Building sustainable homes for the next generation
Piller & Putz Construction makes every effort to incorporate green construction practices into their builds. Their environmental initiatives earned them this year’s Master Award for “Green Build of the Year”, presented by the Regina & Region Home Builders’ Association. The award recognizes their recent build in the Jameson Estates development outside White City. The two-storey slab on grade design with attached garage allowed the company the opportunity to design for efficiency and longevity.
Adam Putz, co-owner of Piller & Putz, said that the highly insulated R-52 split wall assembly and R-100 roof are essential to the building’s efficiency. “The split wall is 2x6 framing with a 5/8 inch plywood air barrier and has eight inches of EPS insulation on the outside. It is then strapped with 1x4 furring in order to attach the siding,” he said. “There is a rain screen behind the siding, which is an air space that allows for drying and improves the longevity of the siding. If you have outboard insulation, it keeps your sheeting from getting cold and reduces the risk of condensation or potential mould issues.”
With the internal temperature secured against external fluctuations, the home requires only about 20 per cent as much energy as houses that are built to the existing standard to maintain a cozy interior temperature in the winter. As a result, Piller & Putz was able to heat the home effectively with electricity only and provide passive cooling/ventilation via a Zehnder Comfoair 350 energy recovery ventilator. “If we had gas to the building, you’d at least have to pay the connection fee every month, so you’re still avoiding another monthly fee that way,” said Putz.
“In summer, rather than have air conditioning, because the house is already really well-insulated and the overhangs are designed to block the sun coming in the windows, you can use passive cooling. The Zehnder ERV has a bypass feature which will allow fresh air to come into the building without wasting energy through active cooling.”
Reduced heating and cooling demands make the home’s solar-powered electrical system practical and effective. “Solar is quickly becoming more desirable and affordable,” said Putz. “We are getting to the point where you can significantly reduce or eliminate your monthly utility bills with a Passive House or Net Zero design.”
These features did require specifications on the configuration and orientation of the building. “A simple shape was really important, especially in our climate, to achieve the energy standards that we needed to,” Putz said. “Basically, the closer to a cube it is, the more efficient it is because there is less surface area. The simpler we can make the structure, the easier it is to effectively insulate and air-seal to meet strict energy targets.”
Meanwhile, the solar panels made their own demands in the form of “large, south-facing glazing to allow for solar heat gains, as well as a 6/12 pitch on the main roof to allow for the solar system to be directly south-facing.”
Eliminating the need for a gas line may be more valuable in more remote locations, but many of the home’s features can just as easily be applied to structures in the city. “You would have to plan ahead for the orientation of the building when selecting a lot,” said Putz. “Then, you can design for solar heat gains and be as close to direct south orientation as you can for the solar panels.”
Ultimately, Putz says that an efficient home like the award-winning Piller & Putz design is a better long-term investment. “Since we are just using simple radiant electric heating and in-floor heating in the bathrooms, which is also electric, there is way less for ongoing maintenance costs when compared to typical home heating systems,” he said.
Moreover, its efficiency anticipates the direction in which the culture is shifting. “As our building codes start to change, homeowners want to build a house that’s not going to get outdated,” said Putz. “Obviously, building a new home isn’t cheap these days, so, the longer you can protect that investment and add to the long term value, the better.”
For his part, Putz is happy to lend his experience to “improve construction methods and to encourage sustainable buildings for the next generation – and to make such designs become the standard as quickly as possible. We are only going to see benefits from raising standards.”