficient homes.

Want to be part of the Washington Village cohousing community?  The community is currently forming – learn more on the Washington Village Boulder website.

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.

A recent American Institute of Architects (“AIA”) study highlights the national trend toward green building programs since 2007.  According to an AIA survery, more than one in five U.S. cities (with populations of more than 50,000) report having programs in place that promote green building.  This number represents a 50% increase in municipal green building programs over the last two years.  The Western and Mountain regions lead the nation in the number of green building programs per state.  Given the size of the cities with green building programs, the impact of these sustainability programs reach about 53 million people.

To find out more about these sustainability and green building initiatives throughout the nation, see the AIA’s new report, Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment, which also contains policies and recommendations to assist policymakers in advancing sustainability and green building.  You’ll also find case studies that highlight the green building programs in several cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, LA and Grand Rapids.

In light of the economic downturn during the last two years, AIA Executive Vice President / CEO, Christine McEntee, finds the results of the AIA’s survey encouraging and a sign “that cities are recognizing the economic benefits of energy-efficient buildings.”  The AIA is a prominent adopter of the 2030 Challenge and has committed to a goal of carbon neutral (zero energy) buildings by 2030, in addition to its goal that “all design projects will be sustainable as a matter of course.”

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.

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 Building Technologies Program is hosting a free webinar on green home building and Greensburg, Kansas:

DOE Webinar November 23—Greensburg: America’s Model Green Community in Their Own Words

November 12, 2009

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Program is offering a webinar on Monday, November 23, 2009, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST titled “Greensburg: America’s Model Green Community in Their Own Words.”

This webinar will provide an overview of how Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was nearly destroyed by the largest tornado on record, found new life and purpose rebuilding as “America’s model green community.” Hear from city and government leaders how decisions were made to rebuild with the largest concentration of LEED^® certified buildings in the world, and where the town is headed today.

This webinar is geared toward federal agencies, state energy offices, renewable energy and energy efficiency associations, architects, residential and commercial builders, planning firms, and homeowners. The presenters will include:

• Bob Dixson, Mayor, City of Greensburg
• Kelly Estes, President, BTI-Greensburg John Deere Dealership
• Darin Headrick, Superintendant, Greensburg Schools District USD 422
• Daniel Wallach, Executive Director, Greensburg GreenTown

This webinar is free of charge, but you must register in advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number. Learn more about the webinar.

Visit the Building Technologies Program Web site for information about research and development of technologies and practices to achieve the goal of marketable net-zero energy commercial and residential buildings.

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

Populus continues to reach out to markets across the United States to increase education and awareness regarding high performance green homes.   In the future, some of the posts from Populus’ High Performance Home Blog will be republished at  Green Building Inspector.  You can also follow Laura Hutchings’ blog posts on the Huffington Post.

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.