The Green Building Grand Slam

I was in deep thought recently, thinking about what I do for a living. Many things came to mind, for instance, how valuable the research information is that I get off of the projects. When I first started Hybrid Homes, a PhD holding scientist told me that the data that can be gathered from the different kinds of construction can benefit not only the scientific community, but also, myself and other builders looking to build more sustainably. The facts about cost versus return would be available for all to see once I had completed enough projects to start graphing everything.

Then, all of a sudden, an idea popped into my head (that is how it works for me, ideas pop up inside my head, and I act on them) and I decided that I just raised the bar even higher in our industry. What I came up with, was the 'Green Building Grand Slam'. Let all of you be my witness that I came up with this first, so that in a few years when others attempt it, the record will be set straight that I coined that term.... So, what is a green building grand slam, and why is it so important? Well, let's grab a cup of coffee and I will tell you.

Let's look at the general explanation of a grand slam in sporting events. In golf and tennis, the grand slam would be winning all the major events in one year. In hunting, a grand slam is to hunt and take a certain number of species in a year. Most of the grand slam titles throughout sports and the world are unofficial but is a title given to someone who can achieve this type of success. Dennys even has a Grand Slam, it consists of 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 strips of bacon, and 2 pancakes (thank you wikipedia for this fun fact).

I guess the very basic concept, is that a grand slam is an achievement that is hard to achieve.

The idea of the Green Building Grand Slam came to me, as I mentioned, because of a comment that the editor of the Journal of Light Construction said to me a while ago. He mentioned to me on the phone that I was the only one he knew of in the entire country that had the kind of experience that I have. He added that the variety of projects, the willingness to take on different projects, and having a big enough mouth to let people know what I was up to, was very important to the industry. The idea of the Green Building Grand Slam is a new idea that has taken a long time to iron out, although, the idea is actually quite simple.

According to my experience, logic, and research into this topic, to achieve The Green Building Grand Slam, one would have to build and complete a house of every type of main stream green building style. This would be nearly imposible to complete in one year, so there really is no time limit at this point, and that is what makes it an achievable feat if one puts their mind to it. If a company or college could track down research dollars to build every type of home for the sake of research, then maybe the Green Building Grand Slam could be achieved in one year, maybe that will be the real accomplishment in the future as this idea grows.

What idea do I have about the mainstream building techniques that would qualify someone for the Green Building Grand Slam title? Great question, here they are in no particular order: Advanced Framed (2x6 with 2' centers), Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), and Earth Shelter. The bonus would be to complete one or more of the many other kinds of houses that have been built over the years, that are not considered main stream at this time, which would include, but are not limited to: straw bale/straw clay, used tires, shipping containers, etc.

By now, you may be thinking to yourself, I kind of know Adam and he would not write about this if he did not think he was close to achieving this title, what is he up to? I will tell you what I have completed or will complete in the foreseeable future. This is what I have completed: Advanced Framed Houses and remodels (several), ICFs houses (several), SIP houses (several), and starting soon, an Earth Shelter House! To round that out, I am looking to build a straw/clay house and Eric Hughes from Image Design and I are working with a few potential clients trying to line one of these types of house up. Once the Earth Shelter house is completed, then, I will start to compile the data of how each house performs, etc. and start writing a book. A book for the world to see the facts, expel the myths, all while adding a dash of rock and roll to an otherwise boring topic to many.........wait and see what I have up my sleave!

To be the the first builder in history to complete the "Green Building Grand Slam" means alot to me, but also means alot to many people. Check this out! If you were a homeowner and you have thought a lot about using ICFs, like many of our customers do, you would have data to compare ICFs to other forms of construction. Does this exist now? Yes, but not in a way that is relevent. For me to have the information I do about the different forms of building, means that at some point, people will be able to seek out the best 'bang for their buck'. This is huge! This happens already with the houses that I price. I know what can be built in a person's price range, and I also know how efficient their home is going to be for the price. The Edgewood Project was advanced framed with an icf basement and we came in under budget at about 160k. This house is very tight and energy efficient, so much so, that it surprised me. If we had used SIPs, the addition cost would have been about 8k from the resulting items that are needed to use with SIPs. ICFs would have been about 16k more on average because of the resulting costs. But still, 176k for an all icf house? Wow! This is what I am talking about! Data! Facts!

Besides price, there are other important things that we are finding out. 'Things' like indoor air quality, moisture/condensation, and soil types versus building style. Using different forms of construction means different things to. Soil type becomes an issue. On our Turtle's Hope Project, we did not use ICfs because of the pier foundation and the weight of all the concrete. This project was a perfect SIP project. This house will be very tight, as we paid close attention to the results of the other homes we built.

Here is another bit of info for you. Let's examine HERs scores for a moment and compare the different forms of construction. First of all, the HERs score is basically an energy efficiency rating set up through the Energy Star Program. The lower the score the better, with a score of '0' being a net zero home. To determine the HERs score, you take into account everything in the home, from lighting and insulation to the heating and cooling system and everything in between. Renewable energy and geo thermal plays a big role in getting a low score. I believe that the HERs software or 'RESNET' software is outdated for high performance houses, but it is still a great way to see how the house turned out. The info I wish to share with you, is the HERs scores of the different styles of building that I have done. The Energy Star test house scored 100 point and most average homes that are considered green score from about 65-80. How did we do? I am glad you asked...

The first house I ever had tested, was our Platinum LEED rated house in Onekama. We learned a lot from that house. That house was built with ICFs from the footings to the roof and had a lot of conditioned square footage. This is a factor in the HERs score. The HERs rating on that house was 51. That is actually a great score! How could we have improved? Well, we could have used GEO thermal if the budget allowed, instead of the natural gas fired boiler and we could have done some of the things that we did on our Vineyard Project that had to do with consumption. The score of 51 turned a lot of heads, but I caught wind of lower scores around the Midwest, and I had to get better.

The Watercress Project was a SIP Project that had an ICF basement. This project is currently projected at Platinum LEED for Homes and had a HERS score of 58. Right away, it seems like the SIP panels are the culprit, but they are not. 58 is still a great number, but what led to that score was the natural gas fired forced air furnace, the wood burning unit, and a few other items. Without having completed a number of houses to see how a HERs rating can help a person adjust what they do on a house, it is like the blind leading the blind.

One last example, then I will let you get on with your day. The Vineyard Project is built of all ICFs from the footings to the roof and is very similar in features and designs to the Onekama house. This house is projected Platinum as well, and had a HERs score of 34, the lowest score ever tested in Michigan! How could this be? What was different about this house over Onekama? One, was the RESNET computer program and the solar voltaics versus the wind generator. The other big factors were the geo thermal system and the reduction in conditioned air space. I insulated the houses the same, and followed the same procedures as I did in Onekama, but I looked at the Vineyard Project on a cost versus output comparison. I could make any house zero energy if given a big enough budget, but this just is not the case. I was very happy to see this improvement in HERS score. To date, I feel this type of design with the hip roofs and passive solar design has the best chance of reaching a HERS score of '0'.

Of all this information in this blog, I want people to know that I am passionately working towards making every home zero energy. At some point in the near future, I will put the word out that all I will build are homes with HERS scores below 35, but I can not do that yet, as my research is not complete. There is so much to learn. I already pick and choose what jobs I will do based on the homeowners beliefs and the designs of the homes. I do this for research, and its an incredible journey.

This Earth Shelter houses that we will be starting soon could be the first house in Michigan to have a HERS score of '0'. This house will be off the grid, and the homeowner and I are traveling the country looking at other Earth Shelter houses and interviewing people so that we can get this house right! It is such an amazing 'complex', that you will have to read all about it in a future blog. I have come in contact with many people acrossed the country who are living off the grid and have asked them what they like and dont like about it and what they would do differently if they ever built again. What amazing information I have recieved! I have been in contact with people in Colorado, Washington State, Arizona, New Mexico, New Jersey, Maine, Marquette, and even locally that all share the same passion. They are part of our Team as we shoot for a true net zero, off the grid home. This entire project will be shot with video, even the behind the scenes efforts that go along with researching and then actually doing a project.

How will that turn out? Will we hit net zero? You will have to stay tuned to find out....

Take this with you: Does an under ground house stand the only chance to reach net zero, or can any one of the Green Building Grand Slam houses hope to reach net zero? My answer: Very shortly, I will release information that proves you can get very close to net zero, if not completly net zero with any of the Green Building Grand Slam houses as long as you use a proactive Team approach, study and learn from past projects, and keep an open mind. Time for more coffee, thanks for checking out my blog A B