The NAHB has published an article about a home the Prime Energy Group completed with Durham architect / build team of BuildSense and Studio B.

We had the unique opportunity of engineering the mechanical and thermal envelope of a 100 year old home that was taken back to its original framing.   We were able to give this home a performance guarantee of $86 per month.

Read more about about this project here.

The upcoming NAHB Green Show in Raleigh has announced a 6 home green bus tour. The first 2 stops on the tour are homes we worked on. The first is a Builder’s of Hope home and the second is a 100 year old remodel for Randy Lanou and the team at BuildSense/ Studio B.

Read more about the tour here

We have the pleasure and honor of working on the homes featured in this clip.  They are a great organization and Prime Energy Group is thrilled to be a partner in this effort to bring sustainability to affordable housing. Raleigh is lucky to have Nancy.   Kudos!

The GreenNC Tradeshow is moving to the new Raleigh Convention Center for its 5th annual event. The tradeshow has had great success in its first four years. So much so, that this year’s event is moving to a larger venue to accommodate the exploding interest in green building. Moving to the Convention Center will allow the tradeshow to double the number of exhibitors. The new venue is also Green! The Raleigh Convention Center is expecting to receive LEED Silver certification. Last year, the tradeshow introduced a small residential green building pavilion, which will be greatly expanded this year, into an entire residential section. However, more than half of the booth spaces are reserved for the green commercial building industry, which even during these slow economic times has been experiencing increasing interest and demand. Come join us as an attendee or an exhibitor and become part of green building in North Carolina and the Southeast.

Our company became involved with BOH after I attended an open Talk ‘n Walk at the John T. “Pop” Green Neighborhood Center back in January.  The founder and CEO gave a presentation on the organization, and as a local business owner, I was truly inspired.  I had no idea how to make it happen, but I just knew I wanted my company work with this organization and help them achieve some of their goals.  Prime Energy Group, BOH, and Advanced Energy have since worked together to create an insulation solution that will help the BOH homes perform efficiently and have extremely high levels of indoor air quality.  What this means is that these homes will be more comfortable and quiet, and have less dust, pollen, and allergens than homes with traditional fiberglass insulation.  Additionally, because of the use of spray foam, the homes will require smaller mechanical systems and use less energy than homes with traditional fiberglass insulation.  Our contribution to the thermal envelope of these homes is just one aspect of the huge process that BOH undergoes on each house.  I have personally worked on the jobsites with BOH, and the homes that are re-constructed often come with many upgrades and bonuses not typically seen even in new construction from tract builders.

The homes that BOH re-construct (all rescued from a landfill destination) sometimes arrive with granite countertops, custom cabinetry, hardwood floors, Corian vanities, and high-end fixtures.  Attention is focused on salvaging as much of the interior as possible refinishing it, and re-using it, so the end product is really remarkable. These homes are stripped back to the studs, and all plumbing, electrical, and insulation is replaced, along with the roofs and exteriors.  The quality construction coupled with these frequent “bonuses” result in fantastic homes, and ultimately, a fantastic neighborhood in which people will be very proud to live.  As Kay (who lives nearby) mentioned above, she has amazing neighbors and “. . . a neighborhood of people of mixed backgrounds, homeowners who actually care about their property, and people who WANT to be there and STAY there.”  That is what BOH is working with the city and the community to create at State Street.

BOH is partners with the Raleigh Rescue Mission, the Durham Rescue Mission and the Capital Area Workforce Development Board.  They have a work-mentor program that works in conjunction with the Raleigh and Durham Rescue Missions faith-based programs, which offer job and life training. Additionally, BOH participates in Project New Build, which offers job and educational training for at-risk youth.  These are great programs that help people in our community.  I have had the opportunity to work together with project managers that are mentors to several of the program participants, who are learning marketable construction, and green building skills.  To listen to the participants tell their stories, to hear how they have changed their lives with the help of BOH, is awe-inspiring.  As part of our involvement with the State Street project, we are going to be working with BOH to assist with their work-mentor program specifically in the area of green job training as it relates to building science.

BOH is a great organization that helps individuals, families, and communities.  This organization is one that Prime Energy Group is proud to work with.  If you are frustrated in general about the state of the economy as most people are, I challenge you to come out and volunteer with Builders of Hope.  You may even find a way to use your professional experience to help build a relationship as we did.  Be part of this force in the right direction as you help from the ground up, to heal the local economy and the environment, as well as the people and communities of Raleigh.  Inaction, speculation, and denouncing the efforts of organizations that help others are not enablers of change.

http://www.biobased.net/?gclid=CIWVpbmajZwCFRBM5Qod5EBdZg

Great stuff!

Check it out on the web here

In the mean time, watch this great video from Renovation nation