Blog Post

Spotlight on the Built Green Net Zero Energy Label

by User Not Found | Jan 17, 2018

In October 2017, Built Green launched its new Net Zero Energy Label, which had been announced to much excitement a month prior at the Built Green Conference. So, what exactly is this label, what does it mean, and how does a project obtain it? Read on!

What?

The Built Green® Net Zero Energy Label indicates that a project has demonstrated via an energy model that it will produce as much renewable energy onsite as it will consume over the course of a year.

Most commonly, though not necessarily, this renewable energy is generated by solar panels. This definition for net zero energy specifies a year-long timeframe because solar panels produce more energy during the sunny summer months; excess energy not used immediately at the home is sold back to the utility and banked as a credit. In the winter, when a building is using more energy and the solar panels are producing less, this banked credit is applied to the bill.

Other forms of renewable energy fluctuate in their production based on weather and season as well. What matters to Built Green is that, in a year, the building has produced as much or more renewable energy than it has consumed.

Chart of solar production vs. electricity consumption in Net Zero Energy homes

Why?

Net zero energy homes have a significant role to play in addressing the climate crisis. According to the Drawdown solutions to reverse global warming, net zero energy buildings are one of the 100 important strategies. Even in Seattle, where homes receive carbon neutral electricity from Seattle City Light, net zero energy building has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by freeing up electric supply for transportation, which accounts for 64 percent of the city’s emissions. According to Built Green’s post-occupancy study, 4-Star homes save enough electricity to power an electric vehicle for a year. Obviously, the potential from net zero energy homes is even greater! Buildings have the ability to help clean the transportation sector through renewable electricity production.

On top of the environmental benefits, net zero energy homes also signify comfort and quality. Because these types of projects are not yet the norm (though we hope that soon they will be!), the designers and builders are putting extra thought into them and are often using some of the best examples of homebuilding technology and methods there are. The final product will be more comfortable thanks to the home’s efficient envelope and controlled ventilation. Residents of Built Green certified net zero energy homes have expressed their delight at how comfortable their homes are. And remember how credit for excess energy is banked by the utility? Well, that means residents’ electricity bills might even be negative—in other words, the utility will pay them!

Hopefully you’re convinced that net zero energy homes are a great thing, but why is the label itself important? We want to better support net zero energy building and spread the word about its benefits. At the present moment, it is a minority of builders doing these projects and we feel their accomplishments should be broadcasted. Not only will spreading the word acknowledge their hard work, but we believe it will help accelerate a market transition that is already happening and we would like to speed along.

TC Legend 5-Star Net Zero Energy home — One of TC Legend Homes' 5-Star Net Zero Energy homes

Lexy from Green Canopy Homes inside a Green Canopy Net Zero Energy home

How?

Obtaining the Built Green Net Zero Energy Label is actually simple. First, the project must meet all requirements for Built Green certification at any star-level. Beyond that, there are just two requirements. First, the project must be modeled to show that the expected consumption is equal to or less than the expected renewable energy production onsite. Second, Built Green must receive a waiver so energy data from the utility will be shared with the program. This way, we can monitor home performance and ensure that our protocols lead to the expected outcomes. Happily, the two Emerald Star projects for which we have done post-occupancy analysis thus far (Emerald Star certification, Built Green’s highest level, requires net zero energy) have met their net zero energy goals. We want to make sure this success continues!

We’re really excited to see and certify more net zero energy projects in the coming months and years!

Want to spread the word? Share our Net Zero Energy Label info sheet!

Hot Property

by User Not Found | Jan 16, 2018

Seattle Is the Nation's Hottest Housing Market… Still

Can you count to 15?

That's how many months the City of Seattle has worn the increasingly heavy crown of hottest U.S. housing market. The median home in Seattle now costs more than $718,000, a 16.2 percent rise over the last 12 months according to Zillow. The Seattle-based real estate company does predict the city's massive gains to simmer down to just 5.7 percent over the next 12 months.

Still, 15 months is an impressive streak. And that got us thinking—which streaks have we beat as the nation's fastest-growing residential market in the country, behind first- and second-place losers Las Vegas and San Francisco?

Lance Armstrong recorded seven straight Tour de France victories from 1999 to 2005. I forget what happened after that.

Retired NBA center Chris Dudley once missed 13 straight free throws in a row, one of which included an air ball.

Pro surfer and Baywatch alum Kelly Slater won 11 world surfing championships, including five in a row from 1994 to 1998.

Okay, maybe we're not quite at legendary status yet, but hey, give it time.

Seattle

The Seattle-based epicenter of explosive home prices has for some time been distributing its affluent ash across the region, covering the greater Puget Sound landscape with extravagant home prices and happy homeowners—and despondent home buyers. But that's life in the Pacific Northwest right now.

Even while Amazon looks to expand its lush landscape and make traffic stand still elsewhere, plenty more workers will be testing our rich soil in the coming months and maybe years, though they'll be paying a hefty price for a spot in our Emerald garden.

Where might one find their dream home in the foggy future?

MBAKS member Quadrant Homes, for one, is looking to build 63 single-family residences near Laurelhurst on the 17.8 acres currently housing the Talaris Conference Center. If all goes according to Quadrant's plan, the homes would be hot property, with individual lots averaging 5,500 square feet upon which homeowners could enjoy high-end residential living and easy access to everything.

While we wait, we can keep counting months and finding new records to compare to…

Membership Minute: Meet Kendall Stuckey, Best Version Media

by User Not Found | Jan 08, 2018

This week, Kendall Stuckey of Best Version Media tells us how her MBAKS membership will help her grow her business in 2018.

See how we can help your business

Karl Pauly's 5-Star Issaquah Home

by User Not Found | Jan 03, 2018

A new home custom built by the owners in downtown Issaquah blazes the trail for advanced performance and Built Green® 5-Star certification under the City of Issaquah's expedited permit incentive program. The home was designed and built to give the owners decades of great comfort and ridiculously low energy costs.

Vital Stats	Section	Points
Location: Downtown Issaquah Star Level: 5-Star Checklist: Single-Family/Townhome Verifier: Balderston Associates	Site and Water	182
	Energy Efficiency	215
	Indoor Air Quality	135
	Material Efficiency	93
	Total Score	735.5

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

The site is on an odd-shaped lot next to a park and within a block of Issaquah's historic main street, with excellent access to transit and community resources.

The site is provided with infiltration swales for the roof water drainage that are integrated with native and drought tolerant landscaping. Hardscapes are 100% pervious.

Indoor water use is reduced by the use of low flow sink and shower fixtures and WaterSense-labelled toilets.

Karl Pauly's Issaquah Built Green 5-Star home exterior

Energy Efficiency

This super-insulated home is constructed with Structural Insulated Panels. SIPs are a prefabricated sandwich of plywood and foam that eliminate most of the wood framing, and with it the thermal bridges that reduce insulation value in standard construction. The builder did such careful air sealing that the home is the tightest the third-party verifier has tested in 14 years of practice! At the same time, abundant fresh air is provided by the Zehnder HRV system that was carefully installed and commissioned.

Roof insulation is approximately R49, with R30 in the walls. Slab on grade foundation is double-insulated
Windows are Eagle triple pane, with .16 to .21 U-value
Super tight air sealing, scoring at .19 ACH 50
Efficient Zehnder HRV system for ventilation
Gas-fired hot water radiant heating and domestic hot water, 96% efficient
ENERGY STAR appliances, 100% LED lighting, ready for solar PV

Health and Indoor Air Quality

The home emphasizes simple interior finishes with low toxicity and excellent distributed ventilation for fresh air. There are no carpets and flooring is NAUF bamboo from Higuera Hardwoods. Natural cedar ceilings and other highlights are finished with Safecoat Polyureseal and all of the paints are <1 g/L VOC. The kitchen and bathrooms contain custom cabinets by Superior Manufacturing, made with special order glues and finishes.

Whole house ventilation is supplied by the central Zehnder comfo-air HRV. This system uses innovative 3" plastic flex ducts to provide a supply of fresh air and exhaust for every room. It operates continuously and quietly with very low energy use. This is an important companion to the incredibly air tight building envelope to ensure comfort and performance.

The exterior siding is installed over a "rain screen" air space. The building moisture barrier is a Prosoco liquid applied coating, along with interior tapes from SIGA on the SIPs panel joints. Detailing of weather seals at windows, doors, and other penetrations was carefully done by the owner/builder to ensure moisture will not enter the home.

Materials Efficiency

The home's structure itself reduces the use of lumber and heavy materials with the SIP panels. In addition, recycled content metal roofing creates very long-lasting protection. The exterior is a mix of Swisspearl panels that were recovered from a commercial job site, composite timbers, and natural cedar siding for an appealing Northwest contemporary look. Swisspearl siding panels participate in the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) system.

Interior finishes demonstrate a high level of commitment to non-toxic and environmentally friendly products. The builder took a lot of care to research and specify products. FSC-certified bamboo flooring or tile covers the floors. Interior caulks, adhesives, and finishes were checked for compliance with Built Green's VOC standards. All interior painted trim is MDF Spero from Metrie, which is recycled sawdust with no added urea formaldehyde.

The owner/builder personally controlled recycling of jobsite waste, to the extent that even concrete chips from stripping forms were put in separate recycle bins. Hand demolition of the previous house on the site included recycling metal, cabinets, trim, appliances, fixtures, and structural parts.

January 2018 Builder’s Bulletin

by User Not Found | Jan 03, 2018

The Builders’ Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

Membership Minute: QuickBooks Savings

by User Not Found | Dec 18, 2017

This week, Melissa Irons of Irons Brothers Construction shares her experience and savings with the MBA's newest member benefit, the MBA Finance Hub.

See how much you can save

Membership Minute: Our 2018 Board President

by User Not Found | Dec 11, 2017

Meet Erich Armbruster of Ashworth Homes, our newly inducted 2018 MBAKS Board president.

See how we're building a sound future

TC Legend Homes' Emerald Star Home Shines in West Seattle

by User Not Found | Dec 05, 2017

TC Legend Homes has always been up for a challenge, whether it's building market-rate net zero energy homes, Built Green® 5-Star-certified homes or even positive-energy homes. So when homeowners challenged them to build an Emerald Star-certified home—Built Green's highest certification level—they accepted.

The result is this West Seattle gem, a three-story, 3,160 square foot net-zero energy home located on an urban infill lot. It features a ground floor one-bedroom mother-in-law apartment with three additional bedrooms on the main two floors. Flexibility was key in the design to allow the house to continue to be functional as the homeowners' young family grows. With that in mind, there are "flex" spaces on each floor, right-sized bedrooms, a generously sized utility room, and ample outdoor spaces.

Vital Stats

Location: West Seattle
Star Level: Emerald Star
Checklist: Emerald Star
Verifier: Ecoe Company

The builder, homeowners, and Built Green verifier met early in the process to plan out how the home would meet the many stringent Emerald Star requirements. TC Legend Homes dedicated one of its team members to track documentation, source materials, and act as the liaison between the builder, homeowner, and verifier during the construction process. This project is only the second home in Seattle to meet the stringent requirements of the Emerald Star checklist!