Q+A with Jason Peacock and Steve Konstantino of Maine Green Performance Building Supply

Jason Peacock and Steve Konstantino of Maine Green Performance Building Supply believe the primary goal of efficient building—creating a superior envelope that allows for a downsized heating system and using solar panels—is to ultimately have no utility costs (net zero). They recommend a Green Home Starter Kit, three products to help people create healthy homes that cost less to operate.

Jason Peacock and Steve Konstantino of Maine Green Performance Building Supply

1) ProSLAB
Building on an insulated slab instead of a basement lowers construction costs and saves the expense of running a dehumidifier to mitigate dampness. ProSLAB is a pre-molded foam form that was used in the Souler House in Wiscasset (featured in MH+D September 2013 issue), as well as in GO Logic Passive Houses in Belfast.

Intus Windows, photo courtesy Maine Green Performance Building Supply

2) Intus Windows
Triple-pane windows are often considered too expensive for their payback in energy savings. Intus Windows now offers affordable high-performance triple-pane windows with a glass R-value of R-11.36, as opposed to double-pane’s R-4. Horizon Maine’s energy modeling has shown that Intus triple-pane windows can reduce heating load by 30 to 50 percent.

SIGA Tapes, photo courtesy Maine Green Performance Building Supply

3) SIGA Tapes
There’s a big push in the building science community to make house envelopes tighter in order to achieve higher blower-door ratings. SIGA’s nontoxic acrylic-based tapes have been dominant in Europe for decades. To try them out, Tom Fullam of Near Zero Maine built two houses next to each other. One used caulk and achieved a blower-door result of 1.3 at ACH-50, while the other used SIGA tapes and saw a blower-door result of 0.33 at ACH-50, which brought it well below the Passive House standard of 0.6 or lower.  

Learn more at mainegreenbuilding.com.

Q+A with Jason Peacock of Maine Green Building Supply about Souler House

Jason Peacock set out to design and build his own comfortable, nontoxic, energy-efficient, and solar-powered home in a small solar community in Wiscasset. The result is the Souler House, named in accordance with his daughter's fortuitous misspelling. The 950-square-foot home features a 3.6 kilowatt solar array as well as many eco-smart products and design elements.

Souler House, photo courtesy Jason Peacock

Q: Which products have provided the best returns?
A: Because we wanted to maximize the solar energy produced by the house, it was critical to find efficient appliances. The magnetic induction range uses 50 percent less energy than a normal range. The lights are all LED, and we use a superinsulated Marathon tank for hot water. Heat is provided by an electric Convectair heater, plus a Regency wood stove when needed. The photovoltaic panels produced 4,300 watts last year, and our consumption was about 5,100 kilowatt-hours, so our total annual utility cost was around $200, plus one and a half cords of wood.

3.6 KW solar array, photo courtesy Jason Peacock

Q: Which interior design elements do you enjoy most?
A: The insulated slab concrete floor is incredibly durable and beautiful, with a warm, rusty-colored no-VOC stain and finish. I'm really impressed at how fresh and restorative the air feels from having used no-VOC finishes and American Clay walls along with the Venmar HRV ventilation system. We're also happy with the formaldehyde- and VOC-free Executive Cabinets from Maine Green Building Supply, as well as the PaperStone countertops. And we have a gray swivel chair from EcoHome Studio with soy-foam cushions and organic fabric that is a perfect fit for the contemporary interior.

American Clay walls, photo courtesy Jason Peacock

Q: Is there any other element you'd add?
A: Maine Green Building Supply now has Intus triple-pane (R-11) windows, now priced similarly to double-pane windows, that I'd add to future projects.

Photo courtesy Jason Peacock

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