Projects

The 20 panel 4 kW grid-tied system at the Pintler Ranger Station in Phillipsburg, MT was one of three systems SBS designed and installed for the National Forest Service in 2009. At the end of first day, above, we had all of the rack mounted panels on the roof of their storage shed. The three forest service projects, all 4 kW systems, are utility interactive and are expected to produce a cumulative total of 16,500 kWh annually. This will prevent the release of 15,000 lbs of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere each year.

The Dixon Elementary School was one of two schools on the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Reservation that contracted with Sustainable Building Systems to do a complete energy audit on their campus. The SBS team spent a day inspecting building envelopes, mechanical systems, maintenance strategies, lighting, and performing a renewable energy assessment. Funded through the Quick Start Program which accesses federal stimulus funding, the project and resulting audit report gave the Dixon School Board the documentation needed to apply for retrofit funding.

This 4 kW utility interactive photovoltaic system is expected to provide nearly all of the electrical demands of this Missoula resident’s home. Missoula’s yearly insolation for a fixed, south-facing plane tilted at 35° is about 4.4 kWh per square meter per day.

This custom home built by Bridgewater Innovative Builders in Whitefish was verified by SBS to NAHB Green Building Guidelines Gold level, National Energy Star, met the DOE Builder’s Challenge, and qualified the builder for the $2,000 federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit for new home construction approaching a rigorous 50% better then code. This home scores a 40 on the RESNET Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scale translating to 60% better performing than a home built to energy code. Total air leakage for this 3,554 ft² home was tested at 318 CFM at -50 Pa, translating to only .04 Air Changes Per Hour under Natural conditions (ACHn) and the tightest building commissioned by SBS to date.

Helena home builder Joe Jurenka certifies all of his homes to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building program. SBS has worked extensively with Joe as he strives to build highly efficient and affordable homes that meet the standards of the program. This picture was taken at the rough inspection of a custom home he certified to the silver level of certification. SBS performed Blower Door and Duct Blaster testing for a HERS energy model as well a detailed inspection of program mandated features of the project. This home had a HERS score of 55 meaning that it uses 45% less energy then a 2006 IECC code built home. Thanks to builders like Joe, SBS Green Building Verifier Zandy Sievers was noted by the NAHB Research Center as one of the 15 most active NAHB Verifiers in the country.