951 Pacific (near Grand) is designed to be netzero

whynot_31

If I commented on every building going up on western Crown Heights, I'd likely go insane. So, I try to focus on only the big ones or the interesting ones.

This little complex is sort of interesting in that it has decided to go after the green folks: Those who have lots of money and want to save trees.

Here's the details
http://www.r-951.com/

capt. planet

There will be a free "technical open house" for this property on Sat. Feb. 7 from 2 to 6 PM.  Please feel free to drop by and discover what a net zero energy condominium with 49 solar panels and energy recovery ventilation looks like.  951 Pacific Street is between Washington and Grand.

whynot_31

I believe this open house will also feature Capt. Planet as one of the realtors.

@capt. planet -
Can you give readers the approximate psf premium that environmentally concious folks will pay to live in this green house?

My sense is that condos in the area are presently going for about $900 psf.

What will be the psf asking price for these?

capt. planet

Green isn't a disease.  It's an opportunity to actually do something about the planet's wretched condition and climate change.  Comparing apples to oranges, ie, conventional buildings that consume 90% more energy than Passive House buildings, isn't fair.  Especially when you factor in that these condo owners will have no energy costs after the initial purchase.  There is no gas coming into the building, all energy used is derived from 49 solar panels mounted on the roof of the building.  Considering all of these factors and the superior quality of the construction, detailing, appliances and air quality, there are no comparables for this property.

whynot_31

Can you atleast tell us how much being such a good person will cost them upfront?

...on a psf basis?

capt. planet

About $1,000 psf.  But this doesn't reflect the lowered operating costs.

whynot_31

Do they have meet-ups with the other people who have passive houses around NYC?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/realestate/the-passive-house-in-new-york-city.html?_r=0

Maybe exchange tips about how to sleep in the basement during the summer, because the deep ground water cooling system isn't real capable?

capt. planet

The real problem with a lot of buildings including even LEED certified buildings is they're not sealed well. That's where the Germans and their Passive House standard excels. It's air infiltration that makes a house cold even if it's super insulated. Every passive house has to meet performance standards not just be filled with a lot of expensive mechanical systems. Among these is near zero air infiltration. To ensure adequate fresh air in the building all PH buildings have fresh air pumps called energy recovery ventilation. These pre heat or pre cool the air as well as filter it before it's pumped into every room of the house.

whynot_31

I do wonder how long it would take to effectively rid the house of the smells created from creating chili, and that result from eating said chili. 

capt. planet

In the Passive House condominium I'm marketing on 951 Pacific St, the ERV (energy recovery ventilation) system completely replaces the air in the apartment every 90 minutes.  Moreover both the kitchen and bathrooms have "booster" buttons that when pressed cause the ERV to triple the air flow for 30 minutes to remove unwanted chili or onion smells from the kitchen or take the humidity out of the bathroom after a shower.

whynot_31

If I decide that is too long to wait and instead do something radical like open a door or window for some instant ventilation, how long would it take the under powered (ie earth saving) HVAC system to get the house again to a comfortable termperature?

Let say I wanted to gain 5 degrees farenheit in winter, or lose it in the summer...

capt. planet

 I kind of doubt you'll be opening a window in December or August to air out your house.  If you want to do that in May or October, sure, why not.

In most Passive Houses, every room has it's own thermostat and it's own heating and cooling unit.  So if you like a cool bedroom at night to sleep in and a warm bathroom to shower in, that's totally possible. 

Remember that "under-powered" unit is saving the earth that you might actually want to live on some day.  Or maybe your grandkids even.  Hope having a planet to live on isn't too annoying.

whynot_31

For the sake of the earth and those selling the homes, I also hope people value a people-friendly planet.

However, we should maintain perspective. We should remember that even once humans make the earth largely uninhabitable for humans and many other living things, the earth will live on.

The life forms who come after us will be just like those here now, and those that came before us: They will regard earth as beautiful as it is, or as a blank canvass in need of attention.

Have you put any thought into incentivizing buyers with a free metrocard, Prius or Hummer?

Environmentalists come in all forms. I tend to agree with Bloomberg in that coal burning power plants are a bigger foe than having a home HVAC system that is capable: http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/bloomberg-philanthropies-partners-pledge-60-million-to-beyond-coal

whynot_31

Update: 6 months later, the house at 951 Pacific is still for sale.

However, the folks at the solar company and Corcoran have now scored a story in the Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/new-yorkers-signing-solar-historic-rates-article-1.2316700?cid=bitly

Good job @capt.

pheightsresident

I'm shocked that its still on the market (or "they" as this place seems to be several condos in a building). Then again, looking at the outer appearance (sorry, I'm not paying $1.4-$1.5 for a condo with a facade that looks like that: http://www.r-951.com/), its not so shocking. 

whynot_31

Of the three units, two appear to still be for sale and one appears to be in contract

Apt 1 still seems to be on the market for $1.5M:
http://streeteasy.com/building/r-951-condominium/1

Apt 2 still seems to be on the market for $1.6m:
http://www.trulia.com/property/3169679270-951-Pacific-St-2-Brooklyn-NY-11238

Apt 3 (with roof access and better light) seems to be in contract for $1.6M:
http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/Listings/Display/3366152

I don't find the facade especially ugly. I've come to expect such facades from houses that are energy efficient and can't quickly compensate for letting natural light/heat in.

It is too bad one can't have energy efficiency and big windows.

pragmaticguy

I took a look at the brochure and it says the air pumps operate at 200 - 300 % efficiency. Sorry folks, but you can't operate anything at more than 100% efficiency so it seems like they have made some bogus claims.

capt. planet

Just to set the record straight, units 2 and 3 are in contract.  Closings are slated for this week.

whynot_31

Have either of the two buyers asked how much it would cost to run a gas line into the building, so they didn't have to cook via an electric stove?

Most people prefer cooking with gas.

capt. planet

Most people don't know any better.  All of the units come equipped with induction ranges.  The heat can be adjusted in extremely fine increments and are the most energy efficient ranges available.  One of the purchasers is a green chef who specializes in slow food.  She's excited to experience the joys of induction cooking.

For more on the unsold condo unit, here's the link to the Corcoran website.

http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/listings/display/3456723

pragmaticguy

Re: the gas line....doesn't matter now. You could run a line to the building but getting it through the walls is a whole other matter so I'm sure it's not at option. I'm sure people in this building will be using space heaters at some point because when it gets really cold I doubt the building is going to stay warm. But wouldn't it be great if it did.

whynot_31

Capt-
I imagine both buyers you have found are green in one of more ways;
They are paying a premium over Brooklyn's already crazy prices to live in these homes.

I hope you quickly find a 3rd.