Eco-Fabulous Home Down the Street wins National Green Building Award

Posted on May 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Good friend and partner, TC Legend Homes & Zero-Energy Plans LLC of Coupeville, Washington was one of eleven home building professionals awarded in a National Green Building Award by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the 14th annual National Green Building Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The design build firm was awarded for their work on a Seattle area zero energy home for Project of the Year, Single-Family Concept and Research- Enterprise.

This zero energy home was one of our favorites to participate in last year.  Built with our Premier 6-inch SIP walls and a 10-inch SIP roof, it was fun to follow the owners journey on decisions in green home building as their ultimate goal to reach net zero energy .  The owners continued to use their blog, home tours and speaking events to help educate others on how you too can afford an energy-efficient and sustainable home.  We have featured this project several times during their building process:

Washington Built Green organization, which gave the project five-star certification, published an outstanding case study on the Seattle zero energy home, green building features and stats are all included.

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Posted in Premier SIPs in the News, Structural Insulated Panels

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How insulation is an instant way to cut energy bills!

Posted on May 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

With spring and the feeling of a new building season, people start asking many of the questions we have already written about in this blog.  Instead of repeating our previous blog entries below are links to a few of them to provide answers on this topic.

The science behind energy efficiency in our building walls:  Saving energy is sexy especially when mixed with a little bit of science.

As the heat hits, keep your cool with a good R-value:   What’s in an r-value?

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Posted in Structural Insulated Panels

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Green Building & Living at Seattle Green Tour This Weekend

Posted on April 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ever wonder how easy and affordable green living and building can be?  The NorthWest EcoBuilding Guild’s 2012 Green Tours will give you LIVE examples of sustainable design construction, deconstruction landscaping, energy efficiency upgrades and more.  There will be demonstrations and workshops about the green features/products and an array of energy and building experts to chat with.  As of right now temperatures are supposed to take a turn for the warmer and sunshine on Saturday!

There will be 2 different Green tour tracks:   hosted by the Seattle Green Home Tour & South Sound Green Tour.  All green tours will be FREE and open to the public April 21st and 22nd, 10am-4pm daily.  A perfect way to celebrate Earth Day weekend!

This is a perfect time to see the different  ways you can go when you build green or improving the energy performance of your existing home.  We are especially  many of our Structural Insulated Panel, SIP, project sites are included in the Green Tour.  All SIP projects have been listed below with a description and you can find them on the tour maps.

Premier SIP projects on Green Tour:

Our good friends at Scott Homes are crazy with adrenaline preparing for the South Sound Green Tour where they are hosting FOUR tour sites:  Two SIP homes & 2 Northwest Energy Team sites (Retrofit, non SIP homes)!  Stop by their sites where experts (architect, builder, building science expert) will be on hand to give more details and answer questions.

SCOTT HOMES SIP TOUR SITES, SOUTH SOUND:

Long Lake House, Scott Homes

Long Lake Cabin:  This is a newly constructed weekend retreat.  Its the usual Scott Homes Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) house and designed with family gatherings in mind.  It’s a sweet, quiet place built for the owners to get away or to bring their children and grandchildren.  Webster Bergford designed and built the cabin….he will be on site for questions

Inspiration Home, Scott Homes

Inspiration Home:  This will be Scott Homes jewel-in-the-crown when it’s completed in August 2012.   Currently it’s a construction site so a perfect opportunity to see the down and dirty, what happens behind the walls of a Scott Homes house.  Daimon Doyle, resident building science expert will be on site to share more details and will also be speaking at the Green Tour Hub Saturday afternoon (April 21).

NORTHWEST ENERGY TEAM TOUR SITES (NON SIP), SOUTH SOUND:

Bergford House:  This is Scott’s actual home that he and Pat have lived in for 32 years.  It’s a 1925 kit-built Craftsman style farmhouse.  It was drafty, damp and needed a lot of love in the form of an energy retrofit.  They’ve done a few things and will do more as time presents itself.  Come talk to Scott and Pat….discuss what they liked, what they plan to do next, and why they doing what fixes in what order.

Furniture Works:  This is a nice downtown new and used furniture store in an old, under-insulated warehouse.  Ken Adney, the owner, wanted to replace the massive, inefficient industrial heater that roared but didn’t really do much.  NW Energy Team put in some massive ductless heat pumps (DHP) to replace them, sealed up some trouble spots and re-did the windows.  NW Energy Team’s project manager, Dan Andrews, will be there for both days of the tour.  As Scott Homes puts it….”He’s a smartypants and definitely not a salesman.  Definitely.  Ask him all sorts of questions.

COMMERCIAL SIP TOUR SITE, SOUTH SOUND:

The Drebick Wedge, Androit Construction

The Drebick Wedge:  Built by Adroit Construction, this 2,700 square foot office building was “wedged” into a small infill lot on courthouse hill.  Built air-tight with SIPs walls and roof, the high-efficient heat pump, low-E windows and doors and LED lighting.  The “Wedge” got an incredible 0.35 ACH on its initial blower door test….meaning it is EXTREMELY airtight for optimal energy efficiency.

CUSTOM MODULAR HOME SIP TOUR SITE, SEATTLE:

Waterhaus Pod, GreenPod Development

Waterhaus:  Designed and built by GreenPod Development, this low-impact, energy-efficient home model features many energy and resource saving features such as solar panes, passive solar design, graywater systems, recycled countertops, SIP walls and roof, and much more.  Greenpods meet hte markets for downsizing with its  450 sq. ft. model Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU).  It is also perfect for aging in place, cabins, second homes and home offices.

NET ZERO RESIDENTIAL SIP TOUR SITE, SEATTLE:

Ballard Net Zero Energy House, TC Legend Homes

Ballard Net-Zero Energy House:  Seattle’s first net-zero home, owners Eric and Alexandra set out to build green on a budget. Energy Star certified, 5-Star Build Green home produces as much electricity form the sun as it uses over the course of a year.  By keeping the design simple and minimizing expensive finishes, Eric and Alexandra were able to keep the cost of building down to $124 per square feet ($114 after rebates and solar production incentives).

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Premier SIPS Bring Home Top Honors in 2012 Building Excellence Awards

Posted on April 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

We were thrilled to be honored during The Structural Insulated Panel Association’s (SIPA)  10th Annual 2012 Building Excellence Awards ceremony, held at the SIPA  Annual Meeting in Texas.  Building Excellence Awards highlight innovative projects using SIPs as the basis for energy-efficient, green buildings.  Entries were evaluated on energy efficiency, design and structural engineering innovation, environmental sustainability, and creative use of SIP construction.

OVERALL COMPETITION WINNER & WINNER OF THE COMMERCIAL/ INDUSTRIAL/ INSTITUTIONAL CATEGORY

San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, designed by Catalyst Architecture

Premier SIPS was recognized as the Overall Competition Winner and winner of the Commercial/ Industrial/Institutional category for our work on the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex located outside of Los Banos, California.    As one of the largest ARRA-funded U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge construction projects and designed by Catalyst Architecture, the 17,000 sq. ft  less than zero energy building was framed with  38,032 sq. ft. of Premier  walls and roof panels to help meet LEED Platinum standards.

Read our original blog article on the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex for more project details and pictures:  SIP built National Wildlife Refuge Complex, funded by ARRA, almost complete.

HONORABLE MENTION IN COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL/INSTITUTIONAL CATEGORY

Finn Hill Junior High School, designed by Mahlum Architects

Premier SIPS also received an honorable mention in the Commercial/ Industrial/Institutional category for our work on Finn Hill Junior High School.  In an effort to reduce energy costs, Mahlum Architects designed the net-zero energy ready school with a 25 kBtu per square foot, per year energy consumption target, which is up to 70% more efficient than older Seattle area schools.  Premier SIPS was used to provide a tight, well insulated building envelope.

For more details and pictures on Finn Hill Junior High School, read our blog article highlighting this project:  Students Compete to Learn Energy & Water Conservation.

We are honored to be recognized year after year in SIPA’s Building Excellence Awards:

Visit SIPA for more details and winners of the 2012 Building Excellence Awards.

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Posted in Building Envelope, Commercial, Green Building, Premier SIPs in the News, Schools, Structural Insulated Panels

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Premier SIPS Now Manufactured in Eastern U.S.

Posted on March 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

Company’s energy-saving structural insulated panels for sale throughout Midwest and Eastern states from Ohio facility

Premier SIPS by Insulfoam— one of North America’s largest manufacturers of structural insulated panels (SIPs)—has expanded its presence to the Eastern U.S. with the addition of manufacturing capabilities in Ohio. The Ohio facility will bring to green building customers in the Midwest and Eastern regions the same strengths Premier is known for in other areas, including technical expertise on SIP design and construction, extensive on-line tools and information, the most recognized and awarded SIP product in the industry, and the backing of a strong, publicly traded company. The Tacoma, Washington-based company currently supplies SIPs throughout the West from plants in Kent, Washington, and Dixon, California. http://www.premiersips.com/bc

“As demand grows for energy-efficient commercial and institutional buildings, multi-family housing, and single-family homes, more architects and contractors are using SIPs for tight, well-insulated structures,” said James Hodgson, general manager for Premier SIPS. “Premier SIPS have largely been focused in the Western U.S. Now we’ll be able to support many additional markets with competitive pricing and delivery of our panels—helping make green building faster and more cost effective.”

Premier SIPS are comprised of two oriented strand board (OSB) “skins” laminated to an expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulating foam core. The engineered panels provide the structural support and insulation for buildings in one fast and easy-to-install component for walls, roofs, and floors. By reducing air leaks and thermal bridging, along with providing superior insulating values, SIP construction can help lower a building’s heating and cooling energy consumption by up to 60 percent—providing both immediate and long-term energy cost savings.

Many building projects in a range of cold, hot, wet, and dry climates have relied on Premier SIPS, including schools, offices, restaurants, apartments, homes, and others, from Alaska to Arizona, Washington State to North Dakota.

In the coming years, Insulfoam anticipates further expansion of its Premier SIPS product line by utilizing the manufacturing capacity of its 10 EPS plants located across the U.S.

About Premier SIPs by Insulfoam
Premier SIPS by Insulfoam leads the construction industry in the research, development and manufacturing of high-performance, energy-efficient structural insulated panels (SIPs) and related materials. As one of North America’s largest SIP manufacturers, the company is a leader in working with design professionals, contractors and code officials on innovative SIP applications. For more information about Premier SIPS, call (800) 275-7086 or visithttp://www.premiersips.com/bc.

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Posted in Insulfoam In The News, Premier SIPs in the News, Structural Insulated Panels

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FREE Seattle & Portland Wood Solutions Fairs, CEU & PDH Credits Provided

Posted on March 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Calling all Seattle and Portland area architects, engineers, code officials…all who are interested in wood design!  Premier SIPS will be one of many exhibitors at the Wood Solutions Fairs next week in Portland, Oregon on March 13, 2012, and in Seattle, Washington on March 15, 2012.  Catering to the architectural and engineering community, the Wood Solutions Fairs are a free, multi-faceted, day-long educational event on the use of wood in commercial buildings.  Did we mention this event is FREE to attend AND lunch is provided?

Design professionals can earn up to 6 AIA Continuing Education Learning Units by choosing from six tracks of concurrent seminars.  Engineers and non-member architects will receive a certificate of completion for 6 PDH credits.  Fairs are held twice a year in each WoodWorks region and attract hundreds of engineers, architects, code officials and others with an interest in wood design.

Read more on the many attributes that make wood an obvious choice for green buildings.

Sign up today at WoodWorks.

Wood Solutions Fair Portland
March 13, 2012
Oregon Convention Center
777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232

Register

Wood Solutions Fair Seattle
March 15, 2012
Washington State Convention Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101

Register

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Posted in Green Building, Green Building Events, Structural Insulated Panels

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A New Kind of Multi-Family Housing Emerges

Posted on January 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Have you ever heard the term, GrandFamily?  It’s a recently coined term (my spell check doesn’t even pick the word up)  in the United States that refers to a family where grandparents, great-grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising a child because the biological parents are unwilling tor unable to do so.*

Did you know that there is an estimated 7.5 million GrandFamilies in the U.S?  And did you know that an estimated 52,210 grandparents are second time parents in Arizona alone and out of that 13,262 GrandFamilies are located in Phoenix?**

GrandFamilies Place, 2nd floor up with SIP walls

For Grandma and Grandpa, being second time parents were not in their plans, taking on this additional responsibility of caring for children is hard on them.  Many of these families are having trouble finding safe, affordable and long-term housing.  Enter GrandFamilies Place of Phoenix.  This new kind of multi-family housing community will provide these non-traditional families affordable housing and a community where they can connect with families just like them.  Grand families have special issues according to the Washington DC-based GrandFamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center.***

  • They frequently take on care giving responsibilities with absolutely no warning.
  • Many of these caregivers live on fixed incomes and/or in small apartments and houses that are not suitable for children.
  • They may no longer be able to afford their apartments or houses after assuming the extra expenses of raising children.
  • Many caregivers are physically unable to walk stairs with children and strollers.
  • If they live in senior housing where children are often not allowed, they may be subject to eviction if the children are discovered.
  • The presence of additional children may violate their private lease agreements.
  • If they do not have legal custody of the children, they are frequently unable to convince the housing authorities to recognize their need for larger apartments.

Grandfamilies Place, 1st Story with SIP Walls

The GrandFamilies Place 3-story complex will house 56 apartments:  44 2-bedrooms and 12 3-bedrooms.  There will also be an on site social services coordinator to help these senior caregivers.  The site of construction will be recycling an aging complex that became a magnet for criminals that affected the surrounding neighborhoods in south .  Developers, Tanner Properties and Alliance Property Group  are hoping that new life will be brought to the area.  Tofel Construction, who specializes in multi-family housing construction in the Southwest, and SIPs installer JVH Group are currently raising the third floor of this complex which includes Premier Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS).

GrandFamilies Place will be financed through a mix of Low Income Tax Credits and non-profit money.  We are very excited to be part of a project that helps give families the opportunity to afford long term housing.  GrandFamilies Place will be one of two of this type of multi-housing in the country (the other is located in Boston).  We look forward to providing updates and more photos as construction comes along.  Stay tuned!

GrandFamilies Place Apartments Project Snapshot:

  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Size:  2-building complex, 3-stories, 56 units, including 44 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom
  • General Contractor:  Tofel Construction, Tucson AZ
  • Installer/Framer:  JVH Group
  • Premier SIPS Used:  23,500 sq. ft. of 6″ SIP Walls

*Wikipedia

**Analysis of U.S. Census data by the American Association for Retired Persons.

***GrandFamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center

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Posted in Green Building, Multi-Family Housing, Structural Insulated Panels

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2011 Year in Review: Top 10 SIP Projects that Provide a Green Punch!

Posted on December 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

It’s end of the year, what do we all do at the end of the year to count down to the next year coming?  Top 10….of course!  So here they are in no particular order, top 10 completed Premier  SIP Projects throughout 2011.

2011 TOP 10 PREMIER SIP PROJECTS:

1.  Zero Energy Home, Washington State:  Building green on a budget, this Seattle couple’s story and documentation along their journey is a great read!  Linked through their blog are all photos and stories that have run throughout the region.

2.  Little Big Horn College Health & Wellness Center, Montana:  SIPS help meet a tight construction schedule during a harsh Montana winter for this Tribal college’s LEED Platinum seeking Wellness Center.

3. La Posada Retirement Community, Arizona:  Green living for an aging population, take a look at how this builder is building homes to accommodate the aging population while giving them exceptional quality of life.

4. National Wildlife Refuge Complex, California:  Funded by ARRA, this state-of-the-art LEED Platinum seeking facility is less than energy construction uses over 38,032 sq. ft of Premier roof and wall panels.

5. Finn Hill Jr. High School, Washington State:  How does this school use creative ways to keep the students engaged with their school’s conservation and energy savings?

6. Cascade Culinary Institute, Oregon:  A building so yummy, you might just lick the screen.  Ok, not really, but this Culinary Institute is thrilled with the outcome of their new school!   To meet growing demand, the new teaching state-of-the-art facility has gone from a very small facility to 15,205 sq. ft. where there will be more space to train up to 100 students per year

7. Puyallap Tribal Elder Center, Washington State:  We were excited to supply Premier SIPs for a 12,000-square-foot green roof, designed to reflect the tribe’s respect for the environment and cultural connection with the Puget Sound. The sloped roof has a variety of drought tolerant plantings.

8. Eagle Ridge Residence, 2011 Merrit Seattle AIA Award, Washington State:  Stunning residential home recognized for its architectural design located in Orcas Island, WA.

9. San Mateo Passive House by Clarum Homes, California:  This Passive house exceeds  air tightness standards by 65%, 0.2 air changes per hour at 50 Pascal’s!  One of the most integral components of the passive house is an air tight building envelope.

10.Bertschi School, Living Science Building, Washington State:  This 2011 project got lots of press as being the first Living Building in Washington….we were thrilled our roof panels participated!

Here’s to 2012!  We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Year and we will see you on the other side!

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Posted in Commercial, Green Building, Living Building, Net Zero Energy, Our Projects, Passive, Premier SIPs in the News, Residential, Schools, Structural Insulated Panels, Uncategorized

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Tech Tuesday: Issues with incorporating sprinkler systems in your building project?

Posted on November 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Written by:   Joe Pasma, PE, Premier SIPS Technical Manager

New building code requirements are being adopted by local jurisdictions requiring sprinkler systems in residential construction for fire protection.  Many contractors are having issues with this requirement for stick construction and they are having an equally difficult time with incorporation of sprinkler lines in SIP construction.

Premier SIPs has already tackled this perceived new challenge many times.  While sprinkler lines cannot be incorporated directly in the core of a SIP wall or roof panel, Insulfoam has developed details that give the building owner and contractor options to satisfy this new building code requirement.  For information on how to incorporate sprinkler lines in your SIP project just contact one of our knowledgeable sales reps and they will be glad to walk you through the details.

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Posted in Building Codes, SIPs Product Specs, Structural Insulated Panels

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Wood is Good

Posted on November 21, 2011 | 1 Comment

Wood has many attributes that make it an obvious choice for green buildings.  It grows naturally, using energy from the sun, and is the only major building material that’s renewable and sustainable over the long term.  It also outperforms steel and concrete when compared using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology.*  LCA is an internationally recognized approach to evaluating materials, assemblies and even whole structures, over the course of their entire lives, based on measurable indicators of environmental impact.  Using this method, study after study has shown that wood is better for the environment than steel or concrete in terms of:  Global warming potential, Resource use, Embodied energy, Air pollution, and Water pollution.

Premier SIP

Our Structural Insulated Panel, SIP, product is an engineered wood framing system that provides an extremely strong building panel that needs no skeleton for support.  Premier’s large, pre-fabricated SIPS make the framing process faster than other building methods and enable a more airtight, well-insulated building for high energy efficiency.

Wood also contributes to a building’s energy efficiency and has an important role to play in the fight again climate change.  While humans contribute carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. growing trees absorb CO2 and release clean oxygen. Some of the CO2 is absorbed into the soil and the rest is stored ini trees- and wood products from trees- until they burn or biodegrade.

Multi-Family SIP Project, Las Vegas NV

Further to the life cycle assessment of Wood, read more on the life cycle assessment of SIPS.  By providing substantial energy savings and critical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the energy invested in the production and delivery of SIPS yields an exponential benefit to the environment, when compared to traditional stick framing.

Get inspired by our extensive project galleries and blog articles such as: Bringing Multi-Family Housing Quality & Affordability…yet Energy Efficiency, Multi-Story Building Envelopes:  Run Best on Perfect Blend of Insulation & Circulation, CAUTION: Provides Extreme Energy Efficiency, and Students Compete to Learn Energy & Water Conservation.

*WoodWorks Initiative of the Wood Products Council: Wood Wins With LCA

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Posted in Green Building, Structural Insulated Panels

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