Parr simplifies green building for its customers

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ll I'AKING it easier to build green IYlis the soal of Parr Lumber's latest value-added program: the Parr High Performance System.

"Our program takes the hassle, worry and risk out of green building for our customers," said Nate Bond, director of sales for the Hillsboro. Or.. company. "We've been studying building sciences for the past seven years and determined the best way to impact our builders was to simplify the process for them."

He explained that the program reduces construction time and cuts down on jobsite waste, which is good for the bottom line and the environment. Benefits to homeowners include improved indoor air quality, increased energy efficiency, and lower energy costs.

"We believe that building high performance homes is simply the right thing to do," said Bond.

After a builder provides house plans to Parr, the company designs a high performance building envelope, builds the components in its own manufacturing facilities in Redmond, Or., and installs it on the jobsite. Parr also educates and works side by side with the builder's subcontractors, providing updated building techniques and implementation methods relevant to the project.

"Much of the high performance process is about controlling heat, air and moisture," Bond said. "Our high performance shell takes into account proper planning for insulation, air barriers, weatherization, and high performance windows and doors."

Parr Lumber's "Get Real" program was launched.late last year, to help customers select sustainable and environmentally friendly products.

"There are a lot of people tumed off by the whole green craze', it seems too extreme." said c.e.o. David Hamill. "We don't think it's about getting green at all; we think it's about getting real. We need healthy homes and a healthy earth; it's about choosing products that make a difference."

The first step was asking product vendors to provide detailed information on their products, to ensure they meet green guidelines and are harvested in a sustainable manner, certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the Forest Stewardship Council, manufacturod using SFI or FSC certified materials. at least partially manufactured with recycled materials, and supply clean air or energy efficiency benefits.

Hamill said that customer reaction to the program has been mostly positive. "There are certainly many shades of green, and our goal is to be as vibrant green as possible," he said. "As a building materials company, we wanted to set a standard and be a leader in the effort."

Parr also helps builders Plan for more efficient water distribution and HVAC systems. Once building is complete, Parr provides a detailed checklist of green building points achieved in the Energy Star, Earth Advantage, and LEED certification programs.

Although the Parr system may seem more expensive upfront, said Bond, it will actually cut building costs. One client who used the system reduced the size of the house's furnace by half, saved money in construction because the house was assembled in just 11 days, and had a marketing advantage from building green.

Mike Arnett, president of Lifestyle Homes of Portland and the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland, said that the Parr system cost about $8O00 more than conventional building methods, but he got "unbeatable" value.

"It's doing more than looking good for you. It's creating value and doing the right thing," he said. "If I'm going to build in this questionable housing market, I better make sure I do something that sets itself apart from the community."

So far, six homes in Portland, Or., and Vancouver, Wa., have been built using the Parr System. The sYstem will soon be available through Parr stores in Everett and Tacoma, Wa.

"We anticipate that our system will be a big factor when the housing market gets a bit stronger or as energy prices consumer larger resources from a homeowner's budget," said Bond. "We make it easy to be green."

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.lnsulating (clouble-panc) glazine u'ith incrt grLs inlill and low-emission, low-E coatings that feature a microscopically thin coating of silver or tin oxide that reflects radiant solar heat rather than absorbing and conducting it through the glass.

Warm edge spacers that separate the two panes of a double-glazed insulating glass unit.

Use of framing with inherent or engineered energy-saving features.

Windows are rated and labeled for thermal performance (in terms of heat transmission measured by U-factor, solar heat gain measured by the Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient, and air infiltration) by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). These factors should be as low as economicallY practical, although SHGC should be higher in northern climates so that solar heating can supplement artificial heating. AAMA is the NFRC's largest licensed independent certification and inspection agency for testing and labeling windows for these thermal performance factors.

Greenness doesn't end with energy efficiency considerations, however. The use and placement of windows should be evaluated holistically as a system, in interaction with other building systems. A prime example of this is maximizing daylighting as a means to reduce dependency on electric lighting. Not only is daylighting being rediscovered as a means to enhance human well-being and productivity, it reduces energy demand for lighting itself, as well as the heat load that electric lighting places on air condi- tioning systems.

Obviously, the degree of energy saving measures to be employed and the benefits of interactive considerations like daylighting depend heavily on the climate in which the building is located. The International Energy Conservation Code adopted by many local jurisdictions sets energy perfoimance targets for specific climate zones, as does the U.S. Department of Energy's more stringent Energy Star for Windows program.

As a building component, windows must serve other purposes besides greenness or energy efficiency. Depending on their placement, use, and applicable code requirements. they must variously provide means of emergency egress, defense against forced entry, resistance to water leakage, and protection from high winds and impact from wind-bome debris in locations subject to hurricanes. Meeting these requirements often means tradeoffs. For example, making the window tight enough to shut out the last puff of drafty air could render it

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Finally, note that the performance of the window product and the installed window system is the key, not some pre-conceived notion as to what material is "better" than another. For this reason, the North American fenestration standard for windows, doors and skylights is material-neutral, as is the AAMA certification program that offers independent, third-party verification of compliance with the standard. Laboratory tests determine structural strength, air infiltration, water resistance, wind resistance, and thermal performance, as well as other factors. The AAMA Gold Label bears witness to continued conformance of the product line, backed by twiceannual, third-party unannounced inspections of the manufacturers' production facilities. For vinyl and fiberglass windows, this is backed by a profile certification program that tests for conformance with applicable standards, ranging from UV weathering to lead content.

In addition, AAMA is developing a green certification program to rate the green credentials of products. All of these programs allow products of any material to be evaluated on a level playing field for what really countsperformance.

Of course, it has long been recognized that a window product's performance is only as good as its installation, which can vary in quality depending on the experience and expertise of the installer. Following the manufacturer's approved instructions to the letter, and/or using certified installers, will ensure the best solution to structurally sound, environmentally friendly, and energy efficient window performance.

Today's highly engineered windows are manufactured with advanced processes that render them environmentally acceptable on the basis of a complete, unbiased life-cycle analysis. More to the point, their use brings beneficial daylighting and views to green-conscious buildings, while offering improved thermal performance. Realizing all of these benefits in practice means selecting products proven to meet material-neutral performance standards, and then ensuring they are properly installed.

- Rich Walker is president and c.e.o of the American Architectural Manufacturer s Association. He can be reached at (847) 3 03 - 5664 or www.aamanet.orp.