Dream team builds award-winning energy efficient home

When homeowner Robert Straka wanted to build his energy efficient dream home, 建筑师Marc Sloot 萨拉建筑师 recommended partnering with CEE 和 Sustainable 9 Design + Build, an award-winning team was born.

With backgrounds in information technology 和 marketing, brothers 赖安和查德·汉森 initially had different career plans than launching a construction company. But one perfectly timed layoff 20 years ago, two real estate licenses later, 一种新的愿景开始绽放. The pair started buying 和 rehabilitating properties, then pursued a builder's licenses 和 branched into new construction. Thus was born Sustainable 9 (named after nine core sustainability principles) with an “enduring commitment to green, 高性能, energy efficient homes that are stunningly designed 和 custom-built.”

中东欧的 新屋 team is also committed to energy efficiency in homes, working alongside contractors, 公用事业公司, builders like Sustainable 9 to ensure efficiency goals are met during construction. One team specialty is guiding builders toward home energy 认证 that increase value, 安慰, 耐用性, 以及新住宅的效率. 认证房屋, the team conducts design reviews, on-site inspections of framing 和 insulation, 最终性能测试, energy modeling to demonstrate compliance with certification requirements.

“Sustainability 和 energy efficiency are key themes in their approach to home building,” Straka said about deciding to partner with Sustainable 9 和 CEE, “They offered the right strategies to meet our goals.” Driven by Straka’s energy efficiency targets 和 中东欧的 guidance through the rating process, Sustainable 9’s collaboration resulted in a multi-certified, 获奖的家.

Christened the “Mighty Mississippi Net Zero” by the Sustainable 9 crew, the home features a multitude of energy efficient solutions 和 architecture 和 showcases several new homes 认证. Straka’s desire for his home to provide its own clean energy 和 be 零能量就绪 coupled well with Sustainable 9’s expertise in optimizing clean energy in new construction. Sustainable features include 100% LED lighting, almost 100% electric appliances, geothermal heating 和 cooling system, 2 large PV solar arrays on the st和ing seam metal roof, as well as innovations such as a new thermally broken wall system called T-stud, a drain water heat recovery system, motion activated hot water recirculation for bathrooms, 和更多的.

中东欧的 菲尔·安德森 和 杰克Selstad assisted during each stage of the build, ensuring th在 home achieved U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) certification as 零能量就绪. “Our teamwork with CEE has been invaluable — they help ensure that we get everything right,” explained Sustainable 9 project coordinator 和 building scientist Paul Trieu. “When you’re building, many actions are permanent. If you don’t do things right, you lose time 和 money. Bringing in CEE ensured that we met milestones 和 st和ards for certification. Phil 和 Jake performed inspections, provided reports, coordinated the paperwork.”

Built on a shared a passion for sustainability, the strategic partnership between CEE 和 Sustainable 9 has led to many new home 认证.

As an independent consultant, 中东欧的 team has built a reputation for quality 和 credibility. “对于我们的客户, one big way to define ‘sustainable’ is through third-party certification,特里欧说. “We feel proud to say one of our homes is certified by CEE.”

中东欧的 新屋 team provides energy testing for 家庭能源等级制度, ENERGY STAR® Certified 首页s, EPA Indoor airPlus, 美国能源部能源就绪住宅 认证. With each of these 认证 under its belt, the Mighty Mississippi Net Zero home was additionally honored with a DOE Housing Innovation Award 在 2020年能源 & Environmental Building Alliance Summit.

中东欧的 success with Sustainable 9, 萨拉建筑师, homeowner Robert Straka proves that sustainable building is valuable 和 achievable. And as similar collaborations carve an ever-widening green path in home-building, they will likely continue to evolve as the recommended, cost-conscious st和ard in future home construction.

Interested in working with CEE's 新屋 team? 联系 菲尔·安德森 at 651-789-5713 or p和erson@s5107.com.