Regional Allies for Efficiency in Salem, Oregon

In 2011, Painters Hall Community Center at Pringle Creek Community in Salem, Oregon, became the first certified net-zero energy commercial building in the state. Originally built in the 1930s the building was renovated to LEED Platinum Energy Building Standard in 2010 while accomplishing five of the Living Building Challenge Petals: Site, Energy, Equity, Beauty and Process.

This innovative, sustainable and low-cost rehabilitation of an existing building is a great example of the potential in our existing building stock. Painters Hall features salvaged and recycled building materials, high-efficiency windows, lighting and HVAC upgrades, FSC wood products, rainwater harvesting and dual flush toilets, energy monitoring, a zero waste operations strategy and a 20.2 kW rooftop solar system.

The Community Center serves as a space for social gatherings, office space, art gallery, and event venue and would not have been possible without the leadership at Pringle Creek Community, a residential development founded on principles of environmental sustainability.

Join Energy Trust on December 15 to network with your local building design and construction community, and hear the Painters Hall design and management team discuss the initial building design process. Learn the strategies they used to achieve net-zero, lessons learned from the process, and how the building has been operating for the last five years.

Professionals taking this training are eligible for 2 AIA LU/HSW continuing education credits.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the importance of a design process that establishes energy performance goals and opportunities to achieve them.
• Demonstrate how every aspect of a design contributes to achieving net-zero performance primarily through reduction of energy loads and usage.
• Discuss strategies implemented at Pringle Creek to achieve net-zero performance.
• Identify technical challenges in operating and maintaining a net-zero commercial building.

Presenters:
James Meyer, Town Architect at Pringle Creek Community
Jonathan Schachter, Director of Development at Sustainable Development Inc.
Jeff Becksfort, Senior Associate at PAE