Menzies Residence Highlands 16 Eden, UT LEED Approach July 2011

What is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)? Developed by US Green Building Council –Non profit building industry group Promotes a whole building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in 8 areas. Metrics (point system) in these 8 areas are used to measure and drive sustainable building practices

The LEED TEAM This LEED Project was a Team effort between Homeowners, Ray Bertoldi Architects, Big Canyon Homes, Inc the builder, helped by our LEED representatives Nexant and G-Build –At kick-off we held a Design Charrette to discuss all design and building options, and included local builders experience in the design. –We received support from Wolf Creek Resort and Highlands HOA on the planning aspects Solar panels, geothermal trench design

Aim is to design and build home that is; Healthier More Comfortable More Energy Efficient More Durable

Why Build a Sustainable House ? General Homes have a considerable environmental impact (LEED for Homes Ref Guide) –According to US DoE – residential sector consumes 22% of energy and 7% of water –Contributes to 21% of US carbon emissions –Indoor pollutants are typically 4-5X higher than outside Let’s reduce environmental footprint of residential houses!! Homeowners The owners had never built house before, and wanted a practical sustainable house with low utility bills Wanted a house that fit into the neighborhood LEED certification set the challenge of an objective set of criteria that measure success We aimed for the highest levels – Gold or Platinum

Motivation for Building Sustainable House (cont) Builder – Big Canyon Homes, Inc More people are starting to request green features This is the way of the future and Big Canyon are striving to build a competitive advantage in this market These clients were willing to evaluate and use new technologies and different building techniques Architect – Ray Bertoldi and Associates Bertoldi Architects endeavors to make our buildings and cities better places to live. We strive to incorporate sustainable techniques, while respecting the limits of site, budget and locality. These strategies include passive and active solar, ground-source heating and cooling, low embodied-energy and recycled materials, xeriscape landscape design and healthy interior environments.

The Project’s Sustainable Features The design was computer modeled to evaluate the payoff of potential approaches. We have the following features: Heavy Insulation (for the Energy and Atmosphere LEED section) –Stop air infiltration and drafts to create comfort and warmth, reduces heat loss, and provides biggest bang for the buck –We modeled the water vapor movement in the wall sections to check for long term performance The house is oriented for passive solar gain in winter (and for the wonderful views) We selected cost effective windows selected –Low E glass with additional coating on inside of double paned units Geothermal Heating and Cooling – looks like a standard furnace but... –Takes heat out of ground in winter and returns it in summer a/c/ season –Lots of cobbles and boulders made installation of horizontal ground loop in a pit practical, and less expensive –The system gives us high efficiency, the unit typically extract 4X the amount of energy that it takes to run, e xtracting the solar energy that is stored in the ground –It also preheats domestic water –Computer modeling shows that payback period after tax rebates is ~ 3-6 yrs compared to natural gas and much shorter compared to propane Overall we got a HERS rating of 24 – we use about 24% of the energy of a “typical” house

Sustainable Features (cont) Solar – (Photovoltaic Panels) –Our panels generate enough electricity to run the geothermal units and other electrical appliances –We use grid-tie and net-metering not batteries Outdoor water (for the Water Efficiency LEED section) –Rain and snow melt are directed to dry wells, to benefit our plants and trees –We have no lawn, and drought tolerant plants Indoor Design (for the Materials and Resources and Indoor Air Quality LEED sections) –Renewable resources such as bamboo floor (harder than most wood floors), –All paints, adhesives etc low volatiles – low odor –Ventilation system Heat and water vapor recovery systems