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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

Firm helps recommend new standards for zero energy home and building construction in Massachusetts.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) -- ZeroEnergy Design, an architectural design and mechanical engineering firm, was part of the Residential Workgroup of Governor Duval Patrick’s Zero Energy Net Energy Buildings Task Force (ZNEB).  Governor Patrick’s main charge to the task force was to put the private sector commercial and residential building sectors on a path toward (1) broad marketability of zero net energy buildings by 2020 and (2) universal adoption of zero net energy practices for new construction by 2030.

A zero net energy building is one that is optimally efficient and, over the course of a year, generates energy onsite, using clean renewable resources, in a quantity equal to or greater than the total amount of energy consumed onsite.

At the recent New England Sustainable Energy Association’s Building Energy ’09 Convention, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles announced the release of the ZNEB report to address the Governor’s charge. The report represents a list of the task force’s findings and recommendations concerning energy performance standards, energy tracking, financial and regulatory barriers, and education and workforce development.

Ten recommendations were made for the residential sector of Massachusetts, including developing a Massachusetts Home Energy Rating System, measuring and providing annual energy use data in all homes by 2012, and requiring home energy ratings in conjunction with specific transactions, inspections, or renovations. At the core of the recommendations was establishing energy performance standards for new homes and major renovations based on the HERS Index, and over time raising the minimum performance requirements until reaching zero.  Currently, the Governor’s Office is reviewing the report for implementation.

“After months of in-depth deliberation, the task force developed recommendations that provide a clear pathway to achieve dramatic reductions in both energy consumption and carbon emissions for homes and buildings across Massachusetts” said Emile Chin-Dickey, a Principal at ZeroEnergy Design.  “We are proud to be part of the Governor’s initiative to improve the energy performance of all future construction in Massachusetts.”

Zero Energy Net Energy Buildings Task Force Report

http://www.mass.gov/Eoeea/docs/eea/press/publications/zneb_taskforce_report.pdf

About ZeroEnergy Design:

ZeroEnergy Design, an architectural design and mechanical engineering firm, helps individuals, builders, and developers to achieve increased energy performance for homes and buildings throughout the United States. The firm designs new high performance residences for individuals, and provides energy modeling and cost analysis services for commercial and residential clients with a design already in hand. The unique collaboration between in-house architectural designers, mechanical engineers, and financial analysts drives a competitive advantage and enables the firm to deliver fully integrated design services. http://www.ZeroEnergy.com.

A net zero energy home in Truro, Massachusetts, will be open to the public as part of the NESEA Green Buildings Open House. The private residence is designed to produce as much energy as it uses each year.

Zero Energy Home 

Truro, MA (PRWEB) -- ZeroEnergy Design, an architectural design and mechanical engineering firm, will be showcasing their newly completed net zero energy home as part of both the 2008 Green Buildings Open House held annually by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) and the National Solar Energy Tour held annually by the American Solar Energy Association (ASEA) as sponsored by the US Department Of Energy.

The modern Cape Cod residence utilizes a combination of attributes to achieve net zero energy performance. First, energy requirements of the home are reduced by passive means, including attributes like staggered stud walls with foam insulation. Then the active systems throughout the house are selected for energy efficiency, such as the geothermal system which provides all of the heating and cooling. Lastly, renewable energy systems are sized to off-set the annual energy consumption as predicted by detailed energy modeling software. The end result is a grid tied home that utilizes net metering to spin its electric meter backwards and produces as much energy from renewable sources as it consumes.

With a sleek modern aesthetic created by ZeroEnergy Design, the oceanfront residence was constructed by Silvia & Silvia, custom builders, in collaboration with Light Th!s, a lighting design firm, NexAmp, renewable energy system experts, Heimarck & Foglia, landscape architects, GridPoint, an energy management appliance manufacturer, and utilizes panels from Evergreen Solar, a photovoltaic manufacturer.

The residence, located on Corn Hill in Truro, will be open to the public on Saturday October 4th from 10AM until 4PM. More information including directions can be found on the NESEA Green Buildings Open House listings website at www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse/.

About ZeroEnergy Design: ZeroEnergy Design is a professional services firm providing Custom Home Design and Energy Design services for new green homes. The unique collaboration between in-house architectural designers, mechanical engineers, and financial analysts drives a competitive advantage and enables the firm to deliver fully integrated design and engineering for high performance homes. http://www.ZeroEnergy.com

Firm offers service nationally that recommends materials and systems for builders to construct zero energy homes.

ZeroEnergy Design has introduced a Renovation Report service in response to strong homeowner demand for help with green home renovation projects across the United States.

Charlestown, MA (PRWEB) -- ZeroEnergy Design’s new Renovation Report service helps homeowners with green home renovation projects for any location in the United States. Each Renovation Report provides an existing homeowner with an objective third party opinion on which improvements match their personal green and energy efficient goals. The process requires homeowners submit information about their upcoming renovation, after which ZeroEnergy Design delivers a tailored report containing recommended improvements specific to their home.

“With the confusing array of products, materials, and systems on the market, it’s difficult for a homeowner to know which fit their needs. Our firm leverages internal expertise with green home design and makes custom recommendations to match each homeowner’s situation and priorities.” said Emile Chin-Dickey, Project Manager.

The reports address aspects such as energy efficiency, water conservation, durability, and indoor air quality according to the scope of the renovation being considered. Typical renovation projects vary greatly, from simple cosmetic updates, to full gut rehabs, to new additions.

Recommendations are customized for the scope of the project, the attributes of the house, the homeowner’s priorities, the general budget requirements, and the local climate. “Current homeowners can’t change all the attributes of their house, but there are plenty of green improvements owners can make to save money and stay healthy” said Chin-Dickey.

Since 2005, ZeroEnergy Design has been designing green homes for clients across the United States and in several international locations. While most work focuses on Custom Home Design and Energy Design services for new home construction, the new Renovation Report service is for the existing homeowner, or their contractor, to help ensure a green and energy efficient renovation project.

About ZeroEnergy Design: ZeroEnergy Design is a professional services firm providing Custom Home Design and Energy Design services for residential new construction, and Renovation Reports for existing homes. The unique collaboration between in-house architectural designers, mechanical engineers, and financial analysts drives a competitive advantage and enables the firm to deliver fully integrated design for high performance homes. (ZeroEnergy Design was formerly known as Independence Energy Homes). Find out more at http://www.ZeroEnergy.com

Postgreen of Philadelphia has contracted ZeroEnergy Design of Boston to perform energy consulting on the 100K House project in order to design the most energy efficient home possible on a small budget of $100,000 in the Delaware Valley region of the US. Postgreen and ZeroEnergy Design are determined to create an urban infill home that uses only 53% of the energy consumed by a standard new home while using a substantially smaller construction budget than is typical in the area. The combined effort is part of a case study - The 100K House - being built by Postgreen in an effort to prove that quality, green homes can be built for the same or even less cost than traditional homes. Postgreen is working on a construction budget of only $100,000 USD to build the infill home in Philadelphia with the goal of achieving high energy performance and a LEED Platinum rating. The average US home of the same size will consume 2.5 times as much energy as the 100k house. "In order to accomplish the lofty energy goals for the home on our budget, more time and care must be taken during the planning and design phase of every aspect of the home from insulation to HVAC equipment," states Chad Ludeman, President of Postgreen. "ZeroEnergy Design is the perfect company to ensure that we will get the most bang for our buck in terms of energy efficiency on the 100K House and we are excited to have them be part of the project," continued Chad. ZeroEnergy Design focused on cost effective passive aspects of the house first, looking for additional ways to conserve energy. Then the active systems that consume energy were analyzed for efficiency, including heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water, appliances, and lighting. And finally, renewable energy systems were considered with solar thermal being the top contender. Each improvement was reviewed on a cost versus benefit basis, considering the incremental change upon the home’s annual utility bills and Postgreen’s strict construction budget. “Knowing that 38 of the 136 possible points for the highest LEED certification score are energy related, any performance improvements we can make will not only be good for the LEED rating, but also good for the environment and the homeowner’s utility bills,” said Jordan Goldman, Principal Engineer of ZeroEnergy Design.

About Postgreen: Postgreen is a real estate development company focusing on modern, green and affordable buildings and homes in Philadelphia's urban neighborhoods. Our success is measured using a triple-bottom-line approach that ensures that each project benefits not only the bottom line, but the people in our community and the planet as a whole. Find out more at http://www.postgreen.com

About ZeroEnergy Design: ZeroEnergy Design is a professional services firm providing Custom Home Design and Energy Design services for residential new construction. The unique collaboration between in-house architectural designers, mechanical engineers, and financial analysts drives a competitive advantage and enables the firm to deliver fully integrated design for high performance homes. (ZeroEnergy Design was formerly known as Independence Energy Homes). Find out more at http://www.ZeroEnergy.com