Yestermorrow Shortlisted to Receive First BrightBuilt Retrofit

Exciting news-- we’ve advanced to the final round of the BrightBuilt Retrofit selection process, which will award a New England non-profit organization with a deep-energy retrofit valued at more than $100,000. The final four organizations now advance to the next phase, where the public has an opportunity to vote online for their favorite project. Yestermorrow is thrilled to be on the ballot and encourages supporters to cast their vote at http://www.blogger.com/www.BrightBuiltRetrofit.com before the November 2nd deadline.

“This project is extremely important in demonstrating how we can turn older homes into efficient, healthy and beautiful buildings that save money for homeowners and reduce their energy needs into the future. Yestermorrow’s retrofit of our intern housing will include hands-on courses to teach a new generation of architects and builders the skills they need to tackle our existing building stock” said Kate Stephenson, Executive Director.

If selected for the BrightBuilt Retrofit, Yestermorrow will receive the following:

* $10,000 cash award toward the project cost
* $90,000 interest free-loan toward the project cost
* Discounted design services
* Access to an award-winning team of experts
* A reduced carbon footprint and lower energy bills
* More comfortable, livable, beautiful space

Bringing to light the affordability and accessibility of deep energy retrofits, the goal of the BrightBuilt Retrofit award is to complete an energy-conserving building renovation for a deserving New England non-profit organization.

How You Can Help

This next round opens it up to you, the public, inviting you to show your support by casting an online vote. While your vote makes a big difference, it can be done in as little as three clicks:

1. Click through to www.BrightBuiltRetrofit.com

2. Click next to Yestermorrow, selecting it

3. Click on the “Vote” button

With just with a few simple clicks, you help support our efforts to receive the BrightBuilt Retrofit Award, a deep-energy retrofit estimated to be valued at more than $100,000! (Voting runs October 13th through November 2nd).

Learn more about Yestermorrow's proposal to retrofit its intern housing (the "Chalet") on our website at: http://www.blogger.com/www.yestermorrow.org/retrofit.

Cast your vote at http://www.blogger.com/www.BrightBuiltRetrofit.com and share this link with others before the polls close on November 2nd. The organization with the most votes wins the BrightBuilt People’s Choice Award, valued at $1,000. So, please show your support and vote TODAY!

Alumni Featured in Deep Energy Retrofit Case Study

This great case study features two Yestermorrow alumni in a Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources- RESIDENTIAL CASE STUDY
(online at Deep Energy Retrofit, Westborough, Mass. with photos)

The deep energy retrofit of a house in Westborough stands out as an example of how an owner’s individual motivation and the historic nature of a building can shape and challenge an extensive retrofit. Owner Caroline Fisher, a designer, did not pursue the home’s retrofit so she could benefit from the anticipated energy savings. Rather, she was motivated by her belief in the social value and marketability of an energy-efficient home. Fisher noticed that certain homes within the community frequently changed ownership. This led her to think about the features that make some homes more comfortable to live in than others, which led her to classes in super-insulation at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont. There she learned that an energy-efficient home not only saves energy, but also creates a home that is comfortable, quiet, and healthy — a wonderful home to live in. Fisher’s Westborough house is an early 19th century Greek Revival antique. This made it a challenging project that required innovative and creative construction techniques. However, Jay Hartnett, the builder for the retrofit, did not have experience in energy retrofits and needed to be convinced of the value of super-insulation. On Fisher’s recommendation, Hartnett took a class at Yestermorrow, where he learned about the inefficiencies of standard insulation, as well as the money-saving benefits of closed-cell foam. Super-insulating the antique home was not an easy task due to the construction history of the house. Harnett installed two layers of rigid foam insulation to the back half of the house. On the front half, he added extra space to the wall cavity and blew in cellulose insulation. He then had to reframe the windows and doors to accommodate the additional insulation. Last, he attached the clapboard siding. Despite the complexity, Harnett has been eager to work on another super-insulation retrofit ever since he finished the project. The project was completed in the summer of 2009. Fisher has put the newly retro-fitted house on the market. She hopes a new owner will soon enjoy the comfort and benefits that this energy-efficient home offers.

ENERGY-EFFICIENCY SPECIFICATIONS

WALLS: R-40 rigid foam & blown-in cellulose insulation
ATTIC: R-60 insulation (28’’ R-100 in gables)
BASEMENT CEILING: Soy foam insulation
WINDOWS: Pella triple-pane, U-0.26
HEATING & COOLING:Heat-recovery ventilation system for forced hot-air distribution system
LIGHTING: Compact fluorescent
APPLIANCES: ENERGY STAR refrigerator & dishwasher