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Read the article at ProJo.com.
The first LEED rated house in Rhode Island broke ground on October 16, 2007 in Narragansett. The house is a candidate to achieve a GOLD rating under the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED-H rating system. The residential project will become the first of its kind for Rhode Island, marking a significant step forward in rethinking residential design and construction. The resulting home will have significantly reduced energy consumption, increased indoor environmental air quality, and an overall diminished impact on the environment. Heating and cooling for the home will be through a geothermal system, while the electrical needs of the home will be provided by a large photovoltaic panel array. The foundation utilizes insulated concrete forms (ICF's), and all roof runoff is captured in a cistern for use in landscape irrigation. In addition, The home uses Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) for all the exterior walls and the roof planes, something SCPB has extensive experience using.
Recognizing that the residential sector accounts for close to 22% of the energy consumption in the U.S., and close to 75% of the water consumption, the USGBC established the voluntary LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building Rating System as a method to define and measure "green buildings." The LEED-H is a building rating system specifically geared toward homes, with the overall goal being to produce environmentally responsible healthy homes. The system works by granting points to the project in eight core areas, with each point being reviewed by a third party to ensure the project has complied with the basic standards of the program. At the end of the project the points are totaled and an official rating is granted to the project, either rated, silver, gold or platinum.
South County Post and Beam has embraced the LEED System and is excited to be leading the project. Tom Weber, Associate AIA, from South County Post and Beam (SCPB) has been working on the drawings and systems design for the past 9-months. His background is in Sustainable Design and has been the person organizing the green efforts for the project. "South County Post and Beam has always focused on healthy homes, and this is a natural continuation of that core philosophy for the company", says Weber. Ken Bouvier, the Founder of the 30+ year old company, has also played a contributing role in the project, helping to educate and target local sub-contractors for the project that are willing to view the project a bit differently than "conventional" homes.
The project is moving at a fast pace with an expected occupancy in June 2008.
Framing ICF (Insulated Concrete Form)
Drainage Membrane
Structural Insulated Panel
Solar Panels on Roof
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