This project started with many goals, that often conflicted, and unfortunately resulted in more compromises than I originally planned on. Here are some of the major ones…
- Build an energy efficient structure following the “Pretty Good House” guidelines. I first read about this informal building standard on Fine Homebuilding’s blog Green Building Advisor. As a basic roadmap for an energy efficient house, it made sense to me. Even though I am a LEED GA, I wasn’t seeking an outside certification like the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). But I did want to incorporate as many “green building” features as I could manage and afford. My main goal in terms of energy efficiency was to get as close to as I could to “net zero energy” use, by installing solar panels and primarily electric appliances.
- Improve indoor air quality by eliminating internal combustion (gas appliances) sources, VOCs, and dust collectors such as carpeting. California Building Code (it is said the baseline code is equivalent to LEED Gold) already requires low-VOC paints, adhesives and sealants, as well as continuous mechanical ventilation to meet the ASHRAE 62.2 standard.
- Build a house that could function as a profitable vacation rental: 3 bedrooms + loft, 3 bathrooms and 2200 square feet. An outdoor spa would be a huge plus from a rental perspective, but would also be an energy hog, so we decided on a Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom instead.
- Build the house as cost effectively as possible. I would be the general contractor, and I planned to do as much of the air sealing, insulation, and finishing work as possible. Admittedly, this would be difficult considering I have a job and kids, and the building site is a 2.5 hour drive away. In the end, I managed about 75 eight hour work days, over a two year period.