'Tis the Season!

Due to the incoming storm, the Winter Solstice Brunch will be rescheduled to Sunday January 3, 2010 11am - 2pm

You are invited to tour the Energy Star Certified Townhouses in New Bedford’s South End.  Choose a date that works best for you to celebrate with effortlessdesign for getting the work done in 2009!

Winter Solstice Brunch

Sunday, December 20th 11am – 2pm

Lunch Hour Pizza Party

Tuesday, December 22nd 11:30am – 1:30pm

Smart Growth Mixed-Use Project

464-468 Brock Avenue

New Bedford, MA 02744

Clear View

Leaves are mostly down. Photo taken on a recent super beautiful clear day. See before photo.

Heating System Turns On

This past week the heating and air conditioning system was turned on. From the neighborhood, very clued up, KD Heating and Air Conditioning brought the LG LMU185HV air to air heat pumps online. Ken DeMelo and Kris DeMelo are participating contractors in the CoolSmart program and are very in-tune to efficient hvac systems. This install is now being monitored for performance in the completely sealed foam box (integrated to a rigid frame of course).

The primary observation is that a room temperature in the low sixties feels completely and satisfyingly warm because there are zero drafts. 

Outdoor Condensor Units (one per townhouse)

Concealed Ducted Units for three bedroom spaces (same both units)

Wall Mounted Unit for central living area (same both units)

Energy Star Audit

This past week the two townhouses were evaluated for Energy Star and the Home Energy Rating System Index (HERS). 

Before the sheetrock goes up we will fix all of the leaks found through the blower door testing. The blower door sucks air out of the building and then an infrared camera is used to see where air is being pulled into the building. During the heating season these leaks would pull cold air in and push out warm air.

Fixing leaks identified by the blower door test means valuable warm air won't  just be leaking out of the homes year after year. Despite very tight construction each townhouse was leaking 1800 CFM. Many people ask "but aren't tight homes unhealthy?" This is true if the house doesn't include a ventilation system. Stale air will be exhausted through a system called Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV). An HRV warms up the fresh air coming in with the stale being exhausted outside. 

In the attached video, conversations with Chris Mazzola of Building Diagnostics Sandwich, MA were recorded. Chris is a home energy rater who inspects the construction and measures its energy characteristics, such as insulation levels, window efficiency, wall-to-window ratios, the heating and cooling system efficiency, and the solar orientation of the home.

Pictures From Hazelwood Park

A beautiful Fall day perfect for taking a stroll in Hazelwood Park across the street from the Smart Growth Mixed Use project.

Be a Bioneer - Connect for Change

The Marion Institute’s 5th annual conference Bioneers By the Bay will be held in historic Downtown New Bedford, MA, on October 23-25, 2009. We will be in the exhibition hall featuring sustainable businesses and organizations. Looking forward to meeting lots of people and introducing them to the Smart Growth Mixed Use project.

If You Lived Here, You Would Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

In a couple weeks we will begin the Energy Star certification with Building Diagnostics in Sandwich, MA. These two  three-bedroom townhouses have been designed to reduce energy consumption throughout. 

The systems include:

super tight and highly insulated construction

heat recovery continuous ventilation

heat pump with inverter technology

tankless hot water

ventless washer dryer

steam based dishwasher

water saving fixtures

fluorescent lighting throughout

Plus bus service right out the front door! And a beautiful shoreline all around...

Contact carol@effortlessdesign.com if you would like to lease one of these efficient homes. Move in after the holidays!