Thin Film Photovoltaic Solar

http://tinyurl.com/thinfilmPVsolar

 

ContractorBoneyards.com: Landscape & Building Materials Recycling

(Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor, OC Register)

You’ve got an orphan load of rocks. Or bricks. Or wood planks. What to do?

Until recently, even licensed contractors might have been forced to dump them in the landfill. But a Mission Viejo woman recently invented another option: ContractorBoneyards.com.

The web site, launched just four weeks ago, allows licensed contractors to buy and sell excess building materials — potentially a way to vastly increase recycling, a major concern for “green” builders.

“Recycling means materials diverted from the waste stream become a different type of finished product,” said the site’s creator, Angelia Woodside-Beckstrom.

She said she wasn’t quite prepared for the response: rapid-fire emails from landscape professionals around the country.

“I bounced it off a couple contractor friends who said, ‘I can’t believe this has not been done,’” she said. “‘This is a great idea. I put out an announcement and got a lot of communication from people all over the country. I thought to myself, surely this couldn’t be the first one.”

But apparently, it is. Woodside-Beckstrom, who owns her own landscaping business, is starting small, with only a few dozen contractors posting photos of what they are selling, or describing what they need, along with zip codes on the site.

“It was like, ’How can we embed an EBay type of function with a Craig’s list type of flair?’”

The site is powerful enough, she said, to hold “thousands of users across the nation.”

Those who sign up must post their contractor’s licenses. “I’d like to keep it completely professional,” Woodside-Beckstrom said.

She once worked with a software company, and is a LEED-accredited landscape designer; she simply mingled the best of both worlds. She hopes the flurry of early interest means use of her site will become widespread.

“A lot of them are really hurting financially,” she said of landscape contractors. “If they have some type of way to get revenue for their family around Thanksgiving, off stuff just sitting there, I’d sure like to help them out.”

(Photo of Woodside-Beckstrom and graphic courtesy, Angelia Woodside-Beckstrom.)

 

Home Buyers Want to Save Energy-but Only at Right Price

RISMEDIA, September 19, 2009—Even though prospective home buyers want the benefits of new, more efficient homes, they are unwilling to pay much more for a “green” home, according to a recent member survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

  “Although we are seeing significant interest in green building, cost effectiveness is clearly a key concern among home buyers,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder and developer in Tulsa, Okla. “Builders said that among buyers who are willing to pay more for green features, more than half- 57%- are unlikely to pay more than an additional two percent.”

The August 2009 survey coincides with news that the NAHB National Green Building Program continues to grow. More than 400 homes, developments and remodeling projects have been certified by the NAHB Research Center, which administers the program and trains and accredits local project verifiers. Of those projects, 43 have been certified to the National Green Building Standard, approved earlier this year by the American National Standards Institute.

Preferences for specific green building techniques are decidedly regional, with builders in the West reporting much more interest in water efficiency than builders in other areas. Interest in homes built with recycled materials is particularly high in the Northeast (the region where the fewest new homes are built) and low in the South (the region with the highest number of housing starts).

Only 11% of builders nationwide indicated that their customers ask about environmentally friendly features, according to the survey. “Fortunately, our members are increasingly taking the initiative to educate the home-buying public about the benefits of green construction,” Robson said.

Overall, energy efficiency continues to be the primary factor driving the green building movement, squaring with previous NAHB surveys of home builders when asked about buyer preferences. “More and more, our members are able to convince their clients of the benefits of a home built with efficiency and sustainability in mind,” Robson said.

“However, when buyers prepare to sign on the dotted line, cost-effectiveness clearly drives their decisions. We need to make sure that our energy policies reflect that reality so that builders have the flexibility to use lot and site design, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment and other features to achieve the desired results at the right price,” he continued.

“Whenever Congress considers how to encourage more energy-efficient construction, it must keep affordability in mind – and look for ways to incentivize these changes not only in new homes, but even more importantly in the nation’s much more substantial and inefficient existing housing stock,” Robson said.

For more information, visit www.nahb.org.

 

RECYCLING…outside the box

Your folks used to recycle soda bottles and newspapers.  Times have changed.  Now we need to recycle more complex items such as MP3 players, computers, and cell phones.  Here are some eco-friendly suggestions for your techno-trash.

1. “Techno-trash” – www.greendisk.com

If you find you’ve got “tenchno-trash” such as game cartridges, digital cameras, cords, cables, VCRs, computer monitors, or cassettes, it can all be reprocessed in an eco-friendly way by GreenDisk.com  Go to their website at www.greendisk.com and follow their instructions for mailing your items to the company and they’ll properly dispose of your “techno-trash.”

2. Computers  – http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs  

Many of the computer manufacturers have [online] Recycling Centers with instructions on returning older computers which can contain a number of harmful chemicals so must be recycled properly. Do a Google search for your brand of computer with the added search term, “recycle” and follow the instructions for returns, especially for Dell, Apple, HP and other computers.

www.electronicstakeback.com is another site that receives and recycles electronic waste.

3. Handheld devices – Mobile Phone Recycling at http://www.collectivegood.com/

Small electronics can be full of not-so-small toxics.  To be sure your no longer needed or wanted cell phones don’t pollute a land fill and can have the metals separated for reuse or proper disposal, either return those phones to a nearby Staples store or contact Collective Good at the above web address.

 

GREEN-ER is a HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME

The first change towards having a high-er performing home always start with a Home Performance Tune-up and evaluation, and these first steps should have a rapid payback.

  Home Performance Tune-up and Evaluation – Air infiltration (leaks, drafts, etc.) causes some of the greatest energy loss in a home and is the first item corrected in a Tune-Up. We find disconnected ducts, oversized Heat/AC, improper duct sizes, backdrafting of carbon monoxide, gas leaks, poor insulation, attic bypasses, mold, moisture, broken pipes, structural problems, fire hazards, code problems, etc.. A Home Performance Tune up is the old Weatherization on Steroids and includes weather stripping, and we also use blower doors, Infrared cameras, duct testers, gas sniffers and Building Science to pinpoint your problems rather than guessing. This Tune-up typically pays for itself in 1-3 years not including health benefits which can be immediate.

Radiant Barrier-Let’s get technical for a second. Heat transfers into or out of your home through Conduction (touch a hot pan on the stove and you get burned), Convection (like a convection oven-hot air circulates and cooks food) and Radiation (you feel the sun’s radiation as heat). Insulation and your walls stop conduction and convection but do nothing for radiation. You may have a hot home or attic when outside it is cool or maybe you have one room which is always hotter/colder than others. This is a low cost, high impact upgrade with a 1 – 3 year payback and instant comfort improvement.

Insulation-over the years, insulation will compress, get wet, maybe it was not installed exactly right, animals move through it and workers move it to do repair work. It doesn’t matter how it became inefficient, it is costing you money and making you uncomfortable. With a 1-3 year payback and better comfort, the impact is immediate.

The impact of these three, low cost improvements is dramatic and many people are content just to stop here. In the final segment we will address the last three improvements to make a home even more energy efficient.

Greg Sharp, President, Jasana, Inc.
LEED AP, Green Point Rater, General Contractor
Greg@jasana.com

 

Be Healthier, Safer, More Energy Efficient and Save Money – That’s Green-er

Has it ever occurred to you that there is no such thing as “Green”?  I believe it is only “Green-er”.  Just think perhaps that living in a yak hair yurt on the Mongolian plains, living off the land is the ultimate in Green with low impact on the environment, completely sustainable and minimal carbon footprint. That won’t happen in the United States. So we need to take incremental steps to become Green-er and leave something for the rest of humanity.  Being Green-er is more akin to playing nice in the sandbox and sharing your toys.  Be considerate and understand that your tunnel in the sand can collapse the other kid’s sand castle next to you.  Being Green-er is being aware of the world around you, observing and learning how you interact with it and the other people and thinking about what you can do to make it better.Green. Carbon Footprint.  Zero Energy Home.  These concepts are not intuitively understood.  Burlap underwear, tofu and Mother Earth all evoke an emotional response.  Maybe we should consider that Green is anti-consumerism.  Maybe that can be considered un-American.  It is all shades of lifestyle and the first step is precisely that – the First Step.  Start where you are and make a change for the better. Make it habit. The habit becomes a character and the character becomes a destiny.

  I am a LEED Accredited Professional, Green Point Rater with Build It Green, General Contractor and pursuing my certification with the Building Performance Institute. This education has been invaluable to me to make practical suggestions for people to make an impact in their lives. I consider there to be multiple paths to making a difference:

1. Lifestyle – this is clothing, food, interaction with the environment and is relatively easy for anyone to make a small incremental change

2. Transportation – Walking, biking, Public transportation, motorcycle, biodiesel car, hybrid, gas guzzling SUV. Which is worse, to drive an older suburban which produces more emissions or drive a newer hybrid with toxic batteries and a huge carbon footprint. At what point does the trade-off make sense?

3. Shelter – this is the largest impact on our environment for the extraction and creation of building materials, transportation and operation involved in building and living in that building.
a. Extracting materials can be devastating to the environment (think strip mining and using mercury to find gold) or quite sustainable (think FSC lumber and bamboo). Make your choices and understand what is really happening . You really have to dig deep to understand what is really going on. 
b. Transportation is crucial in a global economy. The spice traders risked months at sea to bring back exotic goods to Europe. Wealthy cultures continue this practice today by importing material from all over the globe to have something unique and beautiful. What was the cost of shipping that product through 5 middlemen in the United States of buying direct from the harvester in Spain. Local can be worse than far away. Again, think and ask lots of questions.
c. Operation. Being a Contractor and engineer, this is my realm where a huge impact is made. Energy production and consumption is a major contributor to waste and degradation of our environment. Correcting our homes to be energy efficient also happens to make our homes healthier, safer and much more comfortable while we save money in the long run. You can’t lose if you do it right.

As an Efficiency First Founding Member, I understand how to prioritize upgrades to have the fastest payback and lowest cost to you. In general, the fastest payback items improve the efficiency of your home so you spend less on utilities. They also make your home much more comfortable and healthy so you are more relaxed and happier at home. The next segment of this article will address how you can make these improvements in your home. The next article segment will start you down the first three of six steps to make your home Healthier, Safer, Energy Efficient and comfortable.

Greg Sharp, President, Jasana, Inc.
LEED AP, Green Point Rater, General Contractor
Greg@jasana.com

 

Checklist for a Green Retrofit

Switch to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or Halogen light bulbs
Replace some or all of your normal, incandescent light bulbs with CFLs and you will use less energy and the bulbs will produce less heat as a by-product. There are concerns, however, about the proper disposal of CFLs which include environmental and/or toxic concerns. Consequently, many individuals and companies are also incorporating Halogen light bulbs and fixtures into their retrofit lighting plans which also provide energy savings.

Program your thermostat
Programmable thermostats allow home owners and businesses to reduce output and, therefore, costs when the heat or cooling is not needed such as when occupants aren’t home all day or when businesses are closed all evening. It’s recommended the thermostat be preset at 62°F or lower in the winter, and 78°F or higher in the summer.

Plug air leaks
Air leaks commonly occur around doors, windows and other wall penetrations. Weather stripping and caulk can be an easy fix, and can help keep a home or business at the preset temperature. It also saves money.

Tune up your heating and cooling (HVAC) system
When Day Light Savings Time is observed, make sure you change the batteries in your smoke detectors and the filters in your heating/HVAC systems. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of the system causing it to cost more to run. A system check-up every two years is also recommended.

  Choose ENERGY STAR® appliances
ENERGY STAR®-qualified products meet a high level of energy efficiency, which can translate into savings on electric bills. Some electric utility companies may also offer incentives to replace old appliances with more efficient, ENERGY STAR® ones. Energy bills could be reduced by $50 annually for each appliance replaced including clothes washers, microwaves, refrigerators and more.

Reduce water use
Inside the home, install aerators to sink faucets and change showerheads to low-flow styles. Keep showers short, preferably no more than 5 minutes at a time. Save dishwater and use to water outdoor plants. Landscape with native plants and incorporate attractive hardscapes. Minimize high-maintenance landscaping such as turf grasses.

Explore solar
Solar power can be harnessed to create electricity for your home, to heat water, or to improve indoor lighting. Photovoltaics – PVs – use solar cells or solar PV groupings to convert light from the sun directly into heat or electricity. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy online.

Low VOC Products
Indoor air quality is greatly improved with low- or no-VOC products (volatile organic compounds) used in the home. Low-VOC products typically include paints and cleaning products.

Plant trees to provide shade and wind protection for your house
Properly placed trees can help save money on heating and air conditioning bills while providing beautiful views around the home.

  Use native plantings
Native plants are more likely to thrive with minimal care so need less water, fertilizer and usually pesticides costing less to maintain.

 

SIMPLE ENERGY SAVING TIPS

 

ZERO ENERGY NAHB CERTIFIED HOME FOR SALE IN DOWNTOWN HISTORIC LEWES

 What’s not to love about this newly designed Zero-Energy home proposed for downtown Lewes, DE? Read the following particulars and let me know what you think.Designed to be built in downtown Historic Lewes, DE, this Zero Energy home offers:
* 2000 square feet
* 3 bedrooms + 2.5 bathrooms
* Reduced energy and water costs
* Renewable building costs
* Improved indoor air quality and health costs
* Durable and weather resistant
* Low maintenance
* Built with the latest green construction techniques
* NAHB certified
* Priced competitively with new homes at $600,000

Fof further information, contact my friend – Susan Pomerantz, EcoBroker – at 302.339.6024 or susan@susanpomerantz.com.

 

Have A Heart This Valentine’s Day & Support Beach Cleanup

Have A Heart This Valentine’s Day & Support Beach Cleanup
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Huntington Beach-Bolsa Chica Cleanup
2nd Saturday of every month – 8am to 12pm

Participate in the Surfrider Foundation’s monthly Beach Cleanup! It’ll do your heart good!

Wear comfortable clothes, closed toed shoes and sunscreen. The Surfrider Foundation provides gloves, bags, hand sanitizer and other essentials for cleaning up trash.

Location: Bolsa Chica Beach, Tower 21, Huntington Beach. For more info: http://www.sbhbsurfrider.org/pages/beach_cleanups.html