Wash Park Green photographs © frank ooms photography
This upscale LEED for Homes Gold Certified duplex in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood incorporates numerous energy and water-saving technologies while maintaining superior indoor air quality. Through the use of a fiberglass "blown-in-blanket" cavity insulation system, coupled with rigid exterior insulation, high-performance windows and open-cell foam ceiling insulation, this house dramatically reduces heat losses through the building assembly. Further, at less than 0.01 natural air changes per hour, very little conditioned air is lost through leakage.
Because of the very "tight" construction, pre-conditioned, fresh ventilation air is provided continuously through the units’ heat recovery ventilation systems. Finally, solar thermal collectors on the roof of each unit provide no-cost, carbon-free space and water heating. With the addition of high-efficiency furnaces for those cloudy days, plus a solar photovoltaic array to offset electric demand, these duplex units are each more than 60% more efficient than a comparable, code-compliant home.
This luxury duplex has also achieved certification in the Department of Energy's Builders Challenge program and the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR and Indoor Air Package programs. In addition, this project has been featured in both Eco Home and Colorado Expressions magazine and was featured by the Department of Energy on the Builders Challenge home tour at the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance Conference in Denver.
Learn more about the high performance and green features of this home at: www.washparkgreen.com/energysystems.html.
" Without Populus, I would not have been able to achieve the efficiencies on this project that we did. David Neiger’s depth of knowledge goes beyond the simple requirements; he provides an understanding of the science and theories behind building performance - leading to a more efficient, more sustainable, and healthier building. "
