COBA Tour of Homes – Basecamp (site #10)
For the second year in a row, the Bend Energy Challenge has partnered with COBA during the Tour of Homes to showcase examples of energy efficient homes—homes that to live in and operate, cost significantly less than their counter-parts. These features are seemingly inconspicuous to the naked eye, but with a little nudge in the right direction, you’ll start to notice what makes them far less costly to operate and much more comfortable to live in.
Basecamp, is a newly constructed example of in-fill and inspiration. Built on a long empty lot between downtown and the Old Mill and a block away from the Deschutes River, it is perfectly situated to be a walkable, urban hub of activity. Sleek town homes now adorn the southern end of Wall Street.
What many passers-by may not know, is that these 8 homes will have an Earth AdvantagePlatinum rating. Earth Advantage is a third-party verified certification and offers a high performance home certification standard. The standard is based on achieving required points on a scoring sheet covering five categories—energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, resource efficiency, environmental responsibility, and water conservation—earned over the course of two verification visits.
So what makes them so efficient? They are built very tight and meet a high level thermal enclosure checklist. This means little unwanted air flows through gaps in the walls and blown-in insulation helps keep the house resistant to temperature swings. This is capped off with a high efficiency furnace with ducts that have passed duct leakage tests. Occupants will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer all while using a lot less energy.
A high efficiency on-demand water heater uses less energy by not constantly heating water that just waits to be used and is ENERGY STAR certified. A combination of large windows that let in natural light and LED lighting make for beautiful and low-energy lighting.
To sum it up, they have probably said it best themselves:
“The idea behind Basecamp is simple: 25 graciously conceived townhomes, born of the natural wonder and beauty of Central Oregon, brought to the best and most walkable location in town. One block from the Deschutes, and minutes on foot to Downtown Bend or the Old Mill.”