25 Callie’s Common  •  LEED for Homes  •  Platinum Rating    

Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm, Peterborough NH – www.peterboroughcohousing.org

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design strategies and features of 25 Callie’s Common:

 

Sustainable Sites

Problem being addressed: Uncontrolled rampant development - 3.2 million NEW acres are developed each year, reducing critical habitat, farmland, and wetlands. Impervious paving degrades streams and aquifers by introducing pollutants such as petro-chemicals and heavy metals into water sources, as well as affecting water temperature, stream shape, and the health of insects and amphibians.
           
Solutions Implemented: 

  1. Erosion control plan for entire site including some permeable asphalt, and limited access for vehicles.
  2. Landscape designed to minimize watering and turf, manage surface water. Use of non toxic pest control methods: <20% turf; drought resistant native plantings; increased slope pitch from house; retaining walls
  3. Compact Development walkable to town services

Water Efficiency

Problem being addressed: Water quality and quantity - “Americans extract 3,700 billion gallons of water more each year than is returned to natural water systems. 50% of ground water is no longer potable.” (Baum, BAC 2006) Buildings account for 12% annual potable water use.

Despite New England’s generous annual rainfall, water looms as the next impending resource crisis. Even here, clean, potable water can quickly become threatened: especially in light of the exponential growth in unregulated geothermal wells.  Texas and many other western states have abandoned resource-management for depletion management strategies – in other words, running out of water isn’t an ‘if’ but a ‘when’. Wolfeboro is one of three New Hampshire towns which have placed moratoriums on new wells. 
           

Solutions Implemented:

  1. Reduce water use 15-60% (user dependant)
  2. Landscape Design – plantings and landscaping require no irrigation
  3. Highly efficient indoor fixtures – dual flush toilets, and low-flow shower heads and lavatory fixtures. Potentially very low potable water use and water waste.

Energy Use and Atmosphere

Problem being addressed: Pollution & Carbon Emissions - Nationally, buildings account for 48% of total carbon emissions, 65% of total electricity use, and 48% of total energy use. In New Hampshire, despite a construction industry that is smaller than the national average, buildings account for 58% of energy use and almost the same amount in carbon emissions!

#25 Callie’s Common achieved a Home Energy Rating (HERS) Index of 45, which translates to 55% less energy use.  A standard code building has an Index of 100. To qualify for Energy Star, the Index must be 80 or below. A net-zero energy home would have an Index of 0. 
                       
Solution Implemented:

  1. 55% less energy than code built home
  2. Compared to code built: Annual Savings: $1138 heating, $154 lights and appliances; 19800 lbs Co2.

If this home had an oil furnace, it would use under 280 gallons annually for heat and hot water. A standard home of this size would use nearly 700 gallons of oil.

Insulation:  Dense-packed cellulose (recycled newsprint) in strapped walls for 7” thickness and reduced thermal bridging. Spray foam at all rim and band joists and dense-packed cellulose in ceilings.  These strategies not only provide effectively high R- Values but help create a very tight air barrier. 
Energy conservation is best achieved thorough a high-performance building envelope, created by a continuous and effective thermal barrier.
                        Ceiling – R 47, Walls – R25, Foundation – R10
                        Triple Pane Windows u.17, shgc.24
                        Infiltration: 456cfm50; .96 ACH50 (measured by blower door test)
                        Envelope loads: 92.6MMBtu/yr – as designed 37.4

  1. Projected utility costs: $1500 electricity; $503 space heating; $201 hot water heating
  2. Improved hot water distribution: central manifold and insulated pipes
  3. No HVAC refrigerants used
  4. Heat and hot water provided by a centralized neighborhood wood-pellet fired boiler system.
  5. Plumbing installed for future solar hot water collectors on all homes.

Materials and Resources

Problem being addressed: Buildings account for 40% of global raw materials use and 136 million tons of annual construction/demolition waste.

Solutions Implemented:

  1. Framing: less than 10% waste factor
  2. 2-stud corners, 24” OC studs
  3. 16 Environmentally Preferred Products used – high-recycled content; local materials (within 500 miles); low or no VOCs or other toxic components. No tropical woods used.
  4. Integrated Waste Management Planning: minimum  38% waste diverted from landfill. The actual waste diversion was much higher, but 38% was the amount documented for LEED.

Indoor Environmental Quality

Problem being addressed: Americans spend over 90% of their time indoors and indoor air has been found to be 5-100 times less healthy than the air outside, even when the building has a lot of energy-wasting air leaks!  30% of all buildings have been found to be ‘unhealthy”.
Poor indoor air quality / environment related to:

      1. Respiratory Illnesses
      2. Immune Disorders
      3. Depression
      4. Brain / Body Development
      5. Learning Ability

Since an air- tight envelope is critical for energy conservation, it is even more important to design and build for healthy indoor air quality. Note: houses don’t breath, but they do have to be able to dry out!  People and animals do breathe, so achieving good indoor air quality follows a three step strategy:
 
Solutions Implemented:
1. Eliminate (don’t bring in pollutants)
            No/low VOC paints/varnishes used
            Space designed for removing shoes at entry
No attached garage – therefore no exposure to carbon monoxide and other petro-chemicals from heated engines and items often stored in garages (lawn mowers, etc.)
            No combustion appliances for space or water heating!  Again, no risk of CO
2. Isolate – If you bring in potential pollutants, keep it separate: for example, sealed combustion appliances. Primary ‘elimination’ strategy practiced in the neighborhood, so ‘isolation’ not needed!
3. Ventilate – Mechanical ventilation is and will be a required feature of all future homes in a sustainable energy world. Heat recovery and very-efficient fans offer minimal energy penalty, far exceeded by tight envelope to minimize air-infiltration, which wastes huge amounts of energy and sacrifices comfort during hot, humid summers and the cold winters.
                       
#25 Callie’s Common has HRV (heat recovery ventilator) continuous ventilation with 70% heat recovery to minimize energy loss.  This home is flushed continuously; stale air exits from bathrooms, and fresh air enters into bedrooms.

Awareness and Education         
Basic homeowner’s operations manual created and walk-through with builder.
Ongoing group training and public relations occurs through open houses, tours, and workshops.

 
website by Blue Bass Design
  
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