Featured Project

View the case study here.

g2b Ventures
Project: Energy Retrofits - West Seattle, WA.

Energy retrofits for existing housing has been a hot topic over the past year, and g2b Ventures believes that the market is ready for speculative remodels that focus on energy efficiency upgrades. Based on the success of their inaugural West Seattle project, they appear to have hit the mark. The highly publicized 4-Star Built Green remodel is modeled to perform 25 percent better than the current new-construction energy code requires and features an evacuated-tube solar hot-water system, a 95 percent AFUE furnace, and U .31 low emissivity windows. During the remodel, the floor, walls and attic were reinsulated including using continuous rigid insulation as exterior sheathing. The "before and after" blower door tests showed an air change reduction from 16 ACH50 to 3 ACH50, a drastic reduction in heat loss through air leakage. The home also achieved 100 percent rainfall infiltration on the site, featured extensive use of salvaged materials and used green finish materials such as true linoleum flooring. The home represents a new template for the next wave in the green building economy – energy efficiency remodels.

Some of the many green features of the project include:

Site and Water Protection

• Designed let 100 percent of rainfall infiltrate the site
• Used pervious materials for at least 1/3 of all driveways walkways and patios
• Reduced existing turf grass by more than 50 percent and replaced with drought tolerant plants
• Reduced existing hardscape surfaces by more than 50 percent including all impervious surfaces outside of the building footprint
• Downspouts piped to drainage field under the driveway
• Installed landscaping that requires no potable water for irrigation
• Inspected and insulated existing water heater

Energy Efficiency

• Envelope designed and built to use 25 percent less energy than required by new construction energy code
• "Before and after" blower door tests demonstrated 80 percent reduction in air leakage
• Solar water heating system designed to provide at least 40 percent of hot water needs for home
• Used NFRC-certified windows with a U .31 rating
• Fully reinsulated floor, walls and attic including installing rigid insulation under siding
• Installed Energy Star 95 percent AFUE furnace and duct work inside the heated space
• 90 percent of the lighting in units and common areas are high efficiency CFL or LED bulbs
• Use of Energy Star appliances including washing machines in each residence
• Extensive use of high efficiency lighting and Energy Star appliances

Indoor Air Quality

• Whole house fan on timers to ensure optimum indoor air quality
• Removed existing wood burning fireplace
• Used only low VOC paints in the home
• Installed formaldehyde free cabinetry
• Replaced all existing vent fans with new high efficiency units

Material Use

• Used Maxi-panel siding, one of the only siding products on the market with a 50-year warranty
• Purchased used flooring, railings and fixtures
• Achieved a 61-percent total recycling rate for demo material
• Used no vinyl for siding or flooring
• Installed natural wool carpeting and true linoleum
• Re-used existing concrete and masonry

To see other previously featured virtual tours, click here.

Photos courtesy of g2bhomes.

New Members

Are you a Built Green member and a member of the Master Builders Association? Then your company is designated with a small green tree on the Master Builders Association website as a Built Green member. Your company is also listed on the Built Green website.

Welcome to our newest member companies!

3 Frogs Design
(425) 643-1471 in Bellevue

A N K Construction Inc
(425) 239-0188 in Renton

Accent Remodel LLC
(253) 661-1800 in Federal Way

Atelier Ad
(253) 332-0146 in Seattle

Bark King Blower Truck Service
(425) 814-6444 in Kirkland

Coakley Development Group LLC
(206) 979-0693 in Bellevue

Dima Construction Siding LLC
(253) 228-4867 in Tacoma

Eagle Eye Painting LLC
(206) 947-3163 in Seattle

Earthtech Industries Northwest LLC
(360) 631-4236 in Everett

Feng Shui Environment
(206) 499-8943 in Des Moines

Fixit Once Repairs
(425) 775-6123 in Lynnwood

G F Moore Painting
(425) 485-4570 in Bothell

Haines Design & Development LLC
(360) 568-8577 in Snohomish

Insulation Contracting Supply
(425) 314-1343 in Marysville

Jordan Ahola Floor Covering LLC
(253) 632-1185 in Auburn

Land-Linc
(425) 953-4740 in Bothell

Mammano Design Build Inc
(206) 795-8889 in Seattle

New Home Team PS
(425) 422-3700 in Everett

Northwest Playground Equipment
(425) 313-9161 in Issaquah

Northwest Roofing Systems
(206) 764-4790 in Seattle

Pioneer Masonry Restoration Co Inc
(206) 782-4331 in Seattle

Renovation Elements
(206) 898-0478 in Seattle

Rock Doc LLC
(206) 518-7419 in Seattle

S H K S Architects
(206) 675-9151 in Seattle

Sound Heating Solutions
(360) 420-8713 in Mount Vernon

Svenco Home Remodeling
(206) 281-7360 in Seattle

The Cascade Team Real Estate
(425) 396-4569 in Issaquah

The Home Source Team
(425) 238-5081 in Marysville

Tiger Mountain Tile Inc
(206) 200-8934 in Issaquah

Trius
(206) 407-3015 in Bellevue

Turnkey Construction
(360) 925-6894 in Marysville

Unique Design & Construction Co
(425) 282-4498 in Renton

W I S Residential
(425) 644-6133 in Bellevue

zHome

Built Green is a partner in creating a zero net-energy community in Issaquah, WA.

Tour zHome Jobsite
Please join us for the monthly on-site class and walk-through at the zHome jobsite. Mark your calendars for this monthly event, which will take place on the first Thursday of every month from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Upcoming walk-throughs will be on August 5 and September 2. This will be a great hands-on way to track and understand this innovative project as it moves toward completion. At the class, we'll be giving a quick overview of the project and upcoming activities. We will be talking through our work to date; the well drilling and install process, generally; issues that have come up with the well drilling, which forced a reconfiguration and expansion of the ground source field; how the well field manifold ties together process works; and working with high flash content concrete.

Contact: Brad Liljequist, zHome Project Manager, (425) 837-3448.

Sponsored by:
 

Events

Built Green and Home Performance Washington Member's BBQ
July 10, Woodland Park, Seattle
Built Green and Home Performance Washington (HPW) are throwing a summer BBQ party for their members. All Built Green and HPW current members are invited! Eat, drink and network. There will be food provided by Full Circle Farm, Field Roast and Bill the Butcher. Beer will be from New Belgium Brewing! This party will launch a new season of excitement and growth for HPW and Built Green. For details, view the invite here.

zHome Hosts Eastside GreenDrinks
July 15, Vista Park, Issaquah Highlands
Come and connect with green people, green businesses and events in your community. Jobsite tour of zHome will be included. Come check out the progress! See event details here.

Inter Solar
July 13 to 15, Moscone Center West, San Francisco
As North America's premier exhibition and conference for the solar industry, Intersolar North America has developed into the premier platform for the solar industry in North America. Co-located with SEMICON West, the event focuses on photovoltaics and solar thermal technology and has quickly established itself among manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers as a vital international industry meeting point. Register here.

SolarFest 2010
July 17, Shoreline Community College, Shoreline
In July the Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Fair kicks into high gear. This all-day event is free to the public and will showcase exhibits, vendors, speakers, live music, a kid zone, a film festival, a transportation zone and the Taste of Shoreline hosted by the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce. This is the longest running event of its kind in the Puget Sound Region. For more information, please visit the website.

Excellence Building Conference & Expo
October 12 to 14, Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, Portland
Building professionals from across the country will be in Portland for the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance's (EEBA) Excellence in Building Conference & Expo. For 28 years, EEBA has introduced the building industry's greatest thinkers and "doers" of our time. Join this year's line-up of building science headliners and trendsetters for world-class education and three days that will transform your business. Register here. Expo space is still available!

Classes

Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.

Introduction to Built Green®
August 10, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
The session is scheduled for August 10 from 8 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the MBA Housing Center at 335 116th Ave. SE in Bellevue. This seminar provides an introduction to the Built Green program and provides an introduction to the Built Green program. Learn how to certify a project and use the checklist, how to join, how the program works and other resources. The seminar presents examples of projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation has a cost of $30 and is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. Register here.

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Construction Certification
July 14 to 15, AGC Building Conference Center, Seattle
This outstanding two-day training course teaches contractors the most current techniques for successfully managing erosion and sediment on construction sites. In addition, the newest information on complying with federal, state and local regulatory requirements for stormwater will be presented in an easy to understand format. The course combines classroom instruction with hands-on field exercises aimed at choosing and correctly installing mats, blankets, check dams, bonded fiber matrix, straw and other erosion control materials for specific site conditions. The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) has approved this class as satisfying Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) training requirements. Register here.

Infrared Thermography Training for Residential and Commercial Energy Audits
July 21-22, EOS Alliance Headquarters, Seattle
This course is designed to give attendees the confidence to use thermal imaging tools during residential and commercial energy audits. The course covers basic imager operation, heat transfer fundamentals, moisture instruction, insulation verification, image downloading/interpretation and the limitations of thermal imaging technology. Other test techniques such as blower doors, anomaly verification and other revenue-increasing infrared targets will be discussed. The basics for writing reports, small business entrepreneurship and how to market to established firms will be covered as well. Register here.

AIA+2030: Right-sized - equipment and controls for super-efficient building systems
July 23, Seattle City Hall, Seattle
AIA+2030 Professional series presents session VII: Right-sized - equipment and controls for super-efficient building systems. After designing for maximum passive use of site resources and mitigating energy loads, the next step to a breakthrough building is properly sized equipment and employment of advanced controls. This session will explore the concept and application of designing and specifying equipment and controls for buildings that are already designed to take care of themselves and need mechanical intervention only during periods of peak demand. Systems such as hybrid natural/mechanical ventilation systems and other approaches to engineer the mechanical system to be as small (efficient) and effective as possible will be explored. Register here.

Appraising Green Homes: Construction Methods and Valuation Techniques
September 24-25, Bank of California Building, Seattle
This course was created by appraisers and is for appraisers. The course is in partnership with a leading independent resource group that certifies homes and communities based on conformance to ENERGY STAR®, Earth Advantage®, or LEED® for Homes standards. The course is designed to increase residential appraisers' knowledge of green building, provide the most recent cost and value data available and enable participants to complete an informed appraisal of a green home. The course includes informational lectures and the hands-on opportunity to assess the value of a green home. Find class details here.

New Certifications

Congratulations to:

G2B Ventures for certifying their remodel, a single-family home project at 3119 Walnut Ave. SW in Seattle as 4-star Built Green.

Inland Washington, LLC for certifying their new –construction project, a multi-family Echo Lake Senior Housing project at 1140 N. 192nd St. in Shoreline as 2-star Built Green.

Martha Rose Construction Inc for certifying both their Fish Singer Community as 3-Star Built Green and their remodel project at 438 N. Fish Singer Place in Shoreline as 5-Star Built Green.

DC Granger, Inc for certifying their two new –construction projects, a single-family home project at 801 and 807 NW 88th St. in Seattle as 4-star Built Green and nine-unit new construction townhome project at 26th Ave. in Seattle as 4-star Built Green.

Regency West for certifying their two new –construction projects, a single-family home project at 1772 and 1764 Harrison Way NE in Issaquah as 4-star Built Green.

Blip Design for certifying their remodel home project at 6607 58th Ave. NE in Seattle as 5-star Built Green.

Habitat for Humanity-Seattle/South King County for certifying their eight new –construction projects, a single-family home project in Rainier Vista- 2800, 2802, 2804 and 2806 Lilac St. in Seattle and in High Point at 3201, 3205, 3207 and 3211 SW Morgan St. in Seattle as 3-star Built Green.

BG Facebook Page

Join Built Green's Facebook Page!
Network and keep up to date on Built Green, local events, and the green building industry. We encourage you to become fans of our Facebook page. Also, it would be excellent if you would share our page with any relevant personal and professional contacts who might be interested in the content. Please visit here.

Contact Built Green

Master Builders Association
335 - 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
P: (425) 460-8238
F: (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com
www.builtgreen.net

Master Builders Association Calendar of Events

If you have news items for this newsletter, please send us an email. Click here for Directions to the Master Builders Association.