Welcome to our family project –
Our Family is in the process of designing a green showcase home and office in Hermosa Beach, California that has been chosen by Southern California Edison as the cornerstone “case study” for their net zero energy initiative. Our objective is to create a groundbreaking net zero energy, zero carbon, LEED, Greenpoint and Energy Star certified renovation that uses technologies that are, or soon will be, affordable.

This is a long term case study with measurable results and shared findings –
We are working with Edison, as well as a robust coalition of agencies and organizations to understand the cutting edge science around this topic. We have been hosting a series of design meetings to build a community around that idea and support experts getting to know one another.

The immediate past president of ASHRAE doing the mechanicals and coordinating the process of building a series computer models of the building that will ensure what is proposed actually works.

In terms of background, California’s Public Utilities Commission has set guidelines that ALL new residential construction will be net zero energy by 2020, and ALL new commercial buildings will be net zero by 2030. We (and Edison) believe this project can act as a catalyst to change energy policy in the state and create a bridge from where we are today to the future – for the health of the economy and the ecology.

This is a practical, replicable “green” project –
Building green is currently frustrating and expensive for the average person to figure out. It shouldn’t be. We want to help take down the learning curve and make it affordable.

By documenting our process as well as the results, we hope to make it less daunting and less expensive to do the right thing.

We look forward to your comments, questions and participation in the dialogue! « less