Posted by: Brad Beeson in Therrien Waddell, Phil Andrews, NZERTF, NIST Net Zero, Net Zero, Nancy Sutley, Nancy Floreen, Henry Kelly, Chris Van Hollen, Arden Bement on
Apr 7, 2011
On March 25, 2011, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a groundbreaking ceremony at its Gaithersburg, Md., campus for three new facilities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility, the expanded National Fire Research Laboratory, and the installation of more than 2,500 new solar energy modules to supply electricity to the NIST campus will all help to advance the state of the art in green and fire-safe building practices.
Click here to read the rest of the Press Release.
Donnie Waddell, Jerry Therrien and Peter Guida at the groundbreaking.
Posted by: Brad Beeson in Standard Solar, Serious Windows, Peter Guida, NZERTF, NIST Net Zero, Net Zero Home, LEED Platinum, Indoor airPLUS, Building Science Corporation, Bethesda Bungalows on
Mar 28, 2011
Our local ABC News affiliate, WJLA, featured a story on the groundbreaking of our NIST Net Zero project. The story included an interview with Peter Guida and our good customer, the Weavers. Click here to watch the video.
Click here to continue reading our blog.
Posted by: Administrator in Therrien Waddell, NZERTF, NIST Net Zero, Net Zero Home, Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility, LEED Platinum, Indoor airPLUS, Building Science Corporation, Bethesda Bungalows, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on
Feb 1, 2011
An update on the NIST Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF). As of last week, NIST has "lifted the suspension of work", meaning we are cleared to resume the preliminary work required to get the project started. If the ground would thaw out, we could actually start the site work and excavation - the soil is currently frozen solid to about 18" deep, with a high water content. These conditions make for a very messy dig.
The NZERTF will be used to demonstrate the viability of the Net Zero Energy concept for a residential structure that is similar in size and aesthetics to the surrounding homes in the Gaithersburg area. The NZERTF will generate as much energy on an annual basis as it consumes when operated in a manner that mimics a residence occupied by a family of four. It will subsequently be used as a lab for testing various building energy technologies by the Building Fire and Research Laboratory (BFRL) of NIST. These criteria were established by NIST and Building Science Corp, the designer of the home. Additional requirements for air-tightness, indoor air quality and LEED for Homes must be met.
The NZERTF will be a wood-framed structure with approximately 2,500 SF of interior space with a basement and an attic. The entire space, including the basement and the attic, will be conditioned. The detached garage will serve as the facility control room where the interior loads of the “simulated family of four” can be programmed and monitored. Lights turning on and off, showers starting and stopping, cooking all can be controlled through this space.
To win this Federal contract, Bethesda Bungalows teamed up with commercial builder Therrien Waddell of Gaitherburg. Our experience in building LEED and EnergyStar-certified homes was critical to our successful bid. Brad Beeson will be providing his green building expertise toward earning the LEED Platinum, EnergyStar and Indoor airPlus certifications.
