Net-zero energy homes gaining popularity in Vermont

Author: Kaity Potak

Long before "eco-friendly" became the catchphrase of celebrity homeowners, Vermonters considered environmental consciousness a central tenet to responsible living. Groups such as the Vermont Green Building Network, Efficiency Vermont and Vermont Builds Greener, as well as a growing number of individuals, are working to advocate the construction of green homes. Promoting energy efficiency, using renewable energy resources, conserving water, and minimizing waste are just some of the goals that homeowners are adopting throughout the state.

As architect and green homeowner David Pill said of his recently built net-zero energy home, "the goal of this project was to create a house with as little environmental impact as possible while maintaining a high level of design and detail." Since Putnam and his wife, Hillary Maharam, established their architectural firm, Pill-Maharam Architects, 15 years ago, Putnam has seen interest in this movement grow.

"I have always tried to incorporate sustainable strategies in every project. Now that "green" is more popular and materials more available, it has gotten a lot easier," he said.

When he and his family decided to move to Vermont four years ago, Putnam already had the notion of building green on his mind. He remembers that "the landscape and environmental consciousness were two important factors" in their choice. Now, his newly completed Charlotte home, which was just featured in the November/December 2008 issue of Design New England magazine, draws its energy from a wind turbine connected to the local power grid which generated 6,657 kilowatt-hours of power last year. Pill's electric bill for all of last year totaled around $60.

Other homeowners throughout the state share this priority of "being green" when it comes to home construction. Fran and Spencer Putnam of Weybridge moved into their environmentally stellar home in July of this year. "We built it for just that purpose - to try to not produce any greenhouse gases," said Fran. Their two story, 1,800 square foot home is built into the side of a hill to take advantage of geothermal insulation. It is also connected to the grid, and features a solar membrane roof that collects the sun's power. Any extra energy is fed into the local power grid, contributing to the local area's clean energy. As they add power to the grid, the Putnams build up on credits so that on those grey days, they still have heat and electricity in their home. At the end of the year, the idea is to have averaged a net energy consumption of zero.

As Fran proudly confirmed, "It is a closed system. There's nothing outside coming in. No gas, no propane, no generator, no batteries. Nothing."

This October, the Vermont chapter of the National Solar Tour brought 120 people to the Putnam residence for an open house. Tours like this are becoming more popular throughout the state as well as throughout the country, and they help advertise the possibilities of building green.

"People are interested in retrofitting if they are able," said Putnam. "Most people can't build a whole new house like we were able to, but they want to make whatever changes they can." Such changes can include the use of salvaged materials in homes, such as interior doors, sinks and windows. Putnam herself suggests not using drying machines for laundry as a monumental way to cut down on energy usage.

Pill and Maharam's Charlotte home received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum award this year, the first ever awarded to a Vermont home. LEED is a third party certification program that has a building rating system. This nationally recognized committee is sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, and, while a great measure for sustainability, it is not the only one around. It actually has less stringent codes than some local Vermont groups.

According to Pill, "The Vermont Builds Greener program (VBG) is also excellent. It actually helped to shape the LEED for Homes program." Green homeowners invite VBG into their houses to rate the materials used, recycling components and the green practices actually performed in the home. They then receive a certification that it meets standards.

Chuck Reiss, a founding chair of the VBG committee, owner of Reiss Building and Renovation company, and the builder of the Putnams' home in Weybridge, also recognizes that LEED has some shortcomings. "[VBG] disassociated from LEED because they didn't have some of the requirements that we felt really strongly about. We felt we should be even more comprehensive in our regulations," Reiss said. His work on the Weybridge house adhered to the high standards of VBG. "The Putnam residence is what we call 'beyond efficient,'" said Reiss, referencing the heat pump, triple-paned glass windows that maximize southern exposure and the wood - largely from Vermont, and all harvested sustainably.

The South Ridge community in Middlebury is similarly dedicated to living green, but on a larger scale. Their mission statement expresses a belief that "each of us needs to contribute on an everyday level to live a greener, more sustainable lifestyle and in doing so help preserve our pastoral Vermont landscape." Josh Quinn, South Ridge's project manager, helped South Ridge become certified by VBG, as well as get their LEED certification. "This was one of the first homes in Vermont, actually, in the country, to receive the new LEED for homes certification," he happily said.

Looking at the sheer number of successful programs in Vermont, it seems likely that the rest of the world takes cues from Vermont's initiatives. Chuck Reiss said of VBG, "we have been advocating green buildings and building practices since the early 1980s, long before people even knew what that was."

Even relative newcomers to the local area recognize the inspiration that Vermont offers.

"I have learned in my very short four years here that Vermonters are very resourceful. They were on the forefront of the green building and sustainable living movement before it became trendy. They are not a microcosm [of the movement] but the nucleus of it," said Pill.