www.energystarhomesamerica.com

Issue 8 Volume 3

August 2005

LEED®for Homes Pilot Program is Underway.
GWSSI Chosen as Pilot Provider
by Jennifer Boyle
LEED for Homes is the newest addition to the LEED Green Building Rating System.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is the first national standard rating system for green buildings. Several years ago, LEED – NC (New Construction) was launched to verify and rate the level of performance of new commercial structures.  The success of LEED – NC has been phenomenal and several other countries recently adopted the standard as well.
We are proud to announce that GWSSI has been chosen to represent the Oklahoma/Central U.S. region as a LEED for Homes Pilot Program Provider. With this distinction, GWSSI is one of twelve official verification entities with the ability to issue LEED certification to a qualified home. Though the Pilot Program is aimed at production builders (in order to make the greatest impact on mainstream practices), we have been pleasantly surprised at the growing number of small builders who have learned of the program and are interested in participating.
Ideal Homes of Norman, Oklahoma’s largest production builder, will be seeking LEED certification for their brand new Zero-Energy House in Oklahoma City.  Mack Caldwell, architect for Ideal Homes and longtime associate of Kelly Parker, is a member of the LEED for Homes committee and had a hand in shaping the initial guidelines for the pilot phase.  Caldwell was recently quoted in the publication Eco-Structure as saying, “LEED for Homes as a national standard will give homebuilders a yardstick to gauge the quality of their homes and the added value they provide to their customers.”

GWSSI has been involved with the LEED for Homes Program almost from inception and is currently involved at nearly every level.  GWSSI is at the forefront of green building promotion in Oklahoma and is responsible for keeping the state on the leading edge of residential green building and energy efficient construction. This is no small task and should be recognized as a great achievement in a region that once ranked among the least likely to adopt green building strategies.
Using a similar model as the one prescribed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) for home-energy ratings, the USGBC has designated twelve Pilot Providers as the verification and certification authority across the nation. Though designations have been created for each region (GWSSI’s being Oklahoma & Central Texas) these are not officially limiting or binding. The designations have been created simply to inform interested builders of the nearest available Pilot Provider and to ensure adequate representation across the country.

The LEED for Homes Pilot Phase is projected to continue through January 2007, with the fully-chartered program expected to launch in February 2007. GWSSI will be accepting builder’s submittals for the program through the summer of 2006, but all candidate houses must be complete before January 2007, after that, they will only be eligible for the fully-chartered program. During the pilot phase, only GWSSI LEED Raters will conduct inspections and analyses of candidate homes. Upon completion of the pilot, GWSSI will train and work with outside raters, using the knowledge and experience gained during this crucial pilot phase.

As with the LEED – NC standard, there are four (4) levels of certification and eight (8) categories on an approx. 100 point scale. The levels of certification are as follows:

• Certified (30-49 points)
• Silver (50-69 points)
• Gold (70-89 points)
• Platinum (90-108 points)

To apply for the program, please contact the nearest available Pilot Provider as listed on the USGBC website at www.usgbc.org

If you are interested in enlisting GWSSI as your LEED for Homes Pilot Program, please contact Donney Dorton at 405-946-0206 or email at ddorton@gwssi.com
Inspector’s Corner
Attic Ventilation
by Bernardo Lopez, Regional Manager

Why is attic ventilation so important? Proper attic ventilation can be the difference between having your shingle warranty voided or granted if there is a problem with your roof. When there is a problem, often the first question out of a shingle manufacturer’s mouth is:

“Did anyone make sure that there was a proper ventilation strategy applied to this roof?” One of the signs of under-ventilation in attics is that fiberglass shingles start to buckle and deteriorate before their expected longevity. Good ventilation carries hot air and moisture out of the attic to reduce high temperature build up. Moisture causes mold, mildew, and wet insulation in an attic if it is not removed by venting. That is why ventilation is so important, but what is the proper way to ventilate? Baffles must be installed at eaves to stop blown insulation from blocking the pathway between soffits and roof vents. The amount of air intake at the soffit must equal or exceed the amount of air exhausted at the ridge. The FHA (Federal Housing Administration) recommends a minimum of at least 1 square foot of attic ventilation (both intake and exhaust) for every 300 square feet of attic space. The following is an example of a calculation for ventilation:

• Calculate attic square footage
• Multiply length x width of your attic. (measurements in feet )
• 30’ x 50’ = 1500 square feet
• Calculate NFA (NET FREE AREA) needed for this attic by using the “1 to 300”                                                                      rule
• 1500 sq. ft. divided by 300 = 5 sq. ft. of NFA needed
• Convert sq. ft. of NFA to sq. inches
• 5 sq. ft. x 144 = 720 sq. inches of NFA needed
• Split the amount of NFA needed equally between the intake and the exhaust
• 720 sq. inches divided by 2 = 360 square inches of NFA needed equally for exhaust & intake
• Calculate # of linear feet of the ventilation products NFA rating
• 360 sq. inches divided by NFA rating =   lineal feet

Following this simple equation will help you determine if proper ventilation is present in your attic.

           The unvented attic is another strategy which is not commonly applied in our climate (hot & humid). This type of attic is generally built locating the ductwork and air handlers within air conditioned space. One advantage to the unvented attic is that moisture loads are reduced and duct leakage to the exterior is minimized. Although this strategy is desired, there are disadvantages. First, it is not the most cost-effective way to control your attic. All of the penetrations through the roof’s exterior have to be sealed air-tight and the thermal barrier has to be moved up to the roof rafters. As a result, heat gain across the attic insulation is increased slightly. Additionally, you have to find a way to control the pressures in your attic and the appliances have to be sealed combustion units (air handlers & water heaters) or all-electric heat pumps. Finally, finding a contractor that performs this service on a reasonable budget is a hard task to accomplish. If you need any further information, please feel free to contact Guaranteed Watt Saver at 1-888-488-0206 or visit our web-site:( www.gwssi.com )

Announcements:
Home Energy Rater Training Sept. 19 - 23, 2005
Take the first step in becoming certified by RESNET as a professional Home Energy Rater.
Register now for the comprehensive workshop to provide you all the information necessary for becoming a professional home energy rater. Training fee includes RESNET exam fee. 

Training will take place Monday - Friday, Sept. 19 - 23, 2005 in Rogers, Arkansas. Registration includes lunches, refreshments and snacks during training, complete Rater Manual and RESNET exam fee.

In this workshop you will:

• Learn about the house as a system
• Learn to produce energy ratings
• Learn to recognize construction flaws
• Learn to sell “energy upgrades”
• Learn to use state-of-the-art diagnostic tools
• Gain knowledge of infrared thermography
• Learn to use REM/Rate software
• Learn how to produce a code compliance report
• Learn to size HVAC systems
• Gain a firm grasp of building science principles and residential energy use

For more information, please contact Jennifer at GWSSI (405)-946-0206 or email jboyle@gwssi.com

If this E-mail does not display correctly, click here to view in your web browser

Plain Text Version