Page 42 - Green Builder Magazine Nov-Dec 2019 Issue

Coming up zero. When it comes to operating
efficiency, The Birch Case Study House goes
three-for-three by achieving net zero in energy,
water and sewer use.
COURTESY OF BUNDLE DESIGN STUDIO

2014, but this was the “rst home he actually built.
Welch and builder Chris Tretwold of Tretwold Construction built
Package Deal the home to the high energy performance standards of the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.
All DOE ZERHs must be certi“ed to Energy Star Certi“ed Homes
This living laboratory is a home Version 3.0 or Version 3.1 standards and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)’s Indoor airPLUS program. Each ZERH
performance triple-play: zero energy, home also meets the hot water distribution requirements of the

zero water and zero sewer. EPA’s WaterSense program and the insulation requirements of the
2015 International Energy Conservation Code. In addition, homes are
BY GREEN BUILDER STAFF required to have solar electric panels installed or have the conduit
CCORDING TO BUNDLE DESIGN STUDIO architect and electrical panel space in place for their future installation.
Dan Welch, the Birch Case Study House was “developed In the case of Birch House, solar panels produce more power than
as our business card.” Welch now lives in the home with the highly e•cient home uses in a year, while rain water provides all
his wife in the Birchwood neighborhood of Bellingham, of the home’s water supply and waste water is disposed on site. The
A in northwest Washington state. Welch had designed home carries a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index rating of
or consulted on several high-performance homes since leaving a minus 9 when photovoltaics are used and a 36 when they are not.
traditional commercial architecture “rm to start Bundle Design in Welch designed the 2,000-square-foot, two-story home with a

40 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2019 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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