Committee Recommendations (details can be found in the main document)

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Recommendation I Recommendation I addresses energy goals only. In general, the recommendation requires that all residential new construction be 30% more energy efficient than existing code (2006 IECC). The committee unanimously agreed energy reduction was the priority and requiring mandatory action was necessary for any effective and measurable outcomes to occur. Requiring mandatory energy performance, utilizing the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), versus mandatory prescriptive methods was considered the most flexible, fair, integrative and cost-effective method to implement a mandatory program. Research indicates home size is the most significant indicator of energy consumption. Regardless of the code prescribed insulation levels and air barriers, larger homes are less efficient in terms of actual surface-to-volume ratios, effective u-values, and envelope infiltration, as compared with smaller, simpler designs. Therefore the committee is recommending performance levels are dependent on home size.

The existing building stock offers the largest and most-cost effective opportunities to decrease energy consumption. Because the majority of buildings in the county were created prior the implementation of the energy code and new construction is significantly more energy efficient than existing building stock the committee prioritized improving the energy efficiency of the existing building stock. To address this priority, additions larger than 300 sq.ft. shall be required Final 7to improve the performance of their home by 30 HERS point or 30%, up to a 70 HERS index score. Renovation or remodels larger than 300 sq.ft. shall be required to conduct a certified energy audit prior to building permit issuance.

Heated drives, pools and spa use energy at a rate significantly higher than buildings and put considerable strain on energy infrastructure. To address large exterior energy consumption the committee recommends an Energy Mitigation Program (EMP) for heated drives and large spas and pools. The EMP requires 50% of carbon based BTUs to be off-set through renewables or in-lieu fees.

Recommendation II

Recommendation II addresses energy goals through the performance based program outlined in Recommendation I and the water, material resources, site, and indoor air quality (IAQ) goals through the inclusion of a BuildSmart Checklist. The checklist is essentially an avenue to educate builders on green building practices and provides an affordable means to distinguish and reward green building efforts. Voluntary implementation of 75% of the checklist allows a home to become a “BuildSmart” home. Within the checklist are a select few mandatory items for all new construction. Each year, the committee recommends incremental and phased inclusion of previous voluntary items to be mandatory.

Recommendation III

Recommendation III address all strategic areas of green building; energy, water, site selection, material resources, IAQ, and innovation goals through the adoption of national recognized green building program that would be mandatory for all new construction and the adoption of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program for additions and renovations to existing homes. The programs for new construction envisioned in this recommendation are the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Standard certification. Each of the national programs have several levels of certification. The committee recommends various levels of certification which is dependent on home size. The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program is a tiered system that targets a 30% energy reduction for all remodels or additions larger. Tier-one improvements are mandatory while tier-two improvements are voluntary actions outlined to reach the 30% target. The Home Performance program would be mandatory for all remodels or additions larger than 300’ sq.ft..

This recommendation can stand-alone or be offered as an option to builders/homeowners instead of meeting the requirements of recommendation I or II. The committee suggests that this be adopted as an option rather than as a stand-alone proposition.

The committee also has general recommendations that will facilitate good and efficient building practices such as submittals of mechanical designs prior to building permit issuance and providing building department energy performance expertise and outreach.

Meeting Minutes BuildSmart Technical Advisory committee

January 27, 2010  Old County Courthouse   5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Present: Brain Poster, Alan Richardson, Hermie Havvic, Matt Holland, Seth Westbrook, Mark Goodman, Tim Carter, Alan Stark, Pete Schwartz, Bruce Tidwell, Shana Sweitzer

Old Business:

1. Brian Bennet makes a Motion to adopt January 6, 2010 meeting minutes. Alan Richardson seconds.  Unanimous vote to adopt the January 6, 2010 meeting minutes.

Meeting Minutes BuildSmart Technical Advisory committee

January 6, 2010  Old County Courthouse  5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Present: David Lister, Joe Marx, Tim Carter, Brian Poster, Pete Schwartz, Don Nurge, Bruce Tidwell, Tom Harned, Rick Stark, Shana Sweitzer, Seth Westbrook

Bruce Tidwell makes motion to adopt minutes from December 16th meeting. Brian Poster seconds the motion. Unanimous vote to adopt minutes. Discuss Hailey Green Building and Development Committee presentation to BSTAC on January 20, 2010.

Meeting Minutes:  BuildSmart Technical Advisory Committee

December 16, 2009   5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Old Business

Review meeting minutes. In reality, we are looking at simple payback not ROI. ROI compares investment between two or more possibilities. MOTION: Rick Stark moves to adopt minutes from December 2nd and December 9th meeting with amended changes. Brain Bennet seconds. Meetings moved to first and third Wednesday of every month and expand meeting time to 1 ½ hrs.

New Business

1. Review Rick Stark's Proposal for Additions and HERS requirements.

Comments:

Simple and easy to understand Meets the 30% goal. Seems fair and equitable Need to have a bottom HERS threshold for existing structure. Don't want to punish the guy who built a 60 HERS home two years ago and now wants to add on an additional garage and needs to get his existing sq ft a 30% improvement. 70 may be an appropriate threshold considering that is where is 30% improvement above IECC. What about the guy who is building a garage on? Would he need to improve the existing house? If the goal is to improve existing structures an "exception" does not seems appropriate.

Rick will take comments and bring another proposal forward.

2. Tom  Harned HERS Q&A session:

Energy Audit's;

Energy Audits do not require use of a program, but HERS does. No national standard; varies types of energy audits. Some audits are walk through only while other audits conduct blow door, duct blaster, thermal photography to identify specific problems of the structure. Specific to the needs or concerns of each specific home i.e. cold rooms or drafts Identifies health concerns associated with tightening the BE. Looks at simple payback, does equations by hand Looks at safety and backdrafting

HERS

Utilizes a software program to project performance for new construction and existing construction. Also involves a performance tests to ensure performance projections occur. HERS raters are certified by a national organization. Quality assurance. Code of ethics. Requires three months of coursework and field practicals. Looks at the overall performance of the structure, does not look at one aspect of the structure such a BE tightness or mechanical efficiency. Looks at simple payback, does equations via the software program. Also applies the simple payback as a function of overall performance, while audit assess payback per specific improvement. HERS takes into consideration the local climate and number of heating days in your local Provides a comparison between homes while an audit just looks at how to improve the energy efficiency of the existing home. RESNET looks at energy only while Building Performance Institute looks at health and safety. Provides a projection HERS score based on plans and a confirmed HERS score based on a blower door and duct blaster test.

Does HERS take into consideration snow load building?

Yes,  it can take into consideration extra mass and bridging. HERS gives an R value for everything in a wall. Looks R-value wall by wall, that is why a larger house with many corners can take longer and cost more than smaller simpler designed homes.

Does air conditioning affect HERS score?

Yes, if you don't have air conditioning then your home performs better, consequently giving you a better HERS score if you did have air conditioning.

Does the type of radiant heating get brought into calculations?

No, HERS looks at the source of heat for floor, not the implementation or design.

HERS has a simplified and detailed program.

The simplified has less detail on the mechanical and solar aspects.

HERS provides various types of reports for the homeowner or contractor to make informed decisions, not just a HERS number.  Creation of some reports take additional time by the HERS rating and consequently may cost additional beyond the actual HERS rating.

Examples of reports are as follows:

"Performance Summary", "Emissions Report", Component Loads, Component Design, Air Leakage Report, Economic Summary, Performance Summary

HERS will identify rebates available for various improvements. The rater will have to be aware of these to apply them.

Mechanical equipment and BE are large focuses in the HERS program.

Comments:

Having a County building inspector familiar with HERS and building science will provide additional guidance to builder and help ensure HERS score and suggested energy improvements are fair and consistent.

Can HERs rater be familiar with project to provide suggestions to improve the HERS score by just looking at the plans?

Brian Bennet, YES.

Once the contractors and architects get familiar with HERS they will see "points" when they remodel or create new construction. Improvements are not hidden.

Next Meeting January 6, 2010

Summary and Comparison of Various Options for Additions and HERS:

RS Option:

Requires a HERS for the entire structure, new and existing sq ft, based on the following Existing structure; 30% improvement to current HERS rating. Addition; new sq ft meets new construction HERS requirements based on the amount of sq ft being added. Additions that involve a 50% sq ft increase will be required to meet the new construction HERS sliding scale for the entire home. Two HERS scores are required, one is pre-permit for the existing structure, the second a post-construction performance HERS rating.

Example A: 4000 sq ft home with a pre-addition HERS rating of 200. 800 sq ft addition requires a 70 HERS (per new construction sliding scale). The post-addition home will be required to meet a 128.3 HERS rating for the entire structure.

((4000)(HERS 140)) + (((800)(HERS(70)) = 4800 X

616,000/4800 = 128 HERS for the entire structure

AR Option: Two possible paths to compliance.

Path I

Additions; the new sq ft would be required to meet a HERS rating based on the entire sq ft, per the new construction sliding scale. Existing Structure: no improvement to existing structure.

Example A: 4000 sq ft home applies for a 800 sq ft addition. Per the new construction sliding HERS scale a 4800 sq ft home is required to meet a 58.5 HERS. The sq ft for the new addition will be required to meet a 58.5 HERS rating. No improvements will be required for the existing home.

Path II

Requires a HERS for the entire structure, new and existing sq ft, based on the following formula and the new construction sliding HERS sliding scale; ((HERS Rating for the new sq ft) X (.20)) + ((HERS rating for the existing sq ft) X (.80)) = HERS rating for the entire structure One HERS rating will be required post-construction.

Example A - 4000 sq ft home applies for an 800 sq ft addition;

((80 X 62.5 HERS) + (70 HERS X .20)) = 64 HERS for the entire structure.

Boulder Option: Uses a separate sliding scale based on existing size of the structure and % of structure which is being renovated or % of increase to the existing footprint. Boulder County is currently in the process of replacing this process.

Example A - 4000 sq ft home applies for a 800 sq ft addition. Entire structure must meet an 80 HERS

A presentation to Blaine County's Board of Commissioners and the City of Hailey's Mayor and Council.

Presented by David Neiger, Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, Boulder CO. This is the entire presentation that he have before the County Commissioners and the City Council members.

greenbldghailey

DRAFT MEETING MINUTES  BuildSmart Technical Advisory Committee

October 5, 2009   5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Present: Don Nurge, Rick Stark, Brain Bennett, Hermie Haavik, Tor Jensen, Garth Callaghan, Stephanie Reid, Muriel Plat, Alan Richardson, Bruce Tidwell, Shana Sweitzer, Mike Morgan (?)

Old Business

Review the IAQ and Site Goals.  They are stated as proposed.

October 12th The Integrated Design Process

Using Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) to obtain greater Energy Efficiency

Presented and Facilitated by David Neiger - Populus Sustainable Design Consulting,

Boulder CO

Community Campus - Room 301/302

Presentation 5:30-6:30PM (open to all)

Energy Modeling Charrette 6:30-8:30PM

(limited space available for non AIA members, RSVP 788-9815 x24)

*3 CEUs will be available to attending AIA members

(Professionals involved in the design and building industry are encouraged to attend)

 

October 13, 2009 Creating a Green Building Program

A presentation to Blaine County's Board of Commissioners and the City of Hailey's Mayor and Council

Presented by David Neiger -

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, Boulder CO

Boulder City and Boulder County, CO's experience with adopting and implementing a green building program.

5:30-7:00pm

Hailey City Hall - Council Chambers

THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND!

BuildSmart Technical Advisory Committee

August 31, 2009

Old Business

1. Discuss and Adopt August 24, 2009 meeting minutes.

2. Plum TV - group of private businesses and Blaine County go into together to do a weekly or daily "green building" tip. Exposure for private businesses and supports education outreach goals of BSTAC

 

AGENDA  BuildSmart Technical Advisory Committee

August 31, 2009  5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Draft Meeting Minutes    BuildSmart Technical Advisory Committee

August 24, 2009  5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Old Business

August 10, 2009 Meeting minutes were adopted: Bruce Tidwell motioned, Garth Callaghan seconded.

Draft Goals

For a Green Building Program in Blaine County

Energy Goals

New Construction

1. Increase the energy efficiency of new construction by 30% above the current IECC.

Draft Meeting Minutes            BuildSmart Technical Advisory Committee

August 10, 2009 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Old Business

Outreach and Education Activities:

Below is a report that summarizes the results from the Green Buildings Stakeholder Presentation and Forum on June 16, 2009. This report was put together by County and City staff to help guide Hailey's and the County's green building committees with regard to above-code recommendations.