Author: Jeremy Green

After more than 5 years of delays, rating systems changes and untold mishaps, Green Insight is pleased to announce the Temporary Lodging Facility at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis New Mexico has finally been approved for certification under LEED for Homes 2008! Congratulations to all involved including Tejas Premier, Green Living, LLC and of course the U.S. Airforce. It was an honor to work with our Armed Services and persist on getting this project through the certification process. Green Insight actually advocated for the project to the USGBC to be bring what was an otherwise “dead” project back to life by getting an exemption back into the 2008 program, despite the project missing the registration deadline for that rating system. While not the easiest project we’ve ever worked on, it was a privilege and honor for us.

The LEED for Homes team at Green Insight would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dean and Angela Garfinkel on the recent LEED for Homes V4.1 GOLD certification of their custom home in Crystal Harbour, Grand Cayman. This is yet another successful international LEED for Homes certification for Green Insight. As the company who certified the very first International project in the LEED for Homes program, we take pride in the successful completion of projects like this one, knowing the added difficulties of international certifications.

Through a combination of exceptional energy efficiency, water savings, and indoor air quality, this home will perform as well as it looks for many years to come. The large scale PV system in conjunction with the efficient envelope and systems, has this project modeling at net zero, even with the pool included.

Once again congratulations to the Garfinkels, the builder (Core Construction), the architect (Equiterra Design – formerly Environmental Dynamics of Albuquerque NM), and all of the trades whose hard work made this such a success!

Each year the PNM Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program recognizes its top performing trade allies. These are contractors who have helped PNM reduce its electrical demand by partnering with multifamily housing developers to reduce their electrical energy consumption. At this year’s Trade Ally Kick-Off Meeting & Award Ceremony, Green Insight, LLC was presented with PNM’s Transformer Award. Green Insight was recognized for redefining how energy savings can be identified for rehab and new construction multifamily projects through its use of energy modeling. Green Insight was also credited for being the first Trade Ally to complete a new construction project for the multifamily program.

Until recently, stability was hard to come by for those working in the agriculture industry in Hatch, NM. Work was hard, pay was low, and affordable housing was lacking. On April 12, however, that changed for 40 families with the grand opening of the $9.6 million El Camino Real Apartments. Built specifically for farm workers, this affordable housing complex offers income-based rent that adjusts with the growing season. During peak growing seasons rent will average $500 to $800 per month and drop as low as $150 during the off seasons. Also, because this project utilized federal low-income housing tax credits, each apartment had to be designed and built to be 30 percent more energy efficient than homes built to code and achieve certification under the green building standard of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. These apartments on average were built to be 70 percent more energy efficient and all achieved the highest level of certification under LEED, LEED Platinum. Read full article by Albuquerque Journal.

LEED for Homes projects are transforming the industry and the lives of dwellers across the country.

It has turned into the most widely used green building program in the world.This project and others in New Mexico have made us number 10 in our country with over 2000 LEED for Homes certified units.

Platinum is one of those trailblazer projects making it possible for people to live in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque in a LEED building.  Not only is it the first project in Nob Hill to successfully implement the increased density and building height allowable in the Nob Hill Highland Sector Development Plan, but it is a catalyst project opening the doors of emerging Nob Hill, showing other people not only is it possible but it can be done with style for a reasonable cost.

The development team believes that the global sustainability revolution starts at home, where people’s habits are formed. This project transformed a blighted and under-used site into a LEED Platinum building that is a healthy, resource efficient, and hip place to live. The project has 74 units made up of efficiencies, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments with private decks. The ground floor has community space including an exercise area and business center. Each upper floor has community deck space with a BBQ area on the roof. All the units in the project achieved HERS ratings of 60 or better which qualified the project to receive nearly $400,000.00 from the State of New Mexico Sustainable Building Tax Credit. This project provides all the common  use space electricity from PV panels on the roof and you can charge your electric car for free.

This is one of those projects that is going to ripple outwards and has already impacted the Nob Hill community by sparking other developers and business entrepreneurs to start up projects in adjacent properties. We are likely going to see the transformation of emerging Nob Hill progress more quickly now.

The Tom Roy Youth Guidance Home is an eight-bed long-term group home that serves 16-18 year-old youth aging out of foster care who are in need of a structured-living environment while they transition into adulthood.

Green Insight is very pleased to announce that this multifamily project has earned LEED for Home Silver certification – our first project in Montana.

The Home was designed with an integrated approach that included the youth, the staff, the board, the architect, CTA Architects Engineers, and the builder,Outback Construction, Inc.  Together they collaborated in creating a space that addresses the safety, health, educational and environmental needs of the kids, utilizing LEED for Homes™ green building guidelines. 

LEED for Homes Silver certification was achieved by use of local materials, a high efficiency HVAC system, ERV furnace and dual HRV systems, and heat pump hot water heaters. The project also included a number of indoor air quality measures and achieved a HERS index of 64.  

Read more at: http://youthhomesmt.org/about-us/leed-certification/