We will have our next monthly walk through next Thursday.  It will be an interesting class as we have a ton of things going on in the ground utility-wise (ground source manifolds, etc.), and we’ve left it exposed for folks to see.  We will specifically be discussing the manifold tie-together of the ground source wells with the mechanical contractor (Northwest Mechanical).  We’re also gearing up to pour our slabs which have a fairly complicated subgrade due to additional penetrations for ground source, photovoltaic conduit, and rainwater plumbing.  We will be going onto the site this time so will be asking folks to sign a liability waiver.  We will also do a brief project overview for those of you who haven’t been out before.

Ground source well pipe thermal fusing underway

Here is a link for directions.  We are in east of the High Street/Highlands Drive intersection on High Street – look for the group on the sidewalk.

For those of you coming from downtown Seattle, the site is only 200 feet from the Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride, which is served by Metro Route 218 and Sound Transit Route 554 (the 554 only has a return bus to Seattle).

We’ve been having a great turnout of 20-30 folks to the classes, so please come and join in the fun!

We will have our monthly site visit (always the first Thursday of the month from 3:30-4:30) on Thursday, July 1st. Since last month, we have completed most site utilities, poured foundation footings, and completed the main site retaining wall. This month, we will be discussing the complicated three dimensional underground construction we’ve had to do with site utilities, the ground source wells and manifolds, foundations, all in an incredibly tight site. We will also talk about our use of McDonald’s fryer oil for concrete form release (and even let you smell it!), as well as several recycled materials like drainage board we’re using in the project. If you missed last month, we’ll also do an overview of how the ground source well field system works. Click here for directions to the site.

Join Eastside Greendrinks on July 15th at 5:PM at Vista Park, located on 10th Avenue NE within Issaquah Highlands. Come and connect with green people, green businesses and events in your community. Jobsite tour of zHome will be included. Come check out the progress!

This is a FREE event but a $5.00 donation is suggested. Beer, wine and light appetizers will be served.

Twenty five folks joined us on site today to learn the latest on zHome construction – the groundsource wells, an overview of the groundsource system, working with high flyash concrete, and vegetable oil low toxicity form releaser.  Our next on-site class will be on July 1, and continue on the first Thursday of every month through construction.  Come join us!

Please join us for our first monthly on-site class and walkthrough at the zHome site. Click this link for directions to the site. We have now completed the ground source heat pump wells, and are starting to tie the wellfield together with a larger manifold. We are also starting to prepare concrete foundation work. At the class, we’ll be giving a quick overview of the project and upcoming activities. We will be talking through our work to date: The well drilling and install process generally; issues that have come up with the well drilling, which forced a reconfiguration and expansion of the ground source field; how the well field manifold tie together process works; and working with high flyash content concrete.

Mark your calendars for this monthly event, which will be the first Thursday of the month from 3:30 to 4:30 – upcoming walkthroughs will be on July 1, August 5, and September 2. This will be a great hands on way to track and understand this innovative project as it moves toward completion.

Patti Southard, King County GreenTools

Come find zHome at the Built Green booth to talk to staff about the project.  Hear Patti Southard of King County GreenTools speak about future proofing your home on Saturday, June 5, 11am in Room 4C-1.  She will use zHome as a case study as an advanced demonstration of climate neutral housing.

An overview presentation about zHome, as well as four other local green projects, will be provided at GLY Construction, 15 Lake Bellevue Drive, Suite 200, Bellevue, WA 98005 from 7:30-9:30am. Q/A to follow.

Details of time and location have not yet been finalized, but zHome will be participating in this conference at Evergreen College.  Check this interesting conference and come see us in action!

The Zero Energy Idea House, built in Bellevue by green building pioneers Riley and Donna Shirey, opens today to much fanfare.

This home, which will be the Shirey’s personal residence, is exactly what it says it is – it provides ideas to the building and home buying audiences for advanced energy saving technologies which are part of a potential zero energy strategy.  It includes such advanced technologies as structural insulated panels, (R-24 walls, R-40 roof), solar hot water heating, LED lighting, a reverse chiller for heating, a helical wind turbine, and a 2.5 kwh photovoltaic panel array.  The combination of all these technologies will most certainly help the house get much of the way to zero net energy usage – resulting in one of the most advanced homes built regionally to date from an energy standpoint.  The WSU Energy Program projects the home will have net energy bills of about $500 a year, quite an achievement.  I suspect given how green the Shirey’s are, they are likely to do even better than this in actual usage.

Installing the structural insulated panels

As wholistic green builders, the Shireys have also included a number of other cutting edge green components.  Extensive green roofs and native landscaping will help reduce the roof rainwater runoff.  A 3,000 gallon rainwater cistern provides irrigation.  Lots of neat green materials, like FSC floors, recycled plate glass counters, and concrete countertops show green homes can be incredibly beautiful.

I have had the pleasure of knowing the Shireys for a number of years.  They own and run Shirey Contracting, located here in Issaquah, WA.  They are true green building pioneers, and were some of the first builders regionally to draw the important connection between building and sustainability.  They have been builders for several decades and were early users of structural insulated panels, which can result in tight, energy efficient walls and quick construction timelines.  Donna was instrumental in starting Built Green, the green building program for King and Snohomish Counties.  In addition to the Idea House, the Shireys are also building a home in Florida which will be LEED platinum – two truly cutting edge homes.

A great 13 minute educational video of the home was made by King County GreenTools – don’t miss it.  Also, the Zero Energy Idea House will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 8 for self guided tours.  It is most definitely worth checking out – it is a truly inspiring home.

Project manager Brad Liljequist will speak about zHome at the Sustainable Connections conference in Bellingham, WA on Friday, April 17.  For more details, see the web site.

zHome project manager Brad Liljequist will speak at the Mountaineers climate change class on March 9 at 7 pm.  Please go to http://www.mountaineers.org/policy/eic/ for more details.