The 2020 Green Tour was an entirely virtual event. You can “visit” the sites virtually and check out the discussions below.
Take a (virtual) tour!
Check out the 2020 Green Tour sites by clicking on the images of each site below.
Join virtual green building conversations with local homeowners and experts
View the recordings of our past live events. See links in the event descriptions below.
High-performance home advocates couldn’t be more passionate. Sharing that passion has always proven difficult because the benefits of high-performance homes are invisible to most consumers. This conversation is too important and too easy not to get right.
Tune in to hear from Sam Rashkin as he shares his insight from his 25 years in field overseeing the certification of over 1 million ENERGY STAR homes. He’ll show us opportunities that are often overlooked to connect with consumers to demonstrate the value of high-performance homes.
Going solar and switching to an electric car are great moves on their own. In this panel we explored how doing both can be even better. Join our panelists to see how two businesses and one zero energy home incorporated solar and electric vehicle charging into their daily operations and lives.
If we are going to create a community where everyone can afford to pay their utility bills and have safe indoor air quality, then we have to take a deep look at how we upgrade our existing housing stock. Even homes that were built within the last few years can have major issues that will impact their efficiency and long-term durability.
Tune in to learn about three local homes that have undergone various energy upgrades from insulation, to airsealing to solar. They all took on some DIY projects and also turned to the pros on other projects. We’ll hear about how they decided which projects to do, which to tackle themselves, and how those projects are impacting their everyday lives now.
We’ll be joined by home performance contractor, GreenSavers to learn more about energy assessments and deep retrofits, E2 Solar to hear what it’s like to go solar on an existing home and how to know if your home is a good fit for solar, and building envelope specialist, NW Aerobarrier.
How do we build better homes? There are a few key steps, design elements, and pieces of technology that make building zero energy homes easy, affordable, and totally doable. Join this panel discussion to learn about a few projects that are happening right here in Central Oregon. We’ll be talking about the journey of getting to zero, lessons learned along the way, and key practices and technology that we can incorporate into our homes right now to help us save energy and be more comfort
able.
Kôr’s homes are built to minimize energy and water use. This is sustainable from both an environmental perspective AND a financial one by keeping utility bills low for the homeowner. At Kor’s first development, Kôrazon, they are developing zero energy homes–that is, homes that produce as much energy as they use–with no utility bills.
Why zero energy? Because it means their families can reliably count on stable housing costs, even as utility costs continue to increase. Because it means healthier indoor air quality. And because the homes will be more durable and need fewer repairs over the life of the home. Spoiler alert–zero energy homes might just be the missing link to creating more affordable housing for our entire community!
Hear from Kor’s team including their designer, home performance consultant, solar contractor, and envelope specialist to see how they are cost effectively getting to zero energy and how reaching this goal has the potential to change the lives of the families living in their homes.
Re-imagining the Construction Waste Stream: Reducing waste in new construction and retrofit projects
It’s estimated that about 31% of the waste that is generated in Deschutes County comes from construction and demolition. This is especially relevant right now because Knott Landfill is estimated to be full by 2029.
During this discussion, we heard from homeowners who are salvaging materials, getting creative (like stenciling their old tile floors to give them a whole new modern look!), and utilizing great finds from the Restore. We were joined by the Habitat for Humanity Restore too so we can learn what types of materials can be salvaged and donated to be reused in the community. On the new construction side, we heard from two builders who are reducing their waste footprints with panelized designs.
We have a housing problem in Central Oregon. We don’t have enough of it and we need more affordable options. Infill development poses the opportunity to flip this narrative and create a more livable community with housing choices that meet the needs of more members of our community. One example that we see popping up in backyards and above garages–Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
During this panel, we heard from those who are fueling this uprising in a backyard near you, including the experts who are developing and designing properties with ADUs and some homeowners who are bringing these projects to life.
