Certified passive house by BPC Green Builders CT

The rear exterior of my Passive House

Energy Design Update newsletter, August 2014

Editor Amanda Voss

Part 1 of this series begins:

“Winner of the 2013 “Lowest HERS Index without Renewable Technologies” in the CT Zero Energy Challenge, the Trolle Residence in Danbury, Connecticut is the noteworthy culmination of a builder’s dream for his own personal residence (see Figure 12).

Trolle first got involved in green building in 1998, and by 2000 Trolle’s BPC Green Builders, LLC built the first home in Connecticut certified as an American Lung Association® Health House RX™, verified by the Conservation Services Group of Westboro, Massachusetts. BPC and Trolle went on to earn multiple Silver, Gold, and Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® for Homes certifications, a National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) Emerald certification, as well as to win “Best Energy Efficient & Green Home” in Connecticut for 2004 and 2006 (HOBI Awards), “Best Green Renovation” in Connecticut for 2011 (Home Builders Association of CT), and “Best Use of Advanced Building Technology” Green Home of the Year Awards program (Green Builder magazine).

Given this track record of extraordinary performance…”,

Read Part 1

Part 2 begins:

“As green builders, we talk a lot about the energy savings and the environmental value of our sustainable, high-performance approach. Yet there’s a difference between green building and just energy-efficiency. Working with a green builder means you get the value of our experience in energy efficiency plus our expertise with ventilation, moisture control, and avoiding toxic materials,” noted Mike Trolle, Principal at BPC Green Builders, LLC (https://dev-ec-bpcgreenbuilders.pantheonsite.io).

When it came to time to build his own house, Trolle wanted the best in performance, efficiency, and health. Winner of the 2013 “Lowest HERS Index without Renewable Technologies” in the CT Zero Energy Challenge, Trolle’s residence in Danbury, Connecticut represents a pinnacle in applied high performance lessons and field work (see Figure 3).

Earning a final Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index of 35, the Trolle Residence is also a certified Passive House through the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), an ENERGY STAR® Certified Home, a certified Zero Energy Ready Home through the Department of Energy’s Building America program, and is certified under the US Figure 3. Exterior shot of the Trolle Residence. Trolle’s company, BPC Green Builders, has earned multiple Silver, Gold, and Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® for Homes certifications, and a National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) Emerald certification. Regionally, BPC projects have been awarded “Best Energy Efficient & Green Home” in Connecticut for 2004 and 2006 (HOBI Awards), “Best Green Renovation” in Connecticut for 2011 (Home Builders Association of CT), and “Best Use of Advanced Building Technology” Green Home of the Year Awards program (Green Builder magazine). Trolle put the lessons from these projects together, resulting in the high performance of his personal residence. Photo courtesy Mike Trolle. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor airPLUS program. Trolle’s home earned a HERS 35 without the use of renewables…

Read Part 2

Article posted with permission of Energy Design Update. Energy Design Update (ISSN 0741-3629) is published monthly by Aspen Publishers, 76 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. (212) 771-0600. To subscribe, call 1-800-638-8437. For customer service, call 1-800-234-1660. Permission requests: For information on how to obtain permission to reproduce content, please go to the Aspen Publisher’s website at www.aspenpublishers.com/permissions.
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