By: Phil Crone
HBA of Greater Dallas
Green Vine News Column, December 2009
What can my association do for me? That question is asked a lot these days as the HBA’s role as an advocate and an educator takes on the utmost importance in these uncertain times. For two days in November, Green Built Texas’s Project Zero event provided a definitive answer.
The first day began at the Lewisville Convention Center as members (and many non-members) piled into the room for a day’s worth of training from nationally-renowned building science expert, Justin Wilson. Justin was one the founding fathers of the Built Green Colorado program, which provided us with many of the resources that led to the establishment of Green Built Texas. He now runs his own consulting firm and is on the speaking circuit, this time being brought to North Texas courtesy of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Certainly, having a Canadian company as a partner for an HBA event in Dallas will raise some eyebrows. Rest assured though that our neighbors to the north’s model for building science training is better than the one they have for health care (and a lot less expensive).
Throughout the day, Justin covered the whole gamut of building science topics including moisture management, thermal barriers, pollutant control, material choices, and HVAC improvements. My impression was that this built upon the foundation established by the NAHB Certified Green Professional training. I especially liked how he equated the principles he spoke about to external, real world issues such as construction defects, legal liability, occupant comfort, sales tips, and cost savings.
The second day of the event used the TimberCreek Zero Energy House as the venue. As the name implies, this high-performance home built by GreenCraft Builders, LLC and designed by William Peck and Associates generates more electricity than it pulls from the grid during any given year. Thanks to a variety of advanced features and building techniques including 9kW of solar power on the roof, the TimberCreek house represents the eventual future for the home building industry. These days it provides a plethora of learning opportunities for all builders looking to enhance the performance of the homes they construct.
These opportunities are precisely what Project Zero focused on throughout the second day. Attendees were treated to mini-seminars focusing on solar electricity, HVAC, solar water heating, HERS rating strategies, rain water harvesting, and efficient hot water delivery.
Topping it all off was a keynote speech by EPA National Director of ENERGY STAR for Homes, Sam Rashkin. His presentation focused on the upcoming changes to ENERGY STAR. This information is both relevant and timely as the program, which is utilized in 40 percent of all Texas homes and several municipalities, will change significantly starting in 2011. I will cover the specifics of what is to happen and what that means for builders wishing to stick with the EPA’s program, Green Built Texas’s evolution, and regional policies in a future column once the final ENERGY STAR 2011 specification is released in the weeks to come.
As you can see, this event had a lot of information and was more than worth the two days many attendees took out of their busy schedules. It also had a lot of moving parts that could not have moved fluidly without several outstanding volunteers. Therefore, I want to extend my profound appreciation to Mark Kleimann (Environments General Contractors), Adam Auensen (Tonti Properties), Kevin McLain (Dow Building Solutions), Jim Saunders (Green Mountain Energy), Dan Fette (Dan Fette Builders), Randy West (Texas Andersen Homes), Collins Jones (Newport Homebuilders), Terry Collins (Direct Energy), Scott Roberts (Creative Architects), Carolee Kamesch and her daughter Morgan (Prestige Designer Homes), and Todd Shaddock. Also, I want to thank HBA staff members Misty Varsalone and Becky Warner.
Thanks to all of their efforts and the support of the event sponsors listed below, the association through its Green Built Texas program truly was able to do an immense amount for its membership; not only in terms of information, but also in value. The cost to attend both days of Project Zero was only $50.
Special Thanks to all Project Zero Sponsors:
- 84 Lumber
- Builder Insider
- Kiva Kitchen and Bath
- Energy Shop
- Whiz-Q Stone
- Velux
- Texas Home Energy Raters Organization
