Case Study #2: Your Resilient Home, June 29th, 2017

Project Type: Remodel/Retrofit
Location: SE Portland

Characteristics of Project: This project should emphasize a home that has been built to be resilient to age, the elements, and the inevitable financial and physical changes of the occupants.

The home should have several of the following measurable characteristics:

• Alternative energy creation on site
• A Solar array large enough to provide all the needed energy for the occupants
• Should include energy storage capacity
• Wind turbines that add additional capacity to the system
• Solar Thermal array that augments the hot water supply for the home
• Air Sealed and Blower Door tested to 2.0 ACH50 min. with continuous ventilation
• Increased wall insulation over code level few or no thermal bridging; preferably blown-in, dense-pack fiberglass or cellulose and/or exterior insulation on the outside of the structural wall (preferably mineral wool instead of petroleum based insulation board)
• Windows with quality air sealing and min. average whole unit U-value of 0.27 or less
• Install properly without air leakage
• A strong foundation attachment system to counter seismic events
• Water retention cisterns capable of storing the majority of the years use
• Rain water cleaning system to make source potable

This list should be a guide as to the quality of the Home. This case study needs to comply with some number of the above characteristics though it does not have to be officially “off-grid". It should embody this line of thinking in regards to being less of a burden on municipal services and more of an energy generator. In general, this house should epitomize an approach to building a home that is resilient to known and expected changes. All projects must have been modeled in either WUFI or PHPP to verify the level of projected energy use.