1. Yes Virginia, You can have
Affordability & Sustainability in
Nebraska & Iowa
David Holtzclaw
Transduction Technologies
Heartland 2050 USGBC Nebraska Flatwater Chapter
February 24, 2016
2. Sustainable & Affordable Housing
• Across the U.S. more environmentally
sustainable public housing has come online
in the last 2 years
• Over 180,000 Energy Star certified multi-
family units.
• Over 130,000 LEED multi-family units
• Over 331 Passive House multi-family units
3.
4.
5. Commissioning: HERS Index
• Reference is 2006 code
built house (100)
• Each point = 1% annual
energy consumption gain
or lose
• 0 = net zero energy house
• Advantage: scores the
structure not the
occupants
• Disadvantage: doesn’t
score the occupants.
7. 2014 Total % Market
U.S 74,102 627,969 11.81 %
Texas 19,845 98,617 20.12 %
Colorado 2,688 16,909 15.9 %
Iowa 1,086 6,913 15.71 %
NE 63 3,804 1.34 %
Kansas 24 4,821 0.50%
South Dakota 9 2,768 0.33 %
www.energystar.gov/
Energy Star By the Numbers (2014)
8. “How Much Does It Cost to Build an Energy Star Home?,
2013 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Cost for Energy Star Building (2012)
13. LEED-H By the Numbers (2014)
• 29,259 LEED-H Projects (34% all LEED
Projects)
• >200,000 units certified
• 74% Multifamily
• 44% Affordable Housing
• 65% of certified units were certified since 2012
LEED In Motion, Residential, 2014
18. LEED-H Requirements
• HERS Rating <70 (local code dependent)
• EPA Energy Star Certified
• EPS Water Sense Certified (v4)
• Simulated Energy model
• Door Blower test
• Duct Leakage Test
• Thermal Barrier Verification
• Thermal Bridging Verification
• HVAC Performance Testing & Balance
• Mechanical Ventilation Testing & Verification
• Water Efficiency Verification
• Other LEED verifications (low VOC paint, etc.)
• Provider Reviews Green Rater & HERS Rater
(4th Party Review)
19. What Does LEED-H Cost?
1.HERS/Energy Star Rater: $500 - $750 (Single Family)
2. Green Rater: $400 - $500
3. Provider Fee: $400- $600
4. Total: $1,500 - $3,000
- Decreased for volume or multifamily (sampling)
Hard Costs
1.-3% to 10% more
2.Less with Green Building Experience
21. Urban Green Building Rating System
Cost Comparison, March 2011
LEED-H Registration, verification, and certification: $2,776
NGBS Registration, verification, and certification: $1,350
23. Local Incentives
1. Property Tax Abatement – Most common
2. LIHTC – Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Many local municipals require or offer
additional points for green certification for
LIHTC developers
3. Local market driven (Portland, Seattle)
4. Nonprofit Driven (Habitat for Humanity)
5. Stick vs carrot - local municipals demand it
24. Example: Cincinnati, OH
1. Offers residential property tax abatement
for units that meet LEED certification:
- Max abatement of $275,000 for up to 15
years
- Unlimited property tax abatement for up
to 15 years for LEED Platinum.
25. LIHTC Example: Virginia
1. Allows LIHTC investors to reduce their
federal income tax by $1 for every $1 of tax
credit they received. Limited to $1.75/state
resident.
2. Provide additional “credits” for green
housing (LEED-H, EarthCraft, Passive
House, etc.)
3. Offer additional “credits” for energy efficient
housing (lower HERS score).
26. NE (6pts) IA (20 pts)
1. 6 Points Max
2. All Energy Star
Equipment HVAC (1 pt)
3. Geothermal (2 pts)
4. All exterior lighting on
photocell or timer (1 pt)
5. Low VOC interior paints
(1 pt)
6. Ongoing recycling (1 pt)
7. Washer & dryer in each
unit (1 pt)
8. Community garden w/
water source (1 pt)
9. Storage area (1 pt)
1. Environmental: 12 Pts
-radon (2 pts)
-Low flow faucets (2 pts)
-Low VOC interior paints
(2 pt)
-High efficiency DHW (2
pts)
-No smoking policy in
common areas (2 pts)
-Low VOC adhesives and
sealants (2 pts)
2. Energy Efficiency (8 pts)
- HERs < 62 (8 pts)
LIHTC Green Standards
27. Passive House By the Numbers
• 4 multi-family complexes have been
certified to meet the Passive House
standard of the Passive House Institute of
the U.S. (PHIUS)
• 17 more multi-family complexes have been
submitted to PHIUS for certification
• 331 units total.
28. Summary
1. Heartland multi-family housing units are not
as sustainable or as energy efficient as their
peers across the region or country.
2. Many Heartland developers and builders
are leaving financial incentives “on the table”
by not developing more sustainable housing
units.
29. Summary
3. Next generation housing tenants will expect
more energy efficient and sustainable housing
options.
4. Greater emphasis on energy efficiency or
sustainability by the LIHTC and tax abatement
policies and utilities could greatly impact the
market place as it has in other markets.