Jessica Lass, Senior Press Secretary for the Natural Resource Defense Council recently visited 723 Spring Street in Ann Arbor for a tour of the home and interview regarding the upcoming proposition 3 on Michigan’s Ballot.  I explained why I felt that  Michigan’s Prop 3 renewable energy ballot initiative will help homeowners achieve net zero energy bills for their homes.

Click here to watch the video:  NRDC

The house also takes advantage of favorable electric usage rates for the geothermal ground source heat pump.  Total annual savings were $2,036 and the first year total utility cost was ($62).  Based on the solar PV production and electrical usage, the simple payback on the solar system was 11.3 years and the annual ROI equals 9%.

For more than a decade, the green-building movement has been gaining momentum based on one simple fact – when you reduce the consumption of energy in your home, you save money.

In tracking the trends that are driving the growth of green building, McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2011 Green Outlook reports 70% of buyers would prefer to purchase a green home over a conventional one. The top 3 reasons cited include reduced operating costs, increased value and a greater return on investment.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which certifies residential building projects that meet the criteria of The National Green Building Standard, green homes comprised 17% of the overall residential construction market in 2011 and are expected to grow to between 29% and 38% of the market by 2016.

“The building science has been around for a while, and now we have programs and labels from organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to quantify it,” Jerry Thatcher of Valparaiso’s Energy Diagnostics, a leader in the energy rating industry since 1992, said. “We work with builders primarily in the tri-state area (Indiana, Illinois and Michigan). The most common certification we do is the residential Green Building Standard through NAHB. We also certify homes through the ENERGY STAR® program, RESNET and LEED for Homes.”

A joint program of the EPA and DOE started in 1992, ENERGY STAR promotes energy efficient products and practices that help save money and protect the environment. In addition to new homes, the blue ENERGY STAR label appears on over 60 product categories. In 2011, ENERGY STAR saved consumers more than $23 billion on utility bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions from 41 million vehicles.

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“Scott Phillips, who lives  down the street from Grocoff in a LEED-certified  platinum home, is simi- larly  pleased with his family’s invest- ment. Phillips has taken a leadership role in Ann Arbor’s  annual solar homes tour. But with DTE’s pilot program currently inactive, others in the neighborhood will have a harder time going solar.”

Mission Zero Fest was a huge success thanks to the many individuals and organizations that worked tirelessly over many months to expand the festival and link it to the annual Mayor’s Green Festival in Ann Arbor.

From the music including Vienna Teng to the incredible educational tent which included Henry Pollack and many other notable subject matter experts, the event was successful in drawing approximately 2,000 visitors to the 700 block of Fountain Street in Ann Arbor over the two day event.

Mission Zero Fest 2012 also included a local tour of zero-energy and near net-zero energy homes, re-skilling workshops, food vendors, kid’s activities and many other fun events.  Ecology Center, Clean Energy Coalition, Ann Arbor 350, Recycle Ann Arbor and the League of Conservation Voters were just a few of the non-profit organizations that partnered to produce a great event.

Thanks also to the event sponsors – Ann Arbor State Bank, Meadowlark Builders and Architectural Resources, Fingerle Lumber, Ferguson and Kohler.  And of course the event would never had happened without the many exhibitors whose support allowed for the event to be completely free this year … THANK YOU!

Last and certainly not least, I want to thank the team that guided and instructed the participants through the 723 Spring Street Tour.  Pictured here are Sara Turcotte, Eric Phillips, Gong He, Linda Phillips and Scott Phillips.  Taking the photo was Lauren Phillips who was also a tour docent.  This team took a crash course in Solar PV Panels, Geothermal Heating & Cooling, Insulated Concrete Forms and all of the other technology featured in the home!

Special thanks to Susan Christian (right) from Meadowlark Builders, seen here “crashing” on the futon in the third floor suite at 723 Spring Street.  Most people will recognize Susan and Linda Phillips as the two faces of the house tour that guided groups through the basement, first, second and third levels of the home.  THANK YOU Susan!!!!

A big shout out to Bob Needham and Angela Cesere from AnnArbor.com for their WONDERFUL ARTICLE and coverage of the 2012 Mission Zero Fest taking place this Saturday and Sunday, June 9th & 10th on the 700 Block of Fountain in the Water Hill Neighborhood of Ann Arbor.

Bob interviewed Matt Grocoff, Doug Selby and myself about the activities and planning that went into this years festival.  He did a wonderful job of summarizing the conversation and true spirit of the festival.  Matt and Doug have been with this event since it’s inception last year and are essentially the heart and soul of the event.

Angela took a tour of 723 Spring Street, Ann Arbor’s First LEED Platinum Certified Home.  She did a great job of zeroing in on the key, high performance features of the near net-zero energy home.

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Posted: Tue, Jun 5   By Bob Needham
Entertainment director, AnnArbor.com

The Mission Zero Fest boasts some ambitious goals: showcasing some local solutions for green energy; getting people thinking and talking about taking their own steps toward low-impact living; and generally changing the community for the better.

But it’s got a fun side, too. A big fun side.

The festival — in a major expansion from its first incarnation last year — sets up shop in the Water Hill neighborhood this Saturday and Sunday. A home tour is again on the agenda, but that’s just a start: The event will also feature sustainability workshops, discussions, food, music and even dancing in the street.

But the Water Hill location isn’t the “new” location as much as it is “this year’s” location. In an effort to truly establish the event as a communitywide effort, organizers hope to change sites again next year — and the following. “We’d like to move it around,” said Scott Phillips, another organizer, whose own Water Hill house — Ann Arbor’s first to win LEED platinum certification for its green energy — is part of the home tour.

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723 Spring Street became the City of Ann Arbor’s first LEED Platinum house in 2008. This home was designed to weave into the surrounding neighborhood in style and function, while showcasing many different types of green building methods that make this home ultra-efficient. In addition to ICF Construction and Geo-thermal Heating, the home also has an 8.6kW solar array and is near net-zero. Advanced building techniques abound in this house, which also features Meadowlark Builder’s outstanding design and cabinetry.

723 Spring Street will be open to the public this weekend – June 9th and 10th as part of the Mission Zero Fest Home Tour.  The home tours and all Mission Zero Fest activities are free to the public.

723 Spring Street was also the first residential home to be completely model in Google Sketchup for use by AIA and USGBC for architect and green designer continuing education credits.  A complete library of 3D models is available for viewing or downloading at the Google 3D Warehouse.

A particularly cool feature of being modeled in Sketchup is the placement in Google Earth.   Google Earth fans can search for and have fun with the only “floating house” in Ann Arbor.   With Google Earth you can fly through the home.  Ann Arbor Sketchup fans will also be familiar with the work of Archimedes who has an amazing collection of 3D models of University and Down-town Buildings.

Green Features

• 8.6 kWs Photo-Voltaic Solar System
• Geothermal Heating & Cooling
• Energy Recovery Ventilator
• ICF Walls – Insulated Concrete Forms
• SIP Roof – Structural Insulated Panels
• Recirculating Hot Water System
• Low Flow Water Fixtures
• Solar Powered Window Blinds

Home Design Features

• 3,400 Above Grade Square Footage
• 800 Additional Square Footage Finished Basement
• 5 Bedrooms
• 4.5 Baths
• 2 Car Garage
• Custom Kitchen
• Low VOC carpets and finishes
• Hardwood Floors
• Fireplace
• Built-in Media Center
• Custom Built-in Cabinets
• Finished 3rd Level Bedroom Suite
• Central Vac

Ann Arbor, Mich., May 30, 2012 — Patriot Solar Group, a company based in Albion, Michigan, will be bringing two trailer-mounted solar generators to supply electricity for Mission Zero Fest, Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. These trailers are easy to use, easy to transport, and made in the USA. The mobile solar units will also be charging next-generation electric vehicles from Ford Motor Company, which will be demonstrated at the event.

Mission Zero Fest takes place Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ann Arbor’s Water Hill neighborhood, located just northwest of downtown.

“Having these solar trailers is keeping with the message we are trying to impart – to demonstrate that the technology for living healthier, more comfortable lives with a much smaller carbon footprint is available here and now,” notes event organizer and owner of Ann Arbor’s first LEED Platinum home Scott Phillips. “It’s one thing to talk about renewable energy, but we are trying to stay true to our message and actually use it for the event and have people experience it operating.” Phillips lives in a near net-zero home with solar panels that will be open for tours during Mission Zero Fest.

Along with the solar trailers, Mission Zero Fest organizers are taking steps to help keep waste and energy usage to a minimum. These include:

• Asking attendees to bring their own reusable water bottle (no plastic water bottles will be sold at the event, and the City of Ann Arbor will supply water stations for refilling reusable bottles)
• Providing event information via the Mission Zero Fest mobile app (a limited number of printed brochures will be available)
• Reusing printed brochures that are returned to information booths when attendees leave the event
• Encouraging attendees to walk, bike, or use public transportation to reach Mission Zero Fest (links to public transportation information and bicycle maps can be found at missionzerofest.org)

In addition, on-site recycling will be provided by Recycle Ann Arbor, and seminars and workshops will be given to address methods for reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting waste. Those who ride to the event are welcome to use the bicycle “parking lot” and learn about bicycle maintenance during informative demonstrations.

Mission Zero Fest is a unique event unlike anything that’s been seen before – it’s part sustainability symposium, part environmental exhibition, part green home tour, and part neighborhood block party. While speakers and workshops exhibit the how and why of sustainability, organizations will exhibit an array of green products and services for living a healthier, more comfortable life with a lighter footprint. Food vendors will also be on board to present local culinary favorites to attendees. The two-day event offers grassroots solutions to a complex global problem, designed to inspire a greener, more fulfilling lifestyle in our communities.

Mission Zero Fest is free for all ages and is being organized by a collective of regional green organizations, which include Ecology Center, Meadowlark Energy, Clean Energy Coalition, Architectural Resource, Ann Arbor 350, USGBC, GreenovationTV, Recycle.com, Urban Ashes, Meadowlark Builders, Clean Water Action, and the City of Ann Arbor.

About Mission Zero Fest
From home energy retrofits to homegrown tomatoes, Mission Zero Fest celebrates local, organic solutions to complex global problems. For our community, our country and our future, we seek to demonstrate real examples of conscious low-impact living, available all around you, in a fun and festive atmosphere. Learn more at www.missionzerofest.org.

Join local artist David Zinn at Mission Zero Fest Saturday, June 9 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and help him create an incredibly life-like, three-dimensional chalk drawing in celebration of living green. Zinn is a local favorite known for his joyful, irreverent work on the sidewalks for Ann Arbor. The chalk drawing demonstration takes place near the playground at Belize Park, located on the corner of West Summit and Fountain Streets. (The rain date for the chalk drawing is Sunday, June 10 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.)

Along with Zinn’s interactive activity, Mission Zero Fest will have a full schedule of lively and educational events that will focus on the event’s goal of celebrating sustainability in all its forms, in a fun, festive atmosphere. The event has attracted nationally known artists, authors, and sustainability experts who will be helping to entertain and enlighten festival attendees. A few of the family-friendly highlights include:

• A concert by singer/songwriter and pianist Vienna Tang
• A sustainable musical jam by Mr. B’s Joybox Express
• A workshop on how to raise urban chickens with City Chickens
• An activity where children are invited to draw their dream “green” playhouse
• A demonstration of milling urban trees for reuse with Urban Wood

For a full event schedule, visit MissionZeroFest.org. Mission Zero Fest is a unique event unlike anything that’s been seen before — it’s part sustainability symposium, part environmental exhibition, part green home tour, and part neighborhood block party. While speakers and workshops exhibit the how and why of sustainability, organizations will exhibit an array of green products and services for living a healthier, more comfortable life with a lighter footprint. Food vendors will also be on board to present local culinary favorites to attendees. The two-day event offers grassroots solutions to a complex global problem, designed to inspire a greener, more fulfilling lifestyle in our communities.

Mission Zero Fest takes place Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ann Arbor’s Water Hill neighborhood, located just northwest of downtown. Mission Zero Fest is free for all ages and is being organized by a collective of regional green organizations, which include Ecology Center, Meadowlark Energy, Clean Energy Coalition, Architectural Resource, Ann Arbor 350, USGBC, GreenovationTV, Recycle.com, Urban Ashes, Meadowlark Builders, Clean Water Action, and the City of Ann Arbor. About Mission Zero Fest
From home energy retrofits to homegrown tomatoes, Mission Zero Fest celebrates local, organic solutions to complex global problems. For our community, our country and our future, we seek to demonstrate real examples of conscious low-impact living, available all around you, in a fun and festive atmosphere. Learn more at www.missionzerofest.org. ]]> http://723springstreet.com/2012/05/26/mission-zero-fest-to-offer-fun-for-the-whole-family/feed/ 1 http://723springstreet.com/2012/05/24/energyefficienthome/ http://723springstreet.com/2012/05/24/energyefficienthome/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 04:04:02 +0000 723springstreet http://723springstreet.com/?p=1328 Continue reading →]]> This old house in Ann Arbor was cold, drafty and a real energy hog. That is, until Matt and Kelly Grocoff moved in and started finding ways to keep out the cold while reaping big-time energy savings. Check out the video to see what they did.