Page 17 - Green Builder Sept-Oct 2019 Issue

Annual Building Science Roundup 2020 A GRAND SYNERGY

Zero Energy Ready Home award winners succeed at the solo and group levels—

a path everyone can follow.

HERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.” It’s an old preordained. The ZERH program requires certification to Energy
phrase with a simple, logical definition: A group Star Certified Homes Version 3.0 and 3.1, the U.S. Environmental
can accomplish more than one person alone. So it Protection Agency’s Indoor airPLUS, the insulation mandates
goes with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s of the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code, and the
Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) Housing hot water distribution totals set by EPA’s WaterSense program.
T Innovation Awards winners, selected on the basis Homes must also have solar electric panels installed or have the
of how well they can save energy, resources, time and money. conduit and electrical panel space in place for future installation
The winning homes showcased this year in Green Builder are of solar panels. And, every home is performance tested by a third-
all about going green through the power of teamwork. Whether party home energy rater to verify that the requirements have
it’s a joint effort between contractor, architect and homeowner been met: A good number of must-haves for great construction.
toward getting a dream house done right, or the combined Also, a solid blueprint for how others can and have been build-
performance of a subdivision in proving continued energy ing their homes to DOE standards. Chad Adams, developer of the
efficiency, or even how the presence of ZERHs can benefit the winning Revive Properties project in Fort Collins, Colo., sums it
local community as a whole, there’s a common mantra: One is up accordingly: “If imitation is the best form of flattery, then I
good. More is better. guess we should be proud.”
In the case of the innovation awards, some of that success is Let’s all take pride then, as we keep going green.

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