Spotlight on Amy King and Square Peg Development

By Kelsey Brokaw, Built Green Coordinator

Square Peg Development isn’t your usual construction business. It’s a social enterprise that strives for both profitability and positive social change. But it didn’t begin that way.

According to Amy King, who co-founded the business with her husband, Brady, “The mission of our company happened to us.” So what was the catalyst and why are we at Built Green so proud to count Square Peg among our members? The short version is that Amy has proven that a successful business can also substantially ease the reintegration of those with histories of incarceration, addiction, and homelessness while simultaneously training the next generation of construction workers in the green techniques they will need to thrive.

The long version? Keep reading.

Even in booming Seattle, the construction industry faces a substantial labor shortage. Four and a half years ago, that reality hit the Kings full force when Brady was set to build 11 homes by himself and couldn’t find any laborers to hire. Eventually, Square Peg connected with a company that employed individuals with a criminal background. Hiring those first six men was the start of something new. Now, 90 percent of Square Peg’s employees have had a history of incarceration, addiction recovery, and/or homelessness. Making that first leap was initially a bit intimidating but it’s clear that Amy has no regrets. She now frequently speaks about re-entry with other business owners and has visited almost every prison in the state.

How does Amy help her employees transition into the workforce while still cultivating a successful business? It helps that her employee pool is essentially a pipeline of people that can fill the industry’s labor shortage. It helps more so that most of those people come to work as though they have something to prove. Amy describes her reintegrating employees as “Very, very conscientious, very hardworking … in a lot of ways they’re better than most employees.” Amy very deliberately aims to provide the kind of supportive community that is needed to maximize that work ethic, for the good of the individual and the company.

Photo courtesy Square Peg Development

Amy has learned through her own extensive research that conditions like prison or addiction are “Very sterile, dark, and lonely place(s) to live.” She tries to make her company a contrast: creative, lively, and supportive. One way of accomplishing this is with a very intentional family model, which, in addition to a nurturing community, also provides a sense of ownership, giving employees even more reason to connect to their work beyond a paycheck. In the end, Square Peg employees are conspicuously more loyal than most in the industry and, Amy will gladly tell you, exceedingly less likely to relapse into a life of crime, addiction, or homelessness.

Amy’s goal is to be the conduit that connects marginalized populations to opportunity. It isn’t uncommon for such populations to make up a considerable number of construction laborers. What is uncommon is Square Peg’s transparency about their workforce. In Amy’s words, “We want to advocate for our population and educate the community about who these people are and where they come from.” In a place like Seattle, that doesn’t drive clients away. In fact, it has them lining up at the door.

Nor does Square Peg’s employee pool hinder typical business operations. The family model, and its resultant allegiance, ensures that employees are ready to step up and help when the company needs it. If that means sometimes scheduling enough staff to cover a meeting with a correctional officer, so be it. When it comes to business ownership, Amy points out not an obstacle, but instead a benefit that she thinks every employer should take advantage of: the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit. The process is simple and employers get a sizeable tax credit at the end of the year for every eligible employee. She can’t emphasize enough, “It is phenomenal.”

Square Peg’s family model isn’t just about the employee community; it is also a reflection of a changing industry. The traditional ways of family trade and apprenticeship have lost ground to new sectors and university education. Amy found a new source of recruits to fill the construction industry’s labor shortage and paired it with the traditional idea of a family legacy. Because of her employees’ nontraditional path and her company’s culture, Amy has a collection of blank slates on which to draw her vision of the industry’s future.

So what does that future look like?

As Amy points out, businesses today must take steps to stay relevant to the demands of the market or else risk “Find(ing) yourself without a job at some point.” In Seattle, responding to the demands of today’s market means building green, which is more than fine by us! To date, Square Peg has enrolled more than three dozen units with Built Green and had 11 units certified as 4-Star Built Green. Amy knows that environmental sustainability and sustainability of community go hand in hand, which is why Square Peg goes green when given the chance.

This starts at the foundation of the company. The goal of connecting her employees to opportunity and a productive future relies on training. In other words, Square Peg isn’t just a social conduit, it is also a practical education for a career in construction. All employees learn the practices and methods of green building and because Square Peg builds both green and traditionally, all employees can see the difference. The benefits of green homes stand out whether they relate to air quality, safe materials, or energy efficiency. Some employees are even lucky enough to work extensively with the Built Green checklist and carry that experience on to their own companies.

But green requirements aren’t the only ways Square Peg employees see environmentally-friendly techniques in action. Part of the company culture of ownership and creativity invites employees to explore new styles and put the ‘Square Peg Stamp’ on the homes they build. Sometimes, like when one worker came across shou sugi ban, a Japanese method of wood preservation, design choices turn out to be smart green choices too. That firsthand experience highlights how good building and sustainability are complementary. That may go against an unfortunately common narrative, but experience is the best teacher—and Square Peg is where to get it!

Not all Square Peg homes are Built Green. We get that, but even Amy knows that “If construction is going to continue to be a viable industry, it has to come up to speed in terms of waste management and environmental sustainability.” The construction industry has a responsibility to address its own issues of sustainability, housing affordability, and labor. That is why Amy so actively shares the success of her company; it proves that you can do all three at once. She hopes her achievements can encourage and even inspire other business owners in any industry to take up the mantle and work toward a business model that will bring about economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Square Peg is showing Seattle that building an inclusive community isn’t a sacrifice, but a key to success. In the green building community, we’re familiar with the idea that a little planning and investment up front is well worth it, even half a step down the road. If we keep thinking that way and continue to share examples of leaders like Amy, we can make a world of change.

Thank you, Amy, for sharing your experience with us. Keep up the great work!

Want to hear Amy talk more about her experiences? She will be presenting the final session of our Bettering Community track at the upcoming Built Green Conference, September 13, at the Lynnwood Convention Center. Her presentation, Building a Sustainable Labor Force, will further reveal how she has used second-chance employment to move the industry forward. We can’t wait to see you there!

By Chris van Daalen, Anna Robinson, and Leah Missik

Since Built Green’s inception almost twenty years ago, the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild and its members have been collaborating with the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties to transform the built environment toward long-term sustainability and that partnership is only improving with time. From the first 5-star Built Green certified home in Seattle (built by Guild founding member Jon Alexander) to ongoing work on the Code Innovations Database, the Guild and Built Green have a long history of successful collaboration.

Eric and his wife, Alex, in front of their net zero energy Built Green home.

On April 29–30, the Guild will host the Northwest Green Home Tour for the seventh time, which will feature many Built Green homes in Seattle and the surrounding area. Eric Thomas, the Membership Programs Manager at the MBA, Built Green homeowner, former Built Green Executive Committee member, and former Tour organizer, cherishes the Tour and its impact. According to Eric, “the Northwest Green Home Tour is a chance for the local green building community—from builders to architects to homeowners—to come together for one weekend to give their Seattle-area neighbors an up-close look at our region’s healthiest, most efficient homes. In my experience, nearly everyone taking the tour or showing a home on it comes away inspired by the beauty and innovation on display. Being involved with the tour as a tour-goer, a volunteer, a homeowner, and eventually an organizer, has been a transformative experience for me.”

This month, the Guild and the MBA/Built Green are teaming up to train builders and other professionals on how to effectively combine energy efficiency with indoor air quality at the Healthy Home Training for Building Professionals course from February 16–April 6, 2017. Instructors are national and regional field experts and the course material will give participants a better understanding of building science and indoor air quality benefits to best meet customers’ needs. The collaboration between the Guild and the MBA/Built Green not only enables this important class, but helps it reach a broader audience.

The Clearwater Commons Community, which is a featured case study in the Code Innovations Database.

In addition to collaboration on tours and trainings, the Guild and Built Green have worked together to document precedent-setting breakthroughs in the green building realm. An example is “zHome First Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Use in Issaquah,” a case study in the Code Innovations Database written by Leah Missik and Chris van Daalen, that describes one of Built Green’s demonstration projects, zHome, in the Issaquah Highlands. Other groundbreaking Built Green projects in the Database include Positive Impact Development at Clearwater Commons, the Solar-Powered Grow Community and the Dwell Emerald Star Home in Ballard. Database authors are now expanding this effort to document green advances: in addition to describing successful projects, they will also document policy profiles and incentives adopted in some communities that should be adapted and implemented broadly. As experts in the field of green building, both Built Green and the Guild feel a responsibility to share proven practices and policies to a broader audience. As local governments adopt these and similar policies and increase incentives for builders, there are more opportunities for those in the green building sector to partner on projects with far-reaching benefits. Many of these projects would not have been possible without the policies such as Priority Green, which Built Green helped to establish.

Chris has seen the impact these incentives can have on the growth of green building. “In 2009, Guild President and Built Green Executive Committee member Ben Kaufmann of Greenworks Realty was the first to publish data showing the competitive advantages of Built Green certified homes. Since then, the program has grown from a thin slice of the market, to 2016 which saw 58% of new single-family homes in Seattle be Built Green certified. This phenomenal success is in part due to successful incentives in Seattle that other cities can learn from to transform markets around the region. I’m excited to work with Leah to share these policy innovations as we advocate for our industry and expand our impact!”

Another example of important policy adoption is the City of Shoreline’s adaptation of the City of Seattle’s “Living Building Pilot Ordinance,” which was first adopted in 2009. This ordinance has been built upon by the City of Shoreline to establish a Deep Green Incentive Program (DGIP) ordinance, which will be considered by the City Council on March 27. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to make progress toward our carbon reductions goals by reducing our footprint in the built environment,” Miranda Redinger, Senior Planner for City of Shoreline, explains. “We’ve done a lot of work in the transportation sector through light rail station planning, but if the areas that redevelop do not use green building, we will have lost our chance.” Shoreline’s proposal expands on Seattle’s precedent to include incentives for Built Green 5-Star and Emerald Star projects. Leah and Chris will publish a policy profile on the Shoreline DGIP as soon as the Council approves it, so it can serve as fodder for other cities that are considering similar actions. Another great incentive example is the Housing Design Demonstration Program on Bainbridge Island that rewards amazing projects like the Grow Community with additional density and code departures in exchange for high-performance building.

Kudos to leaders in both groups that have leveraged their unique qualities to harness the power of partnership! With Built Green and the Guild’s history of collaboration, and the strength of the regional market for sustainable homes and buildings, the future is looking really green!

green-partnerships-lead-to-progress-and-innovations

Built Green™

06/03/2019

Neiman Taber Architects: The Roost

As one of only three 5-Star certified multifamily projects in Seattle, The Roost is a high-performing, energy- and resource-efficient building with 33 residential units and one large commercial space. Designed by Neiman Taber Architects, this building has many leading-edge energy efficient systems, including a rooftop solar thermal array that provides the building with most of its domestic hot water, all LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, and a tight building envelope to reduce leakage to outside.

Beyond these energy features, the building also has WaterSense-certified plumbing fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping, and no grass on site for low water use. Health and indoor air quality were targeted by all low-VOC products and NAUF plywood for interior finishes.

Vital Stats	Section	Points
Location: Central District, Seattle Star Level: 5-Star Checklist: Multifamily Verifier: Evergreen Certified	Site and Water	185
	Energy Efficiency	152
	Health and Indoor Air Quality	160
	Material Efficiency	114
	Total Score	611

Most of the units throughout the building are double-height lofts with a private bathroom, a built-in wardrobe, and a kitchenette equipped with a refrigerator, sink, and microwave. The floor-to-ceiling windows maximize daylight and the light and warm finishes make the space feel bigger and cozier. Many of the finishes used in the building were designed specifically for The Roost or custom built to fit into the space.

Neiman Taber Built Green 5-Star multifamily building The Roost entryway

In addition to the building material and energy saving tools used, the building itself was designed to foster community and be part of the area’s growing art scene. With the large common area kitchen and meeting space on the main floor and the smaller common kitchens located on each floor, the building encourages an environment where spaces for socializing and chores are intertwined to maximize resident interactions.

The majority of the ground floor was reserved for an arts nonprofit that could provide cultural resources to the residents and the neighborhood. And that hope was realized! With the help of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, The Roost is now the national headquarters for Amplifier, an organization that works with community and grassroots movements to create art that helps support social change and guide it towards equality, dignity, diversity, truth, and beauty.

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

All drought-tolerant landscaping and no grass on site
Low-flow plumbing fixtures and toilets
Light-colored hardscaping and roof
Communal kitchens and commercial space in the building

Energy Efficiency

39.6% more energy efficient than code
Fiberglass BIBS in exterior walls
0.189cfm/ft2 @ 75Pa blower door score
Centralized solar thermal system for building-wide domestic hot water
All lighting LED and Energy Star

Neiman Taber Built Green 5-Star multifamily building The Roost living room

Neiman Taber Built Green 5-Star multifamily building The Roost stairs to bed loft

Neiman Taber Built Green 5-Star multifamily building The Roost solar thermal hot water system

Health and Indoor Air Quality

Low VOC paints, finishes, and adhesives
No added urea formaldehyde plywood used for cabinets
Low-pile carpet tiles in the hallways, no carpet in the units
VaproShield wrap with rainscreen installed under siding
Back dams installed at doors and windows

Materials Efficiency

Polished concrete flooring for below-grade level
Local/regional products used (siding, windows, lumber, sheetrock, pavers, cabinets, trim)
Recycled content carpet tiles and pads
Locally produced windows
Recycled content BIB and batts throughout the building

Neiman Taber Built Green 5-Star multifamily building The Roost commercial space for Amplifier nonprofit

Neiman Taber Built Green 5-Star multifamily building The Roost communal laundry and mail room

neiman-taber-the-roost

Built Green™

11/30/2021

Resiliency and Peace of Mind—Coupling Solar PV with Battery Storage

Author: Nina Olivier, Built Green Coordinator

Solar batteries, when connected to a home solar system, provide an attractive return on investment, increase the value of your property, and help the country take steps towards energy independence.

Installing a solar battery storage solution provides the greatest benefit to homeowners who live in areas that experience frequent power outages, where full-retail net metering isn’t offered, or where battery incentives are available.

When solar panels are paired with a home battery, the excess electricity goes into the battery instead of going to the grid. As a result, when the sun goes down and your panels aren’t producing electricity anymore, you can use the energy you have stored in your battery—instead of paying for electricity from the utility.

A+R Solar install

Investment Opportunities in Battery Systems

Given local proposed rate increases for utilities, solar PV systems and battery storage are becoming a more economically viable option. The style of battery greatly affects how the batteries are used and how long they last. Many factors contribute to variability in battery life including temperature, proper discharge and recharge, and optimal application usage.

Average household batteries cost anywhere from $4000 for a small 4kWh battery up to $15,000 or more for a large 13kWh battery depending on the type of battery, installation location, backup power requirements, and type of inverter used. To give some perspective, an average 3-bedroom home uses around 20kWh of electricity per day. However, a lot of this energy is used during daylight hours and could be directly powered by solar alone. Therefore, a moderately sized 10kWh battery would generally be large enough to cover the evening and overnight periods. However, every household is different, and usage patterns can vary greatly. For those that are more energy conscious and use efficient appliances, a smaller 6kWh battery may be suitable.

The payback period or return on investment (ROI) for most battery systems is around 7–10 years. It’s generally more cost-effective to install rooftop solar and run efficient appliances or heat hot water during the day rather than store excess energy in a battery. However, for some people, the value and security of having a reliable, sustainable power supply easily outweighs the cost.

The high cost of clearing trees, creating access roads, and building power poles can be prohibitive to getting power in remote locations. After recent grid events in Texas and California, the value of battery backup is harder to ignore. In states like Hawaii, residents are even required to store energy because there are restrictions in place that do not allow for the export of excess solar power to the grid.

Incentives and Financial Assistance for Washington State

Congress extended the federal solar tax credit (known as the ITC) for an additional two years. This means that you’ll receive a tax credit of 26% of your system’s cost in 2021 and 2022 and 22% in 2023. If the full value is not used within one year, the remainder will roll into the next year. Federal tax incentives can also be extended to home battery storage systems.

The 100% Clean Electricity Act passed in 2019 by the Washington State Legislature removes the sales tax for most typical residential solar energy systems and offers some sales tax relief for larger commercial scale systems. For the average customer, that means you save around 10 percent right off the bat.

In addition, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loans to farmers and rural businesses to help them purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements by paying up to 25 percent of the project. To see all available renewable energy incentives available in your zip code please visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE).

Leading Solar Energy Storage Batteries

Solar energy storage options have been rapidly evolving and improving over the last decade and are no longer limited to large, inefficient, and unattractive nickel-iron storage systems. Now sleek, sophisticated, high performing, and long-lasting storage options are readily available. Examples are listed below with typical prices (2021 retail prices).

Tesla

Since 2015, Tesla has been at the front of the pack in the production of dependable residential solar batteries. Their flagship model, the Tesla Powerwall, is pegged by critics to be the best in the range. The Powerwall is a stackable solar battery that has a capacity of 13.5 kWh and is enough for the average home’s energy needs. Tesla has developed its lithium-ion battery in partnership with Panasonic, and the resulting product is believed to be of very high quality. The cost of one battery unit is around $10,100.

LG

LG is one of Tesla’s main rivals in the solar battery market. It has a battery model called the LG Chem solar battery system. At 9.3 kWh, the LG Chem is a decent solar battery that should be able to power a home that does not have massive power-consuming machines. It is best suited for homes that are connected to a power utility grid. Including installation charges, the LG solar battery can cost between $11,000 and $13,000.

Sonnen

Sonnen is a fast-growing German company founded in 2010. It has a share in the European and American markets through a network of agents and installers. Sonnen’s Eco battery core unit has a small capacity of 4 kWh but can be stacked to 16 kWh. Smart software within the battery system stores data relating to your home’s energy needs. It then uses the information to provide you with a genuinely futuristic solar experience. With pre-installation costs of $9000, the Sonnen Eco is an expensive solar battery. However, each battery comes with a warranty of functioning at 70% of optimum levels for ten years, which is higher than that of competitors.

The following table shows other leading solar storage energy batteries currently available on the market:

Credit: Clean Energy Reviews

A&R Solar, a local solar installation company, explains that in addition to achieving energy independence and reducing your carbon footprint, solar is a wise investment with positive financial returns. A&R Solar recommends roof-top mounted grid tied solar coupled with a double Tesla Power Wall system for a typical single-family home.

The following are price estimates for a typical single-family home provided by A&R Solar using their recommended Tesla Power Wall or SolarEdge Energy Hub systems:

Credit: A&R Solar

Achieving Total Energy Independence and Resiliency

Solar PV plus batteries boosts a home’s resiliency to power outages where gird electricity may be off for a few hours or for several days. The battery provides the means to avoid the use of fossil fuel burning generators to power the home in the event of an outage. In addition, unlike generators, solar panels and battery storage systems don’t create noise and air pollution that will bother you or your neighbors. This is a unique benefit and is a great way for anyone who currently has a generator to update their system.

Learn more about how A&R Solar provides solar and storage to build a homes resiliency during an outage:

Batteries can be used to store solar energy and then allow the owner to utilize battery power at night or anytime to reduce the purchase of highest cost of peak power. Utilities often charge the highest per kWh rate for electricity used during the peak time of day or season. Battery power can also be used to keep the building’s total grid energy usage low over time to ensure the customer is paying for the lowest price in a tiered rate structure.

In a remote location, or any location that doesn’t have an electrical grid, the combination of solar PV and batteries can supply reliable ongoing electricity to power typical household functions. Unlike grid-tied solar systems, off-grid systems have no connection to the utility grid and must make all the electricity necessary to power the home.

Credit: Lopez Community Land Trust

The Path to Community Microgrids

To meet climate action goals, many large utilities are looking to generate more electric power through solar and wind. Currently there are challenges with large scale utility storage and energy transmission. Microgrids have been shown to alleviate these challenges through functioning like a smaller version of a larger traditional electrical grid powered by solar with battery storage systems. With the increased cost of traditional grid power generated from fossil fuels, many microgrids are switching to a combination of solar and battery storage to supply electricity that is cost effective and has environmental benefits.

They provide opportunities for optimal solar placement and scalability, as they do not need to be placed on home roofs—they can be installed on parking garages, open fields, etc.—reducing roof penetrations and complexity during roof repairs and replacements. Microgrids also achieve resiliency by islanding from the central grid during an outage. Community microgrids represent a new approach for designing and operating the electric grid that achieves a more sustainable, secure, and cost-effective energy system while providing indefinite, renewables-driven backup power for prioritized loads.