by Jim Cavan

PORTSMOUTH – When Marc and Cheryl Batchelder decided to build a home that was as energy-efficient as possible, they didn’t just go for the gold – they went for the platinum.

In late July the Batchelder home, located on Lawrence Street in Portsmouth, was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) Platinum certification, the organization’s highest mark. The home, which was visited by Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter in June, will be one of a number of Seacoast properties on display for the upcoming New Hampshire Sustainable Energy Resources (NHSE) Green Homes Open House on Saturday, October 3rd.

While the home was the 218th nationwide to achieve such recognition, when the project began there were only 28 Platinum certified homes throughout the country. Still, Marc Batchelder knew from the get-go that he wanted his home to be a trend-setter.

“We weren’t really considering LEED when the project began, but we knew we wanted the home to be as green and efficient as possible.” says Batchelder.

In fact, the green-blue Cape was already under construction when local “green” builder Chris Redmond of Little Green Homes found out about the owner’s vision for the home. “Basically Chris found out about the property through a friend of mine and dropped a letter of interest off at the house,” says Batchelder. “When we started talking to him, there was a mutual interest in going for LEED, and when we saw that the points we could get would land us on Platinum, we decided to go for it.”

In addition to Little Green Homes, Batchelder acquired the services of Seacoast Energy Alternatives (SEA) Solar Store, which helped install solar electric and solar hot water systems on the home’s roof. According to SEA’ manager Jack Bingham, the project’s solar component was designed at the onset to be completely energy-neutral.

“In essence, the way this or any solar system ought to be set up, they’re supposed to produce an excess of energy 9 months out of the year,” says Bingham. “And Marc’s house was so well build and insulated that this excess became an electrical energy credit, which basically paid for all the bills in the winter.”

Also included in the overall project were Minute Men Painters, a Portsmouth-based company who specializes in low or no-toxin paints, and Key Heating, who installed a state-of-the-art heat recovery system. All four companies involved – SEA, Key Heating, Minute Men, and Little Green Homes – forged their partnership through the Green Alliance, a Seacoast-based “green business union.”

Batchelder’s home will be open from 10am to 4pm during the October 3d Green Homes Tour, and he, along with Redman and Jay Lawrie from SEA Solar Store, will be there to answer questions and give tours of the property.