2015 Green Tour
The 15th Annual Green Tour was organized by The Bend Energy Challenge with support from the Energy Trust of Oregon. The 2015 Tour will featured 7 homes packed with energy saving features. They varied from brand new zero energy homes to a 1971 energy retrofit.
Saturday, September 26th
10:00 – 5:00
Go ahead and pledge to get into your comfort zone.
There is sure to be something for everyone to take home.
Site 1: A development with a serious commitment to urban in-fill
1639 NW Scott Henry Place, Bend
New Construction
Builder: Jim Guild Construction
Designer: Neal Huston & Associates Architects Inc
Solar Contractor: E2 Solar
Preliminary Energy Performance Score (EPS): 56
2+ Bedroom, 2.5 Baths, 2105 Sq Ft, For Sale
This model home in the Saginaw Sunset subdivision is the first of what will be a 20-home development of high-performance custom homes. Each home will meet at least Earth Advantage Platinum standards and include features such as staggered stud framing, super-efficient HVAC systems, Energy Star appliances, extra insulation, solar power production, and water conservation. This home’s power is supplemented by a grid-tied solar system that is also backed up with batteries – meaning that the home will still have electricity when the power goes out.
The finishes in this home include beautiful local EcoCrush countertops throughout, renewable cork flooring, and long-lasting Italian tiles. The white oak cabinets were milled in the house.
Set amid native Ponderosa pines, this home sits on an extremely steep lot with limited access for construction, showcasing the developers’ commitment to filling in vacant urban property and is landscaped with deer and drought in mind. The vision for these properties is that homeowners will be able to age in place which is why this split-level home features an elevator.
Site 2: Cozy and Cool with energy-storing EnergyBlocks
3995 Lower Village Road, Bend
Builder: SunTerra Homes, Inc.
Designer: Jim Chauncey
Owner: David Wadsworth and Jessica Maye
Preliminary Energy Performance Score (EPS): 35
4 Bedroom, 4 Baths, 2857 Sq Ft
The sun and natural thermal dynamics are utilized in this home to reach a pinnacle in not only energy conservation but also comfort.
Local builder SunTerra Homes Inc. has developed the SunTerra EnergyBlock, a new exterior wall system that naturally stores and releases heat energy. Studies by Oregon State University have shown that this system reduces the heating and cooling load on a residence by 29% compared to standard wood framing. Owners of these homes have said that the relatively constant temperature inside their homes is very noticeable due to our local variability in temperatures throughout the year. With the benefit of high mass thermal storage of SunTerra EnergyBlocks, passive solar heating (meaning just the heat from the sun) can account for 70% of annual heating and maintain pleasant interior comfort.
SunTerra EnergyBlock is an 8″ x 8″ x 16″ concrete masonry unit (CMU) and they are assembled by a mason/contractor. These thick walls of concrete, steel, and insulation provide for an extra quiet house.
This home features an open, modern multi-level floor plan with high ceilings. Beautiful decorative masonry can be found in each room.
Site 3: A small home brightened by sun and soul
424 SE Emerson, Bend
Designer: Jason Offutt, The Shelter Studio
Home Performance Contractor: BASE Zero, LLC
Solar Contractor: E2 Solar
Owner: Robin and Bruce Sullivan
Energy Performance Score (EPS): 4
1 Bedroom, 1 Baths, 939 Sq Ft
This net-zero ready home design seeks to optimize the relationship of south-facing glazing, super insulation and high efficiency mechanical equipment. At 939 square feet, the home trades floor area for greater efficiency, while maintaining ample space for two people.
The home captures ample daylight. The narrow site would have allowed only 25 feet of south-facing wall. The resulting design approach might be called 20th Century Solar, with almost all the windows along the narrow south wall. Even in the “back room,” shared light from clerestory windows in the loft fill the space.
A south-facing roof slope is slated for photovoltaic panels to be added in the future. The design capitalizes on a rock outcropping at the site. By building on top of the rock instead of removing it, the home gained partial mountain views and unobstructed solar access.
The home has extra thick walls, ceilings and floors with blown-in insulation. The exterior shell is extremely air tight. There is a very small energy recovery ventilator installed in the floor cavity above the bathroom. Windows have two low-e coatings and have a heat loss rating of U-0.24. Space heating is accomplished with a very small (9,000 btuh) high-efficiency ductless heat pump. Hot water is provided by a heat pump water heater. All plumbing fixtures are low-flow, and the toilet is a dual-flush model.
All electrical lights are LED. All appliances are Energy Star. Smaller appliances occupy less space in the floor plan and allow additional kitchen storage and work areas. The two-burner induction cooktop will serve virtually all cooking needs. The 19 cubic foot refrigerator stores enough food, but not so much as to promote food waste.
No permanent irrigation is installed. Plans call for a vegetable garden served with a rainwater collection system. The remainder of the outdoor space will be a zero-water landscape with many native species.
Site 4: The classic Craftsman re-imagined–On the road to net zero energy
1657 NW Mt Washington Drive, Bend
Builder: WoodCraft Building Inc.
Designer: Jason Offutt,The Shelter Studio
Home Performance Contractor: Earth Advantage
Preliminary Energy Performance Score (EPS): 29
2 Bedroom, 2 Baths, 1210 Sq Ft
This high quality, net-zero ready, Craftsman home proves that a small footprint can be spacious and highly energy efficient.
This Craftsman home is Earth Advantage Platinum certified and is net-zero / solar ready. This means that the home was designed to be efficient enough, and have the allowable roof space and good access to available sunlight, so that when the homeowner is ready to add solar, they will be able to off-set their entire utility bill with the electricity that they can produce from their roof.
Getting to zero energy takes careful design and construction. This home utilizes advanced framing including high heel trusses, above code insulation , mini-split heat pumps, HRV ventilation system, and Energy Star appliances to get on the path to efficiency. A hot water circulation system and water-saving faucets and toilets round out the package.
The open floor plan shows that a small footprint can provide spacious livability. A deck and covered porch extend the living areas for enjoyment of our beautiful Central Oregon weather. Situated in Northwest Crossing, it takes advantage of the easy walk/bike access to neighborhood services and parks.
Site 5: Great views from net zero energy
61649 Hosmer Lake Drive, Tetherow
Builder: WoodCraft Building Inc.
Designer: Jason Offutt,The Shelter Studio
Home Performance Contractor: Earth Advantage
Owner: Jim and Robin Wetherbee
Preliminary Energy Performance Score (EPS): 18
3 Bedroom, 3 1/2 Baths, 3821 Sq Ft
This net-zero Mid-century modern home was built to capture views and maximize energy efficiency.
This mid-construction, Earth Advantage Platinum home in Tetherow is an excellent example of how a large home can still be highly energy efficient if intelligently designed. Advanced framing features double wall construction with 10-inch walls and high heel trusses to take full advantage of the above-code insulation. Other features include Energy Star appliances, ductless mini-split heat pumps, 100% LED lighting, hot water recirculation system, and HRV/ERV ventilation. A 12.38 kw PV array allows this home to harnesses the sun to meet all of their energy needs while taking full advantage of Central Oregon views.
The main level includes a large open floor plan for entertaining, gourmet kitchen, theatre room, master bedroom, exercise room, office/flex space and oversized laundry/mudroom. Multiple covered outdoor areas expand the living space and connect residents to the beautiful surrounding landscape. The upper level features 2 bedrooms, both with walk-in closets and private baths. An oversized 2-car garage offers tons of storage.
Site 6: A Healthy Home for a healthy planet
107 SE Cessna Rd, Bend
Home Performance Contractor: Earth Advantage
Owner: Louise Palmer
Original Energy Performance Score (EPS): 129, Post-Project EPS: 58
1404 Sq Ft
This home is in the process of being remodeled and gives you a chance to observe the process and what steps are to completely retrofitting your existing home into the most energy savvy house on the block! When complete, this home will be a community demonstration project to showcase healthy homes and will be the first Earth Advantage certified Remodeled home in Central Oregon. The home is being remodeled from 1971 code to 2020 standards which are much more stringent than our current building codes.
When retrofitting this home, the owner’s motto was “Build Tight, Ventilate Right.” This means that she made sure the shell of the house had as few leaks as possible and then calculated ventilation based on how much fresh air flow was needed. The air leakage was decreased from 17 air changes per hour (ACH) to 6 which makes for a much less drafty house!
A heat recovery ventilator which provides fresh air and improved climate control, while also saving energy by reducing heating and cooling requirements, supplies constant fresh air to the home. Indoor air quality is also improved by the use of non-VOC paints and low VOC stains and sealants. The new flooring in the home is formaldehyde-free.
In an effort to make this home as energy efficient as possible, electric baseboard heat will be replaced by a mini split heat pump. The walls and floor were brought up to R 22 and 31.5, respectively. The garage was also converted to a studio and the walls were increased from a 4-inch cavity to 6 inches in order to allow for more insulation.
In order to address drainage problems around the foundation and walkway, the cement walkway is in the process of being removed and will be replaced with gravel. The cement from the walkway is being reused as pavers to build the patio. Throughout the remodel process all usable materials were salvaged.
Site # 7: Homes are never too new for a tune-up
1090 ne hobbs ct, bend
Home Performance Contractor: GreenSavers
Solar Contractor: Sunlight Solar
Solatube Contractor: Solar Light
Original Energy Performance Score (EPS): 86 Post-Project EPS: 59
This single level spec home was purchased prior to completion in 2013 and just goes to show that even new homes can use an energy efficiency tune-up! As part of the Bend Energy Challenge, Mary signed up for an energy and solar assessment and found great energy and money-saving opportunities for her home.
Mary added strategic air sealing to her home in the heat of the summer and instantly noticed the difference in how much more comfortable her home felt and how much cooler it stayed during the day when she turned her air conditioning up.
In the crawlspace, Green Savers found that Mary’s floor insulation was not in contact with the floor. This means that the airspace between the insulation and the floor allows for cold air to pass through the insulation which reduces its effectiveness equaling cold floors and energy loss. They also found that there were sections of insulation missing in the attic and recommended blown fiberglass to fill in the holes.
After doing an assessment of Mary’s roof to make sure that she had appropriate access to sunlight, Sunlight Solar installed 12 280-Watt Oregon-made black solar panels on Mary’s home which are expected to cover 125% of her annual electricity usage.
In addition to these improvements, Mary also had 4 Solatubes installed by Solar Light which now bring natural light into previously dark spaces allowing her to go most of the day without using any artificial lights in these areas.
Bend Energy Challenge Week and the 15th Annual Green Tour were made possible by:
