super insulation

I would like to announce the launch of "Greenplan"- a new venture of mine offering green house plans online to purhcase and build anywhere. We have started with two designs both of which have earned the "designed to earn the energy star" designation as well as impressive HERS ratings in each of the climate zones of the continental US. All of our house plans are architect designed and focus on inspiring spaces, quality construction and holistic green design. Full construction drawings are available at www.greenplanhomes.com to download and build.

Greenplan is comitted to offering easily affordable house plans to anyone who wants to build a green home. Most of our clients cant afford an architect yet want to build a quality home that reduces depencency on our natural resources.

All of our house plans incorporate the following green design principles;

-efficient building footprint
-passive solar heating and cooling
-super insulated building envelope
-rainwater harvesting
-quality construction detailing (rainscreen, low embodied energy materials, reclaimed/local materials)
-super efficient mechanical systems (radiant heating, geothermal)

Please help us spread the word, we invite your questions and comments. Our designs are far "greener" than anything ive seen offered on the internet to date. We believe that to create successful green architecture, the entire house and environment must be considered holistically- air, water, earth, energy and people- all working together. That’s our philosophy.

Thank you,
Scott Sampson, President

www.greenplanhomes.com

ZeroEnergy Design, an architecture and mechanical design firm, congratulates principals Stephanie Horowitz, AIA and Jordan Goldman, LEED AP, on their official certification as Passive House Consultants, which qualifies them to implement the Passive House Standard.

The standard is a design methodology that champions a super insulated, airtight home or building that uses 70-90% less energy for heating than a conventional new home or building. This high performance standard is achieved through maximized passive solar gains, reduced heating loads, efficient ventilation of fresh air, and significant size and cost reduction of the heating system, which in some cases can be eliminated altogether.

The Passive House Institute US works to further implementation of the Passive House Standard which they describe as “the most rigorous building energy standard in the world.”

“Rather than investing in an expensive heating and cooling system that needs an ongoing supply of energy to operate, the Passive House Standard helps to shift that investment into the insulation, airsealing, and windows of the house, or the ‘passive’ parts of the home. The result is a building shell that conserves so much that the energy required to heat and cool the space becomes very small,” says Jordan Goldman, Engineering Principal at ZeroEnergy Design.

Originating in Germany where over 6,000 homes are certified, the Passive House Standard only recently arrived in the US but is primed for growth. “We have several homes in the design process now targeting the Passive House Standard,” said Stephanie Horowitz, Managing Director at ZeroEnergy Design. “Our firm has seen a huge boom in interest as the public has become more aware of the standard’s excellence. With two certified consultants on staff, we’ll be well positioned to serve this growing market.”

About the Consultants: ZeroEnergy Design, an architecture and mechanical engineering firm, designs and consults on high performance residences and buildings. The unique collaboration between in-house architects, mechanical engineers, and financial analysts drives a competitive advantage and enables the firm to deliver fully integrated design services. Green and energy certifications facilitated by the staff include Energy Star, LEED, NAHB Green Building Standard, Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, and the Passive House Standard. http://www.ZeroEnergy.com

Press contact:

Emile Chin-Dickey

ecd@zeroenergy.com

617-720-5002 *101

ZeroEnergy Design

Certified Passive House Consultant