EarthsaversO2 Home Energy Specialists

Posts Tagged ‘energy efficiency’

Real Estate by Lisa Scherzer (Author Archive)

Consider an Energy-Efficient Mortgage

Would you sign up for a mortgage that qualifies you for a bigger loan with less income and makes the world a greener place?

You might be able to through an energy-efficient mortgage, or EEM, the government loan granted to borrowers who build or upgrade their homes with energy-efficient features. The problem is most consumers either don’t know about the program, which has been around since the early 1990s, or they aren’t taking advantage of it.

Enter the Obama administration. Hoping to push home buyers and owners to act greener, the president is funneling about $50 million to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to jumpstart the EEM program. In December, he signed the fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill for a number of federal agencies, including HUD, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Labor – all devoted to clean energy efforts.

What does the new funding mean for home buyers and owners? Not much detail has been released yet; HUD and the Department of Energy (DOE) are still determining how best to position this product so more people take advantage of it, a HUD spokesman says.

One thing the department says it is aiming for is a more streamlined process of obtaining an energy-efficient mortgage – both financially and logistically. The existing program is perceived as complicated and inaccessible. Now, HUD and the DOE are trying to come up with an easier-to-access and less expensive model, says Michael Wolfe, executive director of Energy Programs Consortium, a nonprofit policy group, which is pilot testing an Energy Star mortgage program in several states.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Fannie Mae and the Department of Veterans Affairs all have some version of an energy-efficient mortgage. (There are some differences between the various loans, but the basic ideas are the same.)

Read more: Consider an Energy-Efficient Mortgage at SmartMoney.com http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/Real-Estate/Should-You-Consider-an-Energy-Efficient-Mortgage/?cid=1228#ixzz0hCD20GDu

Are you Remodeling or Adding-On to Your Home? If so our Home Performance with Energy Star evaluation/inspection is for you!

The Idaho Office Of Energy Resources offers a five-year loan at a low 4% interest for the Home Performance With Energy Star program.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Inspection - Guarantees the Five (5) required elements to insure that your home meets ENERGY STAR specifications.

 Homeowner-Builder-Remodeler-

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® is a national program designed to help homeowners make their existing home more energy efficient and bring their home up to ENERGY STAR performance standards for:

1. Comfort

2. Safety

3. Health

4. Durability

5. Energy Efficiency

A Home Performance Specialist (EARTHSAVERSO2) certified by the Office of Energy Resources can diagnostically evaluate and pre-test your home for targeting improvements of greater impact and profit that can often be made during a remodel / addition at a substantial reduction in cost increasing the efficiency and value of your home.

After all ENERGY STAR improvements are completed for the remodel a post-test by the HPS will guarantee that the improvements specified by the pre-test were satisfactorily achieved during the remodel. The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR certification process guarantees performance from your home as intended to provide comfort, safety, healthfulness, durability and energy efficiency for you and your family.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT EARTHSAVERSO2 AT 208-743-2132

 

Serving: Lewiston, Clarkston, Pullman, Moscow & Surrounding areas/Idaho/Washington

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Bellow are good reasons why to have a home inspection done.

Common Home Problems and Solutions

Courtesy of www.energystar.gov

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:                                  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 (202) 586-4940                                                           Monday, October 19, 2009

 Vice President Biden Unveils Report Focused on Expanding Green Jobs And Energy Savings For Middle Class Families

  - Vice President Biden today unveiled Recovery Through Retrofit, a report that builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green job opportunities and boost energy savings by making homes more energy efficient.  Joining the Vice President today were Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor; Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

  At a Middle Class Task Force meeting earlier this year, the Vice President asked the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to develop a proposal for Federal action to lay the groundwork for a self-sustaining home energy efficiency retrofit industry. In response, CEQ facilitated a broad interagency process with the Office of the Vice President, eleven Departments and Agencies and six White House Offices to develop recommendations for how to use existing authority and funding to accomplish this goal.  These recommendations are described in detail in the Recovery Through Retrofit Report. 

 “Recovery Through Retrofit is a blueprint that will create good green jobs – jobs that can’t be outsourced, and jobs that will be the cornerstones of a 21st-Century economy,” said Vice President Biden.

 “And, thanks to the Recovery Act’s unprecedented investments in energy efficiency, we are making it easier for American families to retrofit their homes – helping them save money while reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier environment for our families.”

 “This report builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green job and business opportunities for the middle class while ensuring that the energy efficiency market will thrive for years to come,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

 “An aggressive program to retrofit American homes and businesses will create more work, more savings, and better health for middle class Americans.”

 Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home and lower total associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually.  Retrofitting existing homes also has the potential to cut home energy bills by $21 billion annually.  Yet, despite the real energy cost savings and environmental benefits associated with improving home energy efficiency, a series of barriers have prevented a self-sustaining retrofit market from forming.  These barriers include a lack of access to information, financing and skilled workers. 

 The recommendations and actions in this Report have been carefully designed to help overcome these barriers and to leverage Recovery Act funding to help ensure that the energy efficiency market will thrive long after the Recovery Act money is fully spent.  

 Some recommendations in the report include:

 *        Provide American Homeowners with Straightforward and Reliable

Home Energy Retrofit Information:  Consumers need consistent, accessible, and trusted information that provides a reliable benchmark of energy efficiency and sound estimates of the costs and benefits of home energy retrofits.  

 *        Reduce High Upfront Costs, Making Energy Retrofits More

 Accessible:  Access to retrofit financing should be more transparent, more accessible, repayable over a longer time period, and more consumer-friendly. 

 *        Establish National Workforce Certifications and Training

 Standards:  A uniform set of national standards to qualify energy efficiency and retrofit workers and industry training providers will establish the foundation of consumer confidence that work will be completed correctly and produce the expected energy savings and benefits.  Such standards should incorporate healthy and environmentally friendly housing principles, as outlined in the report titled, the Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Promote Healthy Homes (2009).

 Proper certification and training standards will ensure that retrofitted homes are healthy homes.  Consistent high-level national standards will spur the utilization of qualified training providers that offer career-track programs for people of all skill levels, promote and expand green jobs opportunities and facilitate the mobilization of a national home retrofit workforce.

 To read the full report and recommendations, please go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Recovery_Through_Retrofit_Final_Report.pdf 

 “As Secretary of Labor I’m working to help build the clean energy economy of tomorrow by investing in our workers today,” said Secretary Solis “Training for green jobs can empower workers to climb the career ladder, sustain a family and provide a secure retirement. Through Recovery through Retrofit, we’re committing to meet the needs of workers, employers and homeowners, so we can shape our clean energy future into one that supports working families and is inclusive of the diversity of our nation.”

 “I am proud to join my colleagues today in announcing Recovery through Retrofit,” said Secretary Donovan. “It will allow us to work closely together to remove barriers to creating more energy efficient homes for American families.  This initiative will not only lead to cost savings for homeowners and reduce negative environmental impact, but will also be a powerful vehicle for economic recovery by creating quality middle class jobs and lasting neighborhood benefits. This is another demonstration of HUD’s commitment to creating jobs for the new economy in high growth industries by encouraging and investing in “green” building and energy retrofits.”

 “This initiative will not only result in considerable cost savings for homeowners on their energy bills, but also put resources in the hands of green sector small businesses who will in turn create good-paying jobs in communities across the country,” said SBA Administrator Mills.

 EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who was unable to attend this event due to travel added, “This is the Recovery Act at work.  Communities will benefit from good jobs, families will benefit from lower energy bills, and we will all benefit from reduced air pollution and a growing green economy. Our Energy Star program can help families cut up to 30% off their energy bills — saving the average household more than $700 a year through efficiency investments.  EPA is proud to be working with all of our partners to help people save money when they need it the most, and build a new foundation for prosperity through a growing green economy.”

 The Department of Energy today also announced $454 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for energy efficiency efforts nationwide.

 The Department is now accepting applications for a new $390 million “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program that will deploy innovative approaches to energy efficiency building retrofits. These Recovery Act funds will help create new partnerships to deliver energy bill savings to entire neighborhoods and towns.  Bringing energy retrofits to whole neighborhoods at a time will simplify the process for homeowners and significantly reduce costs. When applied on a national scale, the program could save billions of dollars annually in utility bills for households and businesses and create thousands of jobs across the country. In addition, the Energy Department announced $64 million in energy efficiency funding for cities, counties, and Indian tribes.

 “The Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative is designed to slice through the barriers identified in this report – inconvenience, lack of information, and lack of financing – and to make energy efficiency easy and accessible to all,” said Secretary Chu.  “We want to make our communities more energy efficient, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood — eventually expanding to entire cities and states.  We can literally bring energy efficiency to the doorsteps of the American people.”

 Separately, the Department of Energy will accept state proposals to use State Energy Grant or Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant funds for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) pilots.  This is an innovative model which allows communities to provide financing to homeowners to install renewable energy systems and retrofit buildings that can be paid off over time on their property tax bills.  Today, the White House is announcing a “Policy Framework for PACE Financing Programs” developed through an interagency process to ensure that effective homeowner and lender safeguards are included in PACE programs.

 

 

-DOE-

Legislation Introduced in Senate to Extend Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives and Create Incentives to Having Home Energy Ratings and Certification to Conduct Home Energy Ratings -The $2,000 tax credit for energy efficient homes will expire on January 1, 2010 unless extended by Congress . Bi-partisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to extend the $2,000 credit to December 31, 2012 and create a $5,000 credit for homes that use 50% less whole house energy than the 2004 IECC (50 HERS Index). The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

 In addition, the legislation:

•  Creates a $200 tax credit for the cost of a home energy rating
•  Creates a $500 tax credit for the cost of training and certifying home performance auditors to conduct home energy ratings
• Increases the amount of the tax incentive for commercial buildings to $3.00 per square foothttp://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s1637is.txt.pdf to download the legislation. It is critical that your voice is heard in Washington. Contact your state’s Senators and urge to support legislation to extend the tax credit for energy efficient homes. RESNET Joins United Nations in Call for Action on Buildings and Climate Change The Kyoto Climate Change Protocol gave the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) the responsibility for facilitating the negotiations for the successor to the international climate treaty which is set to expire in 2011. One of the failings of the protocol was that it did not inadequately effect building energy performance. The United Nations is in the process of negotiating the successor treaty to Kyoto. It is expected that the U.S., China and India will be the parties of the next treaty, The SBCI has issued a call for action for the industry to support efforts to include building energy performance in the international climate treaty.  The call for action finds:
  •   Building have the greatest potential for delivering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cuts, at the least cost, using available and mature technologies.  
  • Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of global energy use and up to 30% of global GHG emissions.
  • Countries must support the building industry to meet their existing commitments to Kyoto Protocol and to the Bali Roadmap.
  • The building industry can deliver significant cost savings and improvements in energy and resource use. It can also create jobs and improve local economies.

   It calls for Copenhagen’s climate change framework to:

  •  Recognizing buildings as a top priority for achieving GHG emissions reductions.
  • Enable market-based measures that can support investment in building projects that are energy efficient and reduce GHG emissions. 
  • Building capacity and transfer technology to enable improvements in energy efficiency of buildings.
  • Supporting reform of flexible mechanisms to encourage investment in projects that improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from new and existing buildings.
  • For the UNFCCC to establish working groups to develop specific measures for the building industry prior to the next commitment period.
  • Encourage governments to inventory and set performance goals for GHG emissions from national building stocks.

   

  RESNET supports the call for action and urges the U.S. negotiating team to the climate talks to adopt the principals contained in the call. The SBCI has produced a PDF version of the call to action on buildings and climate change.  It is posted on the RESNET web site at www.resnet.us/UNEP-SBCI-Call_to_Action.pdf  The RESNET network is urged to download the call for action and share it with their partners, peers and allies.

   By working together, the building performance industry can influence the process and make improved building performance a key element in the international treaty.

   Reminder:  October 31, 2009 is Deadline for Voting for Sessions to be Offered at the 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference

   RESNET’s goal is to make the annual RESNET conference a memorable learning experience for attendees. To be a success in 2010, RESNET needs your input. The RESNET network has nominated sessions that it would like to see offered at the 2009 RESNET Conference. The growing interest in the RESNET Building Performance Conference is reflected in the record number, diversity and quality of sessions that have been nominated to be offered in 2010.

   

   

   

   

   You are invited to vote on the sessions that you would like to see offered at the break-out session of the 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference.

   RESNET has posted a description of sessions nominated to be offered at the 2010 RESNET Conference. To view the sessions that have been nominated and to vote click on http://www.resnet.us/conference/2010/session-nominations.htm

   RESNET Message on Energy Labeling and Energy Billing Analysis

   

   

   Discussions of building labels worldwide have pointed out the difference between “asset value” labels, which are based on how a building performs at standard operating conditions and “operational value” labels, which are based on measurements of energy consumption using the operating conditions that are in use at a particular time. Most products, such as cars or appliances, are rated using asset value labels with a standardized operational component—for example, cars are rating by EPA miles per gallon (mpg) but are not resold based on the mpg that the seller actually obtained. But for buildings, analysts generally recognize that both results are useful. These two types of labels are very distinct and different ways of characterizing energy use, with different purposes. There have been much discussion and some misinformation on this subject. RESNET has posted a message on this critical issue at http://www.resnet.us/hotnews/2009-09-04-EnergyLabeling_and_EnergyBillingAnalysis.pdf

  RESNET is now on Facebook!

   You can now receive RESNET and energy efficiency news updates right on your Facebook page! 

   It is easy to plug into RESNET’s Facebook page:

  (1)    Simply go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/RESNET/117015546426?ref=nf

  (2)    Then click “become a fan of RESNET.”  This will allow you to receive updates from RESNET and post comments from your facebook page.  You can also connect online with others who are members of the RESNET page, and extend your business network or talk with associates 

  If you are not a member of facebook, signup is easy.  Simply go to the above link, and click “sign up.”  Remember internet networking is no longer simply a place for teenagers to chat, but a place where news is shared, companies network, and presidents are elected.

   Registration is Now Open for the 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference

   The 2010 RESNET Conference offers strategic options for business challenges and provides a venue where you can obtain usable solutions in an evolving industry. Nowhere else will you find the exceptional range of original content and fresh information for the home performance industry at this unprecedented level of interest in energy efficiency. This year’s conference will merge with the successful North Carolina ENERGY STAR Conference and give attendees a first hand look at building science southern style. . . and some Tar Heel hospitality.  Make plans now for three days of networking, learning, sharing and enjoying North Carolina.

   You can register online for the 2010 RESNET Conference by clicking on http://www.resnet.us/conference/2010/registration.htm

   It’s Not Too Early to Make Reservations at the 2010 RESNET Conference Hotel  

   The 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference will take place at the Hilton North Raleigh Hotel.  Located just minutes from the new eclectic district called North Hills. North Hills is designed to be your ultimate resource for everything including events, restaurants, shops, entertainment, news, and anything that is happening in the Midtown/North Hills Raleigh area.

   

   

   

   

  RESNET has arranged for a special RESNET Conference of rate of $129 per night.  To take advantage of the special RESNET rate you must make your reservations by January 18, 2010. 

  You can make your reservations on line by clicking on http://www.resnet.us/conference/2010/hotel.htm

   RESNET Wants You – Seeking Supporters of the 2010 RESNET Conference

   The RESNET Building Performance Conference presents an exciting opportunity to boost the movement toward market-driven, building performance initiatives. You can demonstrate your organization’s leadership in this effort by being a 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference supporter or exhibitor. Your organization can support the 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference through the following options:

   

  • The RESNET Winner Circle – The RESNET Winners Circle is the premier conference sponsorship at $10,000. This category offers premier recognition in all conference materials including your organization’s name on the cover page of the registration brochure and the conference program. This recognition also includes a complimentary conference exhibit booth and up to five complimentary conference registrations. 
  • Conference Sponsor – Conference sponsorships are $7,000 and offer recognition in all conference materials including your organization’s name on the cover page of the registration brochure and the conference program. Sponsorships also include a complimentary conference exhibit booth and two complimentary conference registrations. 
  • Conference Patron – Conference patrons are $3,500 and offer extra recognition above that of a Conference Supporter, including highlighting in the conference program, a complimentary conference exhibit booth, and one complimentary conference registration. 
  • Conference Supporter – Conference supporters are $1,000 and offer recognition in all conference materials and one complimentary conference registration. 
  • Conference Exhibitor – Conference exhibitors are $800 and offer a conference exhibit booth and one complimentary conference registration. 

  To become a 2010 RESNET Building Performance Conference supporter, please go to http://www.resnet.us/conference/2010/supporter.htm

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 Northwest ENERGY STAR Celebrates 10,000^th Home!

Since the Program’s inception in 2004, Northwest ENERGY STAR builders in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington have collectively built 10,000 homes that have been qualified ENERGY STAR helping remove 58,130,000 lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. This is equivalent to:
• Eliminating the emissions from 5,000 vehicles

• Saving 11,4004,618 lbs of coal

• Planting over 8,125 acres of trees

  

 

Northwest ENERGY STAR is pleased to recognize the following Northwest ENERGY STAR builders who have been awarded the 2009 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing award. Issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the award recognizes important contributions to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection resulting from building ENERGY STAR qualified homes:

Congratulations to:

 

Builders:		Verifiers:
D.R. Horton		Billings Insulation Service
Greenstone Homes		Building Energy, Inc.
Howland Homes		Conservation Services Group
New Tradition Homes		Momentum, LLC
Quadrant Homes		On Point, LLC
		Sheldon Consulting

 Did you hear? Green Homes Sell for 3-9 Percent More Than Traditional Homes

 

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Earth Advantage Institute has released a report documenting the superior market performance of third-party certified homes in comparison to non-certified homes. The findings are based on an analysis comparing homes certified with appraiser-approved comparable homes. Certified homes in the four-county Seattle metropolitan area sold for 9.7 percent more than non-certified homes. In the five-county Portland area, homes also achieved a price premium of 3 to 5 percent. Homes with an Earth Advantage or comparable certification also sold, on average, 18 days quicker in the Portland metro area.

To learn more about this report, visit Earth Advantage by clicking here. 

 

Tamarack Construction Co., Inc. Honored as Small Builder of the Year 2008-2009

 

 

Tamarack Construction Co., Inc. received their Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes Small Builder of the Year award for Montana June 12^th at the Montana Building Industry Association’s state convention Leadership Luncheon. Thank you Tamarack for your continued dedication to building better homes!

  

 

Are your Realtors and sales staff prepared to explain the differences between energy efficient homes and standard code built homes? REALTORS®, builders and other industry partners need to know how to leverage green homes not only for their benefit, but the benefits of homeowners.

 

Northwest ENERGY STAR is now hosting Selling Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes throughout the Northwest. Approved for continuing education credits both online and in classroom, Selling Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes will ensure your sales team knows how to answer customer questions about comfort, savings, energy efficiency, indoor air quality and more.

 Contact Us to request a training or find our when the next course is scheduled!

ENERGY STAR 2011: EPA Proposed Spec Change Comments

 

 

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The EPA has proposed a new ENERGY STAR Homes specification to be rolled out in 2011. A draft of the specification was released for comment and below is the feedback being sent to EPA from NEEA, WSU, ODOE, and NCAT. NEEA is optimistic that the EPA will be responsive to comments, and a new specification will be something that can work in the Northwest and continue to deliver a high level of energy savings. The program will continue to update partners as more information is released.

To view submitted comments, click here.

 

 

  

 

Green Building Tip

Once you have built a very tight home, the next critical step is to make sure you properly insulate the building.

 

To get an effective insulation job, you first have to ask two key questions: what’s the R-value of the insulation and am I getting that R-value I paid for through correct insulation installation? Make sure the insulation fills the entire cavity where it is installed and touches the surfaces of what you are trying to insulate with no gaps, missing sections of insulation, compression or areas for wind intrusion.

 

Remember, no insulation is better than any another. The best insulation for the job is the one that can be installed correctly so that it insulates the building uniformly and to its full R-Value. The result: greater comfort, lower energy bills and a quieter home.

 

 

The Northwest ENERGY STAR^® newsletter brings you updates every quarter to let you know of changes, opportunities and important information regarding your regional ENERGY STAR homes program. If you have questions, comments or ideas for future newsletters, we welcome your feedback.

 

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- “Posted 06/04/09”
Setting a New Standard for the American Dream Home: St. Jude Children’s Hospital Home Giveaway in Montana Raises Funds While Achieving the Pinnacle of Green Building
Billings Dream Home will be a Net Zero house, generating as much energy as it uses – and someone will win the house for $100

PORTLAND, Ore. — June 4, 2009 — The multiple partners involved describe it as the ultimate win-win: a home in Billings, Montana, will be built, donated and raffled off as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and it will also be among the nation’s most energy-efficient homes ever built – the first Net Zero St. Jude Dream Home, and a harbinger of a new generation of smaller, more energy-efficient Dream Homes.
And for the price of a $100 ticket, one person will own a home equipped with the latest energy-efficiency elements in construction, systems and appliances – a home that will actually generate as much energy as it uses, delivering on the “net zero” concept of no overall energy consumption and eliminating utility bills for the homeowner.
The project is possible through a unique and innovative partnership of multiple organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Hospital, homebuilder McCall Development, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program, the Department of Energy’s “Building America” energy-efficiency program, Washington State University’s building science program and local sponsors such as Billings media outlets KTVQ television and KGHL radio.
“We’re truly excited about this opportunity to combine a wonderful cause such as the St. Jude Dream Home program with our efforts to spread the word about how attainable and affordable energy-efficient homes are today,” said Anne Brink, market manager new residential construction for NEEA.
The Dream Home is being built in the mixed-price Josephine Crossing development, which features 100% ENERGY STAR-certified homes. “St. Jude’s had contacted us about participating in their Dream Home program, and we were intrigued,” said Greg McCall of McCall Development. “Coincidentally, we’d been in discussions with Northwest ENERGY STAR regarding marketing green building within our area. We realized there was a synergy between the goals of each program. As economic barriers were hitting the building industry hard, we realized that there was an opportunity to ‘brand’ the next-generation Dream Home. It struck me right away that maybe we could build the first Net Zero home in the state of Montana, and then give it away for St. Jude.”
St. Jude’s growing Dream Home program, which started in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1991, has built and raffled off more than 200 homes over its history, including 30 homes in 2008, and raised $156 million for research into children’s medical issues. Builders, vendors and sponsors donate labor, materials and cash to produce a new home at no cost to St. Jude. The charity then sells raffle tickets to the public, giving the home away to the winner.
“On the construction side, we rely heavily on suppliers and subcontractors to donate their services and materials,” said Tara Moyer, Dream Home marketing manager for St. Jude. “Seeing that many people and businesses willing to come together to make these projects happen is humbling and incredibly gratifying.”
The Billings project stands out as the only Net Zero home St. Jude’s has been involved with – and, actually, one of only a few true Net Zero homes built anywhere. The coordinated effort to achieve that level of energy efficiency involved several players – foremost among them the DOE’s Building America program, which in the Pacific Northwest is coordinated through Washington State University.
The goal of the Building America program is to encourage and aid builders in achieving a higher level of energy efficiency in new construction. The program offers grants for outreach and education efforts such as builder training. In this case, McCall Development received extensive input from WSU to ensure the project’s materials, construction methods, systems design, insulation and other factors would maximize energy efficiency and ensure net-zero levels of consumption.
Among the innovations included in the Billings Dream Home:
- The floor plan of the 1,920-square-foot home is designed to take advantage of natural lighting, to reduce the need for electric lights inside the house. The home is also positioned on its lot to make optimum use of the location’s existing light.
- The 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home uses solar panels, a ductless heat pump, an energy-recovery ventilator, double-pane low-E windows, R30 wall insulation and ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances.
- Bidirectional metering will monitor both energy production and energy use, allowing an accurate accounting of the home’s net energy use.
“Forty to fifty percent of Dream Homes are on some level energy-efficient,” said Russ Laney, associate director of construction for St. Jude. “The Billings Net Zero Dream Home is in a class by itself – it’s not on the cutting edge, it IS the cutting edge. This is a window on the future for both homebuilding and the Dream Home program.”
The home is being built as part of a larger 100% ENERGY STAR development, rather than a separate custom-build. McCall’s Josephine Crossing development offers homes from $150,000 to $700,000 all in one neighborhood; the St. Jude Dream Home’s retail value is approximately $400,000, The development is specifically designed to reverse the trend of new developments being centered around automobile traffic. Josephine Crossing features narrower streets with traffic-calming features, wide sidewalks set back from the street, garages in the rear of homes, and pocket parks rather than greenbelts.
Construction on the Billings St. Jude Dream Home began in January, and is scheduled to finish in August. Raffle tickets, priced at $100, will go on sale in Billings at eight Cellular Plus locations as well as at McCall Homes Design Studio. After a Sneak Peek event for sponsors and vendors August 13 and a public Grand Opening August 15, the giveaway will be televised live on KTVQ Sunday, September 27. The organizers anticipate more than 5,000 people will tour the home through a series of open houses.
The program’s goal is to sell 6,000 tickets, generating $600,000 for St. Jude. Other prizes that have been donated give ticket buyers a 1-in-500 chance of winning a prize valued at $1,000 or more. Including building subcontractors, sponsors, media outlets and others, more than 60 local companies have donated time, materials or services to the effort.
“This program is not just great for the community and for medical research, but also for promoting a higher level of building efficiency,” said Dave Hetherington, program manager for Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes. “It’s an exciting story – it’s a great giveaway for a great cause, and we’re building awareness around energy use and the ability to build to a net-zero energy use level.”

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, has treated more than 21,000 children from across the United States and 70 foreign countries. St. Jude helps families across the state of Montana, including Cascade, Flathead, Ravalli, Yellowstone, Park, Silver Bow and Jefferson Counties. Research findings are shared freely with doctors and scientists all over the world. For more information, visit www.stjude.org or call 1.800.954.5499.

About McCall Development
McCall Development is a local building and development company located in Billings, Montana. The company was founded in 1993 by Jim McCall. Siblings Greg, Brad and Carolee McCall currently run and operate the company with a vision to build homes that embody charm and character, where bigger is not always better, and affordable does not have to mean cheap. McCall Development homes are architecturally designed, ENERGY STAR certified and as unique as the people who live in them. For more information on McCall Development, call 406.651.5354 or visit www.mccalldevelopment.com.

About Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes
ENERGY STAR qualified homes in OR, WA, ID and MT are built by home builders participating in the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program, which is funded by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). NEEA is a non-profit corporation supported by the Bonneville Power Administration, electric utilities, public benefits administrators, state governments, public interest groups and energy efficiency industry representatives. These entities work together to make affordable, energy-efficient products and service available in the marketplace. For more information regarding NEAA, visit: www.nwalliance.org. Consumers can learn more about ENERGY STAR qualified homes by visiting www.NorthwestENERGYSTAR.com or calling 1.800.539.9362.

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Have Your Sales Staff Been Trained?   

 

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EPA Leadership in Housing Award Winners