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Updated April 16, 2010
 


What is a Powerhouse ?

Doug Stephens and Tina Clarke, and their builder Bick Corsa set out to do a what might seem to be impossible: creating an extremely comfortable, inexpensive to construct home that produces more energy than it uses.

All energy for heating, cooling, hot water and electricity for lights and appliances is produced on-site on an annual basis, and the surplus is sold back to the utility company !

Powerhouse website

Read more about the Powerhouse in Montague, MA.

This home took First Prize ($25,000) in the Zero Energy Challenge !

This home also received the NESEA Zero Net Energy Building Award of  $10,000 as the best Zero Net Energy home in 2009 !


Mike Duclos is now collecting data on the performance of this remarkable home.



Campbell Ellsworth - Sherman Street, Cambridge MA - Boston Sunday Globe Article

This project was recently certified as EnergyStar Level 2, which means a HERS Rating of 65 or lower.

This was the first EnergyStar project for Ellsworth Associates, and all three buildings passed with flying colors.

Boston Sunday Globe Article

Ellsworth Associates Sherman Street Project

 

Solar Village Construction Proceeding at Top Speed !

Wisdom Way Solar Village is a village of 20 near Zero Net Energy (HERS ratings 8 to 20) in Greenfield, MA. Eleven of the homes are for low-income buyers, illustrating a very significant aspect of very low energy homes: in addition to extremely comfortable buildings, these homes are 'financially comfortable' since they have been 'immunized' against energy price increases.
Read more about the details of this amazing project !

Mike Duclos is a HERS Rater and energy consultant working on Solar Village.

A home in Solar Village took Third Prize ($10,000) in the Zero Energy Challenge !




 
Changes That Pay -December 16, 2009 Boston Globe Magazine Article
 
On page two of this article, Cador Pricejones of Byggmeister, Inc. relates the story of his Deep Energy Retrofit, in which Energy Efficiency Associates is an energy consultant.
 
 
 
Deep Energy Retrofit Workshop - Marc Rosenbaum, PE
 
Marc Rosenabaum will be giving his wildly popular Deep Energy Retrofit seminar in Brattleboro, VT on December 4, for more information click here. If you are considering a Deep Energy Retrofit, or just want to learn more about this technology, this is a not to be missed event.
 
National Grid Deep Energy Retrofit Pilot
Affordable Comfort, Inc.'s Thousand Homes Challenge
 
Energy Efficiency Associates is an energy consultant for a two family home in Medford, MA, which has just been accepted into the National Grid DER Pilot, as well as Affordable Comfort, Inc.'s Thousand Homes Challenge.  
 
 
 
Passive House Imitator Article - Boston Sunday Globe October, 25, 2009 
 
Featured on the front page of the October 25 edition of the Boston Globe is an article on a home which was designed using some (but not all) of the techniques used in a real Passive House. Note that this home was not designed using the rigorous Passive House Planning Package software, nor was it designed by a Certified Passive House Consultant. This means that the actual performance is highly questionable. Certified Passive Houses have very consistent and comfortable temperatures, have extraordinarily clean air (ventilation requirements are in excess of the ASHRAE 62.2 standard used in the US) and are extremely durable as well. Don't be fooled by imitators, insist on genuine Certified Passive House.
 
Mike Duclos is a Certified Passive House Consultant.
 
 
National Grid Deep Energy Retrofit Pilot - Mike Duclos is a consultant for Boston Green Building's Deep Energy Retrofit of a three story two family home in Medford. This home has just been accepted into Affordable Comfort Inc.'s Thousand Homes Challenge.
 
 
Utilities New Role in Energy Efficiency
 
The first two paragraphs explain the Green Communities Act and decoupling provisions of recent legislation. GCA passed last summer, decoupling has still not been fully implemented.
 
 
 
 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, US House of Representatives
 
An up to the minute listing of energy related news.
 
 
 
Mass. 'Stretch Code' for Homes- Passed !
 
Massachusetts cities and towns may soon have the ability to select a higher level
of energy efficiency as their building code.
Here is a link to the Mass BBRS announcement
Here is a link to "Appendix 120 AA"  
 
Energy Efficiency Associates provides HERS rating services, and has provided consulting services to reduce HERS ratings for new homes to Zero and below (see Deep Energy Reduction), as well as reducing the HERS ratings of existing homes by as much as 125 points !
 
Energy Efficiency Associates has an in-depth understanding of how the HERS index is calculated, and therefore how to select the lowest cost changes to reduce the HERS number in both new and existing construction.
 

 

Mass Zero Net Energy Task Force Final Report

 

The Governor's Zero Net Energy Task Force, which was charged with providing recommendations that would point the way toward universal adoption of zero net energy buildings for new residential and commerical construction by 2030.

http://www.mass.gov/Eoeea/docs/eea/press/publications/zneb_taskforce_report.pdf

 

Here is a link to the Zero Net Energy Buildings Task Force website Links page:

http://www.mazneb.org/usefullinks.aspx

 
In particular, note the Architecture 2030 and the 2030 Challenge Link:
 
As well as the link to PassivHaus, the most advanced building standard in the world
 
Mike Duclos is currently enrolled in the first Boston area PassivHaus Consultant Certification course. There are currently 14 Certified PassivHaus Consultants in the United States.
 
 
 
ACEEE Press Release, March 18, 2009 - Energy efficiency initiatives that reward consumers and businesses for reducing electricity and gas usage could result in utility bill savings of $168.6 billion, according to a report released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).   More.
 
 
 
 
Energy Efficiency Associates is prepared to support the design of new homes as well as the renovation of existing homes to achieve the highest levels of performance. Are you ?