BEVERLY HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2021 / "I'm always on the hunt for unique projects and partnerships," says Los Angeles realtor, Michelle Graci, with a smile. So when the listing for the very first passive house in Los Angeles came across her desk, she leaped at the opportunity.

Los Angeles Native and real estate expert, Michelle Graci is one of LA's most sought after agents. With a lifetime of experience in the industry, buying, selling, and flipping homes, Michelle's unique background has equipped her to provide exceptional, white-glove service to a network of high-profile clients. Ranked 5th in sales out of Rodeo Realty, Inc's some 7500 agents in 2020, she is dedicated to making a difference and supporting the community around her. Partnering with the Passive House Project, she seeks to bring awareness to the importance of sustainability and passive house buildings.

The Passive House standard is the international leading low energy building standard; It is the most efficient way to build Net Zero homes which will produce more energy than they consume in a 12-month period with fewer solar panels. Michelle's newest listing boasts the first completed Net Zero Passive House in the Los Angeles area. Besides the energy efficiency achievement, the house has a drought conscious water system that utilizes greywater and rainwater to supply water for the yard. Though the home costs 3.5% more to build, the savings accrued over just a few years, more than makes up for it. According to Michelle, "Homes like this are the future of our planet."

Passive House buildings are an approach to combat the existential threat of our times: climate change, while improving comfort and indoor air quality. Constructing and powering buildings and homes directly correlates to the largest percentage of the world's carbon emissions and energy consumption. Decarbonizing buildings is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of mitigating climate change. The U.S. home-building industry is by nature conservative and slow to change. As a society, we've asked our builders, ‘How fast and how cheap can you build this? Anything that is behind the walls, I don't care about it.'

This listing, 4324 Perlita Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039, is the first of its kind in LA.

• 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2,124 sqft 2-story single family house on a 7,657 sq ft lot.
• 320 sq ft Garage converted to a studio (fully insulated, ready to be converted as an ADU if necessary)
• All electric house - Heat-Pump HVAC, Heat-Pump Water Heater, Induction cooktop, Electric Ovens, Electric Clothes dryer... all High efficiency appliances
• Fast Electric Car Charger (Level 2) from ChargePoint
• 16 Sunpower solar panels (320W)
• Tesla Powerwall2 13.5kWh storage battery
• Net Zero Certified: Energy production from PV > Total Energy consumption - $600 Energy credit by the end of 2020 after 3 years in the house including about 6.000 Mi/year with Fiat 500e
• 24/7 Fresh air ventilation system with MERV13 filter allowing a great indoor air-quality
• High-Efficiency windows allowing a comfortable and quiet house

The improvements available to turn "regular" homes into passive homes are endless. In California, some architects and policy makers are racing to make these radical home improvements.

Thanks to solar power, you could almost eliminate your electricity bill. Even in mild California, heating air and water accounts for about half of a home's energy use. California's energy-efficiency requirements for buildings are the most aggressive in the country, and the state was the first to mandate solar panels on new homes to supply a portion of their electricity. Abolishing natural gas is also happening faster in California than anywhere else. Just over 40 cities have passed restrictions or incentives against using natural gas as a building fuel source, and state legislation may not be far behind. Natural gas is not the worst fossil fuel to burn, but it is still a major contributor to global warming. With all of this in mind, and the knowledge that we can make a change through the creation of passive house buildings, why would we build any other way?

The house received a lot of exposure from numerous organizations, conferences and magazines:

• First completed Passive House in Los Angeles
• Living Building Challenge - ILFI Petal & Net Zero certification
• US Green Building Council (USGBC) Los Angeles 2019 Sustainability Innovation Award
• Los Angeles Business Council 2020 Sustainability Finalist
• North American Passive House Conference 2016
• Dwell in Design Los Angeles 2017
• Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo 2017
• Net Zero Conference 2017, 2019, & 2020
• Rise - www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3E41R9zoHk (22k views)
• Home Performance Magazine
• Builder & Developer Magazine
• Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes - Volume 2 (February 2020)
• Alta (Spring 2021 issue) -The Next West, Celebrating the People -and Ideas- Shaping Our Future

"As a real estate agent, I see myself as the home's producer, it is up to me to ensure that everything runs smoothly, from start to finish." Michelle has an uncanny ability to transform any space into a work of art, that compels, and sells. This has earned her the nickname, "The House Whisperer." Whether she is helping a seller make their listing stand out, or aiding a buyer in the quest for their dream home, Michelle approaches each situation with grace and excellence. To learn more about working with Michelle, and to get more information on her newest passive house listing, visit www.michellegraci.com. Michelle is dedicated to growing the passive house awareness and she has committed to donating a portion of her commission to the Passive House Organization. Find out how you can contribute to building more passive homes in your community by clicking here.

Company Name: Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills
Contact Person: Michelle Graci
Address: 202 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone Number: 818-967-8295
Website Link: http://www.michellegraci.com/

SOURCE: Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills