Ecofutures offers carbon neutrality consulting to home builders, remodelers, developers, and community planners. Our expertise will advance the design of and improvements to your project site to increase neither energy demand nor greenhouse gas emissions. We achieve these goals by employing aggressive use of energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy so that your project meets most (if not all, and more!) of its energy needs.
Our approach involves a thoughtful blending of client criteria, state-of-the-art “green” construction strategies and materials, passive solar design, and fully integrated advanced comfort and energy systems.
We help our clients achieve lower operating costs and reduce energy demand and greenhouse emissions with the following services:
Architectural Plan Review
Zero net energy starts on the drawing board. In close collaboration with our clients and other streams of expertise, we evaluate architectural plans to ensure and optimize the integration of:
- Thermal envelope design & assembly (i.e. insulation, air sealing) for effective heating and moisture management
- Fossil fuel-free heating and cooling systems for optimal indoor air quality (IAQ), efficiency, and comfort
- Passive solar gain
- Optimal site orientation
- Renewable energy systems for healthy indoor air quality (IAQ), efficiency, and comfort
- Green & sustainable construction materials relative to financial cost, health, comfort, durability, embodied energy, and life cycle impacts
- Calculating & offsetting carbon emissions
Solar Site Analysis
Because the key to building for zero net energy is in building orientation to harvest as much “free” solar energy as possible, site selection is one of the most important decisions in planning your project. Unfortunately, we know that it can also can be the most overwhelming decisions. Not only do you have to consider the factors that make a site capable of supporting a zero net energy home, but you also need to consider post-construction sustainability factors, such as pedestrian-friendliness, alternative transportation options, and the proximity of the site to basic services and amenities.
To alleviate the stress of choosing a site or retrofit package, we make ourselves available to visit one, or many, building sites with you. During our visit(s) we will use a variety of tools to analyze natural conditions -solar exposure, day lighting and natural ventilation strategies - to inform and transform the project’s design. We then take this data back to the team (i.e. “streams of expertise”) for evaluation and where necessary, integrate into the overall plan.
Optimizing HERS Scores
Particularly for projects located in Boulder County – where stringent BuildSmart rules apply – the HERS rating process can often be time-consuming and overwhelming. Our extensive experience working with HERS raters and the rating process has given us the skill set necessary to ensure that HERS models are as accurate as possible, and that the optimal package of modifications are selected to lower the HERS score without compromising project goals or budget restrictions.
Mechanical System Design
Integrating renewable energy into the home’s heating, cooling and ventilation systems is possibly the second most important aspect to designing and building for zero net energy.
We have experience working with a wide variety of technologies. In addition to our hands-on experience, we can perform energy and carbon modeling, as necessary, to evaluate proposed and alternative building systems. These models will compare realistic job costs, energy usage, and carbon reduction to you can make informed design decisions on constructability and affordability from a contractor’s perspective.
In essence, we can help you and your builder select the best-fit technology package to make your home or development affordable for many years to come.
Adapting Designs for Occupants with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Building and remodeling for homeowners with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity – a chronic medical condition characterized by symptoms attributed to exposure to low levels of toxic chemicals like plastics, synthetic fabrics, scented products, petroleum products and paints – is extremely difficult; it requires vigilance at every stage in design and construction.
We are experienced in working with MCS. We can review the finishes list and recommend a wide array of affordable and equally-quality materials and methods that are known to be acceptable to those who suffer from MCS.
More information about this disorder and the related symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome can be found here.
Healthy Indoor Air Quality Guarantee
In many new home projects, the design process begins with a goal of building a safe and healthy home, but after many subcontractors have come and gone, the initial indoor air quality safeguards have gone out the window. In reality, to guarantee the home is built to the highest standards of building health, a supervisor should be present on site before every new subcontractor sets foot in the building to verify no toxic materials are used, and no substitutions are made that can compromise the project. Through mechanical systems design, interior finishes specification, on-site supervision and in many other ways, we can help make sure your home is not only environmentally friendly and comfortable, but also safe for you and your family.
