Whether you own an 1890 Queen Anne, a 20s Bungalow, a Cape Cod, a mid-century ranch, or a late 1998 home that was built to modern day code, there are gains to be had and money to saved (in most cases). Assuming energy costs increases over time, here are some local service providers and resources to help you achieve these gains and stay ahead of the curve. There are many programs available and the incentives go through periodic changes based on local and federal funding streams. As an Energy Trust Trade Ally, I recommend you make their website one of your first stops to learn about what kind of incentives are currently available.

Imagine Energy 503-477-9585
Hammer & Hand 503-232-2447
Streamline Dwellings 503-310-4981
Green Hammer 503-804-1746
Neil Kelly 866-691-2719
Green Home by EcoTech 503-493-1040
Gale Contractor Services (Deborah Shay & Amy Worthington) 306-241-1897
Energy Trust Trade Allies

AIRSEAL, AIRSEAL, AIRSEAL. . . and ventilate.

For other resources, you can do a keyword search in the upper left corner of this website, or contact me. The River PDX is a Holistic Source for Real Estate. I’m happy to be a resource or be a helpful link in connecting you to the appropriate local service provider or supplier. If you have any suggestions of other contractors that should be added to this list, I’d love to learn about them.

For more conservation info see also, Ascending the Pyramid of Conservation.

If you’ve been contemplating the big step of remodeling your home, creating an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) on your property, or, even bigger yet, building your own home in the Portland area, here’s a set of architects and designers (listed in no particular order) who have a body of residential work to consider.

Departure Design, Dan Lajoie + Michelle Jeresek
Andre Debar
Atelier Waechter, Ben Waechter
Limitless Blue, Corey Cliffe
Structures NW, Patrick Sugrue
PATH, Corey Martin
Paul McKean
Arciform
COMMUNITECTURE, Mark Lakeman
Emerick Architects
paolo design, Paolo Scardina
Architecture W
Giulietti/Schouten Architects
Building Arts Workshop
Works Partnership Architecture
Nathan Good

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of local architects and designers, but a solid starting place for residential architectural resources in Portland, Oregon. I welcome suggestions for additions to this list. In addition to these websites, some of these offices maintain a social media presence as well. In some cases, that provides a more up to date glimpse of what they’re working on right now. Enjoy perusing the work of our local talent! Here’s a brief sampling of local work.

Departure Design, Artist Studio, Portland, OR

Atelier Waechter, Cape Cod, Portland, OR

Emerick Architects, Northwood, Portland, OR

Arciform, 1909 House, Portland, OR

PATH architecture, Butler Residence, Portland, OR

Debar Architecture, Bacon-Brenes Home, Portland, OR

Check it out, and if you need additional recommendations for contractors to perform the work, contact me.

phase 1 @ Sage Green, listed at $224,900 and 226,900

Located on Watershed Ln, just a stone’s throw from 149th & Farmington in Beaverton, the homes at Sage Green deliver a level of function, amenity and security beyond what most people in the world will ever experience. Sage Green demonstrates that zero-net energy is possible and accessible for mainstream builders and buyers in today’s new home construction industry. Because a Sage Green home produces as much energy as it needs, it’s effective insurance against future energy price inflation. A Sage Green home is a model for how we can meet growing housing and energy demands in ways that actually improve our collective circumstances. They have an informative site to explain some of the details of how they achieve this level of performance. I’d recommend taking a look. If you’d like to schedule a guided tour, contact me. I’ve toured these homes a couple times, and I must admit, this is a remarkable feat to offer homes of this performance and design at such a price. I’d love to show you around and  share some  of their  cutting edge  systems .Listed by Shauna White at Keller Williams. For exclusive buyer representation, contact David Todd.

With this in mind, reconsider the following opportunities:

• own a view HOME on NW Cornell for $315,000
• own a LOT with a commanding city and mountain view for $200,000
• own the whole thing, a home on a double lot on NW Cornell for $515,000
• DESIGN a build-to-suit minimalist+ landmark home with stunning views at an amazing location with instant access to the city, Forest Park, and freeways for getaways!

If minimalist+ is not for you, we invite you to bring your builder and architect to assess the great potential on this site. Contact us for further information or to schedule a site visit.

FOR SALE: 541 SW Maplecrest Ct., Portland, OR 97219, listed @ $529,950, call David for more details

This home is the amazing result of many minds being drawn together to create a superior high performance home. Taking its name, the Leapfrog House, from the notion of “greening further than most people dare to green,” this home aims to go beyond common expectations for how a home can perform. Each day that it awaits it’s buyer, someone is out there spending too much money on utility bills. I’ll save the mechanical details for their site, which outlines the construction techniques, mechanicals, and materials that you could pour over for hours. In essence, the home is intended to have the smallest carbon footprint possible–in the construction phase and over the course of its life. They thought of everything and did most everything–from harvesting almost all of the framing lumber and timbers at FSC-certified forests within a couple hours of Portland to burying two cisterns that store about 6,000 gallons of rainwater that can be filtered and sterilized for all uses in the house and for irrigation.

The almighty mechanical wall that makes this home perform exceptionally well

The floor plan allows for a multitude of lifestyles and living arrangements. The main living spaces are open and loft-like, with a couple loosely defined spaces that could used for multiple purposes. The plans also include nearly 600sf of space for an accessory dwelling unit  (ADU) above the garage, if that is what the buyer chooses to do. Or, it could be a home office, an art studio, a yoga and exercise space, or a massive master suite (if you’re so inclined). As it stands, it’s a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home with multiple bonus spaces that can adapt to different uses over time.

I highly recommend a tour, if you’d like to get a better sense of what sets this home apart. Contact me to set up a guided tour.[[Show as slideshow]]

If this type of home appeals to you and you’d like to explore other options within the Portland market, you can set up a search here, or contact me for a customized residential market search. This home is listed by Sandi Sheets @ Windermere Real Estate.

Energy Conservation Pyramid

All we need is a few good autumn winds to rattle the windows and remind us that winter is on the way. If you’ve been contemplating some energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy incentives, or annual weatherization measures, here’s a helpful graphic to help prioritize which steps and upgrades will yield the best bang for the buck.

We are fortunate to live in the one of the country’s preeminent hotbeds for energy efficiency retrofitting. Between the Energy Trust, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, the Earth Advantage Institute, the Cascadia Green Building Council, and the abundance of general contractors and specialists who have committed to educating themselves and training their crews to help residents make gains in energy efficiency and overall carbon footprint reductions, we have what it takes. One place you might start is the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Trade Allies. This is a group of service providers who have taken the necessary training to be able to provide you with services and expertise in what incentives you may qualify for.

Another great option is Clean Energy Works Portland, a utility-based financing program that allows homeowners to make improvements with no money out of pocket upfront. This is an excellent program that supports homeowners in the getting a jump on those elements at the bottom of the Conservation Pyramid.

Stay tuned for more updates on the programs that become available to us in Oregon. It is a growing industry and legislation is continually working on incentive programs to help fund the retrofitting of our existing housing. Contact me if you’d like more information about any of these programs or organizations. I’m happy to be a resource and provide more information on local service providers as well.

Stay warm. Be well.

1. CoreHaus new construction PassivHaus
2. Engstrom & Werlin Duplex Renovation
3. Doleman Strawbale Dwelling
4. Harpoon House
5. Woolsey Corner Affordable Cohousing

Wow! That was hard. I’m still unsure of my choices, as there are so many interesting ones this year. Some I’ve already visited or anticipate having the opportunity to visit down the road, so that helped take a few off my plate, but there are still some that might make the list come tour day. Tickets are available online.

If you’re unable to make the tour, but would like to tap into the local green building and sustainable design world, there will also be A FREE fun, family-friendly information fair with green vendors, demonstrations, food, drink and music. I will have a table there to share my business and answer questions. There are usually dozens of local businesses and non-profits present to share what they’ve been working on and how they can help as you assess how this impacts your home and fits into your life. Overall, it’s a great day to gain inspiration and insight into how others are making strides to create healthy, sustainable living situations and dwellings. If you attend the info fair, stop by to say, “HI!”

The info fair will be held at EcoHaus from 3pm to 7pm. EcoHaus is located at 819 Se Taylor St., Portland, OR 97214. If you’d like updates on events like this throughout the year, check out my facebook page or twitter feed. Or, just contact me directly. Enjoy.

Clean Energy Works Portland is helping homes save energy with no upfront costs

Clean Energy Works Portland is financing program designed to make upgrades to your home easy, and has no upfront costs.
Follow these four simple steps to take advantage of this unique opportunity:
1. Apply for the pilot program.
Go to CleanEnergyWorksPortland.org and fill out the short application to see if you and your home qualify for the pilot.
2. Receive an in-depth home energy assessment.
You will be paired with a certified Building Performance Institute contractor and an Energy Advocate, who will be with you every step of the way to answer questions, explain the recommended measures and financing options and help you through the installation process.
3. Install energy-saving improvements with qualified contractors.
Once you decide which improvements you would like (weatherization is required), the contractor assigned to you will perform the work.
4. Repay through your heating utility bill.
Thanks to federal stimulus funding, you will pay no upfront costs. The cost of the energy-efficient improvements will be financed through a low-cost, long-term loan that you can repay on your monthly heating bill.  To date, participants have financed between $4,000 and $20,000 worth of energy upgrades to their home.  The average loan amount is $11,000.
APPLY HERE!