SAGE: characterized by wisdom, prudence, and good judgment
Welcome to Sage Green Homes, the first Hybrid Zero-Net-Energy development in the nation!
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.
Ascending the Pyramid of Conservation
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.
My Own Portland Holiday: The Build It Green! Home Tour Day
This Saturday, September 25th, we’ll enjoy the annual Build It Green! Home Tour. This year’s tour of 21 remarkable projects focuses on smaller projects that integrate sustainable design and building practices. It’s like a holiday for me–being an annual event that I make tradition and look forward to celebrating. For the past 6 years I’ve volunteered as a site host to help provide tours and answer questions for those touring. This year, I’ll be touring! I always feel like I miss out on so many interesting homes. I’m especially excited about this year’s tour as a great opportunity to gain inspiration and insight from the various imaginative and innovative small spaces that people have created. With 21 options it would be easy to run myself ragged trying to see it all. Here are my top five picks (I think. There are a couple others that I may not be able to miss.):
- CoreHaus new construction PassivHaus
- Engstrom & Werlin Duplex Renovation
- Doleman Strawbale Dwelling
- Harpoon House
- 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.
Ash Creek House: Sophisticated Design + Performance
Now at $495,000, the Ash Creek House offers a sophisticated balance between the tried-and-true mid-century ranch floorplan and sophisticated material choices and high performance systems. Between the beautiful refinished oak floors, the custom cabinetry, the Japanese soaking tub, the beautiful tile work, and the lush naturescaping, this 5 bedroom, 3 bath home is a one-of-a-kind destination, nestled in the rolling hills of SW Portland. As the 1st certified LEED-Platinum remodel in Oregon, the Ash Creek House employs a number of cutting edge systems for exceptional comfort with extremely efficient energy and water consumption. It is listed for $495,000 with Hilary Bourassa and Darcie Pelsor of Oregon First. For more details, or to schedule a guided tour, contact David Todd of Meadows Group Realtors.
Also noteworthy, this home was one of the first homes in Oregon to undergo the new protocol for home performance testing to receive an Energy Performance Score, EPS. Email me for more information on how this home performs, or general inquiries about home performance testing.
Resources that made this project possible:







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