Page 36 - Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes-Volume 1

CASE STUDY NO. 2 FORTUNATO HOUSE RENOVATION
Fortunato House Renovation
Case Study No. 2
Data Summary
Building Type: Single Family
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Gross Floor Area: 2,150 gsf
Occupied: 2012 (renovation completed)
On-Site Renewable Energy System Installed: 6.5 kW DC
Measured On-Site Energy Production: 10,466 kWh/year (2016-17)
Measured EUI (Site):
16.5 kBtu/sf-year (2016-17), includes two EVs.
Owner/Client
Robert and Monica Fortunato
Project Team
Designer: Robert and Monica Fortunato
Perhaps more challenging in some ways than a new single-family house, a renovation project must deal with existing construction, less-than-optimal features with regard to energy efficiency and often labor-intensive correction of code deficiencies. The cost of an extensive renovation can be close to that of a new house on the same site. However, aside from the slight cost savings and issues such as historical significance and neighborhood location that may affect a decision to renovate rather than build new, sustainability considerations of reusing the existing structure are becoming a factor for many people.
It is useful to consider the set of constraints and opportunities affecting the decision process as they differ from those of new houses. This case study illustrates a process of design and construction that is instructive in the adaptation of state-of-the-art energy-efficient techniques and systems to a relatively old structure and, as a result, the renovated house achieves a high degree of sustainability and zero-net-energy performance.
Background
This particular case study is an unusual example of a renovation project in its origin and execu- tion, nevertheless the ideas are generally applicable and based on sound principles.
The original house was built in 1959 in a beachside community of Los Angeles. It consisted of 1,320 sq. ft. on two levels on a sloping lot, where the lower level included a garage opening to the street, with the living spaces on the upper level, and which opened on the uphill rear yard. The owners acquired the house in 1995 and did not start planning the renovation and expansion until 2008, when the need for additional space became apparent.
A personal commitment to a high degree of sustainability, including a minimal carbon footprint, water recycling and a healthy indoor air environment, set the approach to the project from the beginning. When they initially researched similar residential projects, the owners found a lack of definitive data about the net energy use of these “solar” houses and decided to embrace the additional challenge of achieving a data-verified zero-net-energy performance.
This combination of deep green goals for the project gave rise to a brand name for the house, the “Green Ideas House”, which the owners decided to publicize via a project website1. A detailed project journal documenting the entire process of design, construction and occupancy is featured on this website.
(Left) The original house, built in 1959.
1 Green Idea House website: http://www.greenideahouse.com/. The website includes a “Project Journal”.
Mechanical & Plumbing En- gineer: P2S Engineering, Long Beach, CA
Structural Engineer: Envision Engineering, La Jolla, CA
Hot Water Systems: Gary Klein and Associates
Lighting Design: Lighting De- sign Studio, Hermosa Beach, CA
Green Point Rater and Materi- als Selection: Healing Spaces by Design, Pasadena, CA
General Contractor: Robert Fortunato
Subcontractor (Building En- velope): Harding Construction
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Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes: Volume 1