Green Living on the Santa Fe River Trail
Well, here it is, our confirmed Build Green New Mexico (BGNM) certification!
We will use this certification to apply for a Sustainable Building Tax Credit from the State of New Mexico. Our state has implemented this program in order to encourage the design and construction of energy efficient and sustainable buildings. This tax credit is worth over $8,500 for this building! Who says it doesn’t pay to be Green!
We are in a climate crisis (amongst others) . This building is a statement: Today we can build beautiful, cost efficient, and comfortable homes that produce most (if not all) of the energy that they consume. We can end our dependency on fossil fuels. It just takes a bit of courage, vision, and some work to make it happen.
Well, here it is, our final HERS (and WERS) ratings!
HERS (Home Energy Rating System) is a way to standardize and measure a building’s energy efficiency.
This home is calculated to generate more clean energy than it draws from the grid. A negative rating represents the additional clean energy the home is putting back into the grid, based on the scale of 100 for what a standard new home uses. Each negative point (-1, -2, -3, etc.) represents 1% of what a normal new home would use being returned to the grid. This home will use 125% less energy than a conventional new home!
A home with a Negative HERS rating is called a Positive Energy Home.
Santa Fe, NM is know to have a stringent green building code. All new construction in Santa Fe must have a HERS rating of 60 or less, must meet strict ASHRAE ventilation requirements and must have a WERS rating of 70 or less. This is an example of how progressive city regulations can be used to achieve clean energy goals.
Now that we are approaching the completion of the building project, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on the start of it all. It’s been a long journey since we took the first steps, one year ago, to build a solar powered condo right on the Santa Fe River trail.
We also live on the river trail, only 1.5 miles west of the condo. For years we would ride our bikes by this location and always think to ourselves “wouldn’t it be cool to live right here”?! The thing that I love most about Santa Fe is being able to experience the town and outdoors without having to drive. Coffee shops, a yoga studio, Alto Park, restaurants and the Alameda path to downtown are all right there. We believe that how you get around in a place defines your experience of the place. It is a much different experience to walk or ride to your destination. Life moves slower. It seems more fulfilling and richer, and the place where you live looks more welcoming and beautiful.
So, after two years of riding by that open lot, we could no longer resist. We had to build on it. And, the place would be beautiful, with a lofty great room illuminated by large light filled windows and private balconies looking down on the place to be, the Santa Fe River trail!
