Maple Point Solar Townhomes are for sale! Join this award-winning solar community - visit www.phillysolarhomes.com for details.
A life-long resident and native Philadelphian, visionary homebuilder Don Bradley set out over 18 years ago to show the potential for green building to reduce energy consumption, improve housing affordability, eliminate fossil-fuel use and improve occupant comfort. "My goal is to show people how to integrate renewable energy and green building strategies affordably into homes that provide optimal comfort and long-term value. Since buildings are responsible for 40% of CO2 emissions and are a key driver of climate change, energy stability, energy security and all it entails, we have the opportunity to bring about positive change by making our buildings and homes more sustainable. With each project, we push the sustainability envelope a little further and share this knowledge so others can do the same." Along the way, Don is helping to make the homebuilding industry more sustainable through education and example.
Economic Feasibility & Guaranteed Utility Affordability: In 1989, Don designed and built the 'Solar Pennsylvanian' a pioneering 1,400 SF passive-solar demonstration home in Honeybrook which eliminated on-site fossil fuel use. The all-electric home features a high performance modular envelope and a PV-powered solar hot water system for radiant space and domestic water heating to provide optimal comfort and reduced energy demands. The home came with a $250 annual energy use guarantee for heating backed by Don's company, Solar Strategies.
The award-winning project helped show the potential for solar integrated design and quality homebuilding that guarantees utility affordability.
Partnership Building/Education: In 2001, Bradley designed and built the 'Solar Patriot' home, a zero-energy demonstration project built in Pennsylvania and exhibited on the National Mall in Washington, DC in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Zero Energy Homes Program, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the American Solar Energy Society. Don's purpose in building the 'Solar Patriot', a pioneering solar-powered, fossil-fuel free, zero-energy home powered by domestic energy sources," was to show how to incorporate and integrate solar technology into zero-energy homes that can be built and operated affordably. By using advanced modular construction techniques to optimize the envelope and reduce energy demands, and utilizing solar energy as a renewable power source for heating and electricity generation, the project demonstrated the viability of affordable, zero-energy homebuilding. Built in 2 - days for a cost of $170,000 and displayed on the National Mall for 9 days in April, 2001, the 'Solar Patriot' home was toured by over 35,000 people including government officials (9 Senators, 16 Congress members and EPA head Christine Whitman toured the home led by Don). The home has been profiled in print media as well as government and home building industry publications. Don recalls leading a tour of the 'Solar Patriot' for DOE staff where the idea for the Solar Decathalon, a solar building competition among University teams, was launched. Based on the educational groundwork and marketing success demonstrated by the 'Solar Patriot', the Solar Decathalon competition is now held biennially on the National Mall, and Don has voluntarily advised a University Team in every Solar Decathalon competition (in 2003, 2005 and 2007).
Community Building/Affordability: In 2005, the Reinhard Solar Townhome Project in Philadelphia was completed, an 11-home affordable housing project with ambitious green and community development goals. According to Don, 'we wanted to redefine affordable housing in Philadelphia not just in terms subsidizing construction cost, but making homes that are truly affordable and healthy for families to live in, year in and year out.' Homeowners enjoy utility costs 40% lower than typical construction through a combination of smart envelope design and effective solar technology, including domestic hot water and a roof mounted solar electric PV system. Completed in collaboration with the City, DOE, Resources for Human Development (a non-profit developer) and Crusaders Development Corporation (a non-profit community group), the homes sold for between $60,000 - $65,000 utilizing a solar mortgage financing program. Profiled in local and national media, the project has also been a featured case study by the NAHB Research Center and the government's Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program.
Green Building/Energy Efficiency: Don's latest pioneering community development project in Philadelphia, Maple Point Solar Townhomes in Juniata bordering Fairmount Park, is a new 38-home community of Zero Energy Homes featuring passive solar design, advanced framing modular construction, a 4kW roof mounted solar electric array, solar hot water system, radiant heat from a bio-fuel boiler (powered by PA grown & manufactured soybean oil), water saving fixtures, and low-emitting finishes. Four homes are completed as of December 2007 with project completion slated for 2008. On a site development level, the project offers community green space, permeable paving to promote stormwater infiltration, access to public transit and community resources including biking and walking trails in neighboring Fairmount Park. The market rate homes are being sold initially for $259,900 and Don offers an 80% energy reduction guarantee to homeowners to ensure operating cost affordability. Don has also negotiated a green mortgage financing credit of $5,000 from PHFA for Maple Point homeowners. Each home at Maple Point is ENERGY STAR and Zero Energy Home qualified, and Don will be hosting a series of green home educational seminars at the Maple Point Community to educate interested groups and individuals about the benefits of green homes.
Don's projects demonstrate the viability of integrating renewable energy and green building strategies into homes that can be built and operated affordably, and serve to educate others about the construction of low and zero-energy homes. Don has built innovative solar homes and communities in seven states along the Eastern seaboard, ranging from Tennessee to Maine, as well as his home city of Philadelphia. Don readily shares his knowledge and expertise with interested groups and individuals through lectures, presentations, interviews and home tours.
He has been a guest lecturer annually at the Drexel School of Engineering, and spoken regularly over the years to countless schools (from grade school to graduate level), institutions and professional groups. He has held numerous green home tours, and has exhibited a home every year in the Solar/Green Buildings Open House Tour sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society and Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. His projects have been profiled in local and national news media, as well as web and trade publications, including government and home building industry case studies.
Don is one of the first 'Zero Energy Home' Partner Builder's with the U.S. Department of Energy as well as an early ENERGY STAR Partner Builder, forging connections with public and private enterprise to build better homes and educate both builders and homeowners about making homes more sustainable. With the recent launch of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program, Don is reaching out to Philadelphia's Energy Coordinating Agency, the local provider to certify future projects in the program. Don's unique ability to forge connections with public and private partners to realize innovative projects and educate others is helping to make Philadelphia more sustainable. In summary, we believe Don Bradley's inspiring commitment and contribution to green, zero-energy homebuilding and education both locally and regionally merit wider recognition.
