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V O L . X X I I N O. X V I I J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 30 R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / D E S I G N F O C U S says Pitman. "But it's starting to draw a market. It's a continual feedback loop. What we're finding is that triple-pane windows are becoming more affordable." Changes to the building to achieve PHIUS+ certification resulted in a 3% bump in construction costs. But the result is expected to be a steady com- fortable temperature inside — warm in the winter, cool in the summer — with no central heating system and with only occasional use of the supplemen- tal electric baseboard system. And that's "the hidden story," says ReVision engineer Hans Albee. "at's where I think this project does very well," Albee says. "You can build an empty shell and put a ton of solar panels on it and that would be interesting. But when you use passive house techniques, you ratchet down the requirements of energy in the building in the most cost-effective way, because you don't need central heat and fossil fuel energy sources." What's great about the PHIUS+ standard, says Cooperrider, is it encour- ages the tinkering seen throughout the Village Centre process. "It doesn't tell you how to do it," she says. "It tells you what the end result needs to be. So we had all the options, as long as, at the end of the process, we can document the energy performance of the building." Are the principles used in Village Centre translatable, from a cost-per- spective, to a market-based commer- cial project? "It's completely translatable," says Pitman. "We understand all the parts and pieces here, and we can use those same building systems, say, in a downtown market rate rental or a condominium." Data collection from Village Centre is expected to back up claims about savings and paybacks that could improve financing options for future passive house projects. "e movement is taking off and more people are interested in it," says Walter. "We demonstrated it could be done. Now other people in the com- munity can say, 'We can do it, too.'" Cooperrider says CHOM will con- tinue to deploy the passive house concept. "I'm going to do it differently next time. We did it backwards," she says. "We'll go into the next project with the idea that we're trying to achieve this energy standard, which will make it a lot easier." L au r i e S c h r e i b e r , w h o c o v e r s r e a l e s t a t e f o r M a i n e b i z , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t l a u r i e @ p r o f i l e s m a i n e . c o m WANNA SAVE $$$$? Maine Electrical Alliance Introduces The Exclusive LED Lighting Lease It's The Lease That Pays For Itself! FACT: Your savings will exceed your lease payment! FACT: Save up to 20% on your lighting bills! FACT: No upfront costs! FACT: LEDs extended life = less replacement bulbs over time! FACT: LEDs do not emit any heat — your A/C will reduce over time! If you're serious about saving on your business bills, then you seriously need to call us today! 1-888-666-1947 www.MaineElectricalAlliance.org Certain restrictions apply. Portland, ME dunham-group.com 207.773.7100 Local Knowledge. Regional Focus. Global Reach. Black Dinah Chocolatiers wanted to move their production and retail space from Isle au Haut to the mainland... So, they chose The Dunham Group to whip up a sweet deal. The Dunham Group is proud to stand behind clients like Kate & Steve Shaffer, crafting commercial real estate deals to help Mainers realize their vision and achieve business goals. Call or visit us online. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E

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