LEED for Homes
SolAire Homebuilders is proud to showcase the first LEED Platinum Certified Home in Central Oregon:
The Vidas/Staley Residence in NW Crossing, Bend, OR.
Platinum is the highest rating level for LEED certification.
When Mary Louise (ML) Vidas and Allan Staley decided to build their new custom home with SolAire it became obvious that with Ml's design and LEED expertise and SolAire's long standing green building knowledge, a LEED Platinum rating for the new home would be acheivable. This home is a great example of the excellence that can be attained when there is true collaboration between designer/owner and the builder.
LEED for Homes is a professional, nationally recognized building certification standard that assures the best practices possible for sustainable building and design. LEED certification promotes exceptional energy efficiency of the home, lasting structural integrity and durability, reduction of the home’s carbon footprint during construction and into the future, healthy indoor air quality, and conservation of water.
The LEED for Homes Rating System measures the overall performance of a home in eight categories.
- Innovation and Design
This measure promotes opportunities for integrated, cost-effective adoption of green design and construction strategies. It is definitely the key to any successful building project striving to achieve new thresholds for energy efficiency and sustainable building practices while also being mindful of costs and aesthetics.
Mary Louise Vidas (designer), members of the SolAire team (builder) and Earth Advantage (local LEED rater) conducted several design charette meetings to assure excellence in design and green building technologies. These meetings focused primarily on technical interdisciplinary aspects of home design including passive and active solar technologies, Home Energy Rating System components (how to achieve the most energy efficient home possible), insulation and sealing of the home envelope, aesthetically pleasing interiors that are easy on the environment, landscape planning, and home durability planning. Many of the meetings included the expertise of SolAire’s subcontractors who would be installing the products included in the home’s final specifications.
- Location & Linkages
This LEED measure seeks to reduce the impact that homebuilding has on our open spaces and promote the development of neighborhoods that can sustain future daily living needs. The Vidas/Staley residence, located in an existing neighborhood, was built on an infill lot that has the utility infrastructure in place. Located in NW Crossing the home site offers many preferable community resources and public transit amenities that reduce our impact on the environment in our daily lives: walking distance to schools, banks convenience stores, medical facilities, parks, restaurants and retail stores.
- Sustainable Sites
The intent of this measure is to reduce long-term environmental damage to the building site, and promote the design of landscape features that reduce future water demand and use of synthetic chemicals. SolAire protected a ponderosa pine tree from disturbance during construction, reserved topsoil for reuse onsite, retained rock for landscaping and onsite drainage needs, and prevented water erosion of silt off the site. Pine trees that had to be removed to make room for the home were cut up and hauled away by the Deschutes Juvenile Justice at risk youth team and donated to the needy for firewood. A xeriscape landscape plan was prepared by a licensed landscape designer that outlined permanent storm water controls and onsite water retention, native plants, no irrigation and no lawn turf. Harmful chemicals will not be needed for pest controls since SolAire properly sealed the home and prepared the site for landscaping.
- Water Efficiency
The intent of this measure is to minimize outdoor and indoor municipal water use. A landscape professional designed a xeriscape plan that would require at least 60% less water than conventional irrigation systems. Use of native plants adapted to the high desert environment in Bend, Oregon was critical to this design. Inside the home water saving methods such as faucets and shower heads containing flow restrictors, dual flush toilets, and hot water recirculation system were installed.
- Energy & Atmosphere
The intent of this measure is to optimize the energy efficiency of the home long into the future of the home’s operation. The home envelope was designed for superior insulation: R-15 slab on grade foundation, R-27 walls of staggered suds on an 8” sill plate, and R-50 ceiling. All home joints and penetrations were sealed with foam prior to insulation with blown in blanket zero VOC fiberglass insulation. The entire home was wrapped with TYVEC weather wrap, window wrap, door wrap and AtticWrap™ to further seal the home from air leaks and unwanted moisture. All water pipes were insulated throughout the home to prevent hot water heat loss. All windows are low E and low U (U factor .32) high efficiency windows. The windows are strategically placed to provide abundant, year-around daylight and reduce heat gain in the summer months.
The passive solar sunroom opens into the living area and will decrease the heat demand in winter. The home design integrates passive solar principles using the proper amount of eave overhang relative to window placement & size and floor thermal mass. Such design characteristics combined with the super insulated home will also keep the home cool in summer eliminating the need for an air conditioner. Fresh air ventilation is provided by an energy recovery ventilator with a MERV 12 clean air filtration system.
A 2010 watt, photovoltaic solar electric system was installed and is expected to provide about 30% of the homeowner’s electrical needs. A solar hot water system will supply close to 80% of the energy needed to heat hot water. The home will save electricity with home appliances that are ENERGY STAR rated and lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs or LED’s. An 8-zone radiant floor heating system is powered by a 98% efficient natural gas boiler with an outdoor temperature reset. The final HERS rating for the home came in with an index of 41, meaning the home will likely be about 60% more energy efficient than a home built to American Standard Building codes. A HERS index rating of 0 would mean the home would purchase no additional energy to operate (Zero Net Energy). Estimated total annual utility costs for this home are expected to be about $1082 per year depending on the owner’s behavior and operation of the home.
- Materials & Resources
The intent of this measure is to promote efficient building practices that reduce waste of our precious natural resources and reduce embodied energy in the manufacture and transport of building products. Very detailed framing cut lists lead to just 4% surplus materials delivered to the jobsite. Standard SolAire practice is to return or recycle unused wood framing materials. Metal, plastic, sheetrock, wood and cardboard were all recycled during the building process. Several materials used for the construction and interior finish were extracted, manufactured and shipped within 500 miles of Bend, Oregon.
- Indoor Environmental Quality
The intent of this measure is to improve the indoor air quality for the occupants of the home. Standard SolAire building practices like installing an active fresh air ventilation system with a clean air filtration and Energy Recovery Ventilator, sealing all duct work, placing HVAC equipment in a conditioned space separate from the garage, and protecting exposed ductwork from dust and paints during construction, all contributed to the LEED certification of this home.
- Awareness and Education
Key to an energy efficient home is proper operation and maintenance of the heating and cooling systems. SolAire provided a homeowners manual and several instructional meetings with the owners, to assure proper use of the equipment installed in the home.
The designer and the builder have also hosted several public “show me” tours to help others understand green building practices and promote LEED for Homes. These included an DuPont AtticWrap™ demonstration, open staggered stud wall and double stud corner demonstration, proper weather wrap demonstration for windows, Architectural professionals open house, and the six-day COBA Tour of Homes™. This fall the home will be open again for the one day Green and Solar Tour hosted by 3E Strategies.
