The Town of Jackson is looking to a large pot of stimulus money to get a communitywide energy efficiency program up and running. The Jackson Town Council voted last week to allow staff to apply for a $5 million grant that is being offered through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.The grant aims to fund financially sustainable projects that “fundamentally and permanently transform energy markets in a way that make energy efficiency and renewable energy the options of first choice.”The grant announcement specifically mentions programs that target energy efficiency in existing buildings and pilot projects that can be replicated.“It matches what we’re already trying to do exactly,” said Larry Pardee, public works director.Pardee said the grant money would be used to kick-start the first portion of the Jackson Energy Sustainability Project, a communitywide effort to cut energy consumption and improve energy efficiency.

The first portion of that project focuses on adding energy-efficient measures to existing buildings and infrastructure to cut energy consumption.The federal grant program is expected to award between eight and 20 grants worth between $5 million and $75 million.Pardee said it is a highly competitive grant and said members of the sustainability project plan to hire someone to complete the application using private donations given to the project.

At the same time the town is setting its sights on the high-dollar stimulus grant, it is moving forward with another project that is partially funded through stimulus money.During a meeting last week, the Town Council awarded a contract to Creative Energies to build a 170-kilowatt solar panel system at the sewer plant.The town plans to use about $500,000 in stimulus funding it received this summer to pay for a portion of the project. It will still have to contribute about $280,000.

There are two free events at the Center for the Arts on Saturday evening as part of the conference:

• · At 1:30 there will be a public screening of the movie, ‘Crude’ with opening remarks by John R. Tozzi from Cambridge Investments. From acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster), Crude is the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial environmental lawsuits on the planet. The inside story of the infamous “Amazon Chernobyl” case, Crude is a real-life high stakes legal drama, set against a backdrop of the environmental movement, global politics, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, the media, multinational corporate power, and rapidly-disappearing indigenous cultures.
• · At 7 PM R. James Woolsey, Former C.I.A. Director and energy efficiency advocate will deliver the keynote address for the Energy Sustainability Summit

(22 Local Article)

As Westbank Construction’s first green modular home, the Hopple Residence in East Jackson is our featured project this month. We are dedicated to building a more efficient, durable home, which is why we are yet again seeking LEED Certification for this project.

Going  “Green Modular”, the four framing modules that we used to create the basic structure of this home are already roughed in for electric, plumbing, HVAC, and insulation. With all of these attributes of the home already in place we give a higher priority to on-site finishes creating a seamless custom look. This eliminates the pitfalls of the typical modular facade, while retaining all the benefits of pre-fabrication and time saving techniques

On this project, our priority is focused on constructing a home that is wrapped in a highly efficient, tightly sealed building envelope. Blown-in Cellulose (recycled newspaper) wall insulation  and Polystyrene Foam Board on the exterior of the home eliminate any thermal penetration through the walls. Cellulose Insulation is superior to fiberglass in blocking heat loss and air infiltration, eliminating moisture and reducing energy consumption.

With our home tightly sealed and insulated, a Heat Recovery Ventilator keeps the indoor air quality refreshed with conditioned outside air. Heat Recovery Ventilators replace the inefficiencies of standard ventilation systems by recapturing heat from exhausted air to condition incoming air. When exploring venues to reduce energy consumption, this system makes total sense. Use only the amount of energy that a home needs to operate, while maximizing the potential of that energy.

After using Hydronic heating systems on our Glory View Project, we decided to reuse this technique on all floors of the Hopple Residence. This creates the final piece of our high efficiency heating and ventilation system. Radiant Heat just makes sense when compared with traditional forced air systems.

With the Hopple Project in its finishing stages, we are sold that Green Modular is the way to go!

All of these homes are Energy Star Certified, designed to reduce monthly utility bills up to 50% while reducing carbon emissions. Hydronic heating systems installed in the floor create a comfortable living space through the use of highly efficient radiant heat. A high priority is placed on interior air quality, through the use of low-emitting materials: including formaldehyde free insulation, low-VOC interior paints and coatings, and a superior ventilation system.

Additional material and resource conservation techniques were applied throughout the homes to achieve the LEED for Homes Gold certification. These include water conserving features such as dual flush toilets, low-flow showerheads and lavatory faucets donated by Westbank Construction. Glory view is an shining example of how renewable materials can create beautiful living spaces. The homeowner is given the peace of mind that they live in sustainably built house that did not contribute to the further destruction of natural resources. In a place like Jackson Hole, this knowledge really matters in the community.