Practical Eco

Habitats building greener

Just as my back starts to recover from Saturday's work at a Habitat home in Durham, I'm delighted to read in the N&O an article about how charity built homes are getting greener.  The N&O article says that 80% of these low income homes built by charities like Habitat for Humanity are now equipped with energy saving features. See the full article here.

The home I was working on, is being built by Durham Habitat and sponsored by the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (ERUUF).  ERUUF member and green builder Tom O'Dwyer persuaded the Habitat team to build in a number of additional cost effective energy saving features and then encouraged several fellow members to cough up the extra $1200 - a paltry sum really for what was done. Tom's improvements to the design include increasing the overhangs, increased insulation to R60, radiant barrier roof deck and increased caulking of all joints. He also sealed all of the edges  of cabinetry wood components to minimize any off gassing.

And the really great news is that the Habitat team like the improvements so much that they're aiming to include them in future builds.

 

Key behaviors to maintaining a green and healthy home

Most people don't give much thought to how their behavior can impact the sustainability, health or energy efficiency of their homes. I was speaking with someone last night who I know to be a pretty green minded person and he was a bit surprised by some of the ideas I'm going to highlight here.  Granted he's not a building scientist or a builder but it showed me that it's time to shine a light on this subject.

There are two inter-related issues, health and energy efficiency. And much of it has to do with water or moisture - which is the number one energy of your home.

Health-wise the key points are:
1. Use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms. Particularly here in the South, these fans are there to remove moisture from the home - not just smells. Taking a shower? Use the fan! Boiling water? Use the fan! Humidity, particularly in the warm months, can lead to mold and mildew which is a serious health hazard. And it will increase the load on your air conditioner, so this is also an energy issue.
2. Be sure to get rid of any moisture quickly. This includes practices like wiping up spills immediately, drying yourself in the bath or shower to keep the water where it can run down a drain and using a squeegee to get water droplets off of shower walls and into the tub where they can run down the drain.

3. Maintain your HVAC return filters. Clean or replace them regularly to ensure you are breathing clean air in the home.

4. Remove your shoes in the house. This simple practice can really reduce the amount of dirt and dust in your home. This will not only keep your home cleaner for longer but is altogether healthier.

Energy-wise the key points are:
1. Maintain your HVAC return filters. Clean or replace them regularly to ensure the unit gets free-flowing air and doesn't have to struggle to intake air which will increase the load on your unit.

2. Maintain the HVAC units twice yearly to ensure they are performing optimally. This also helps avert breakdowns during peak heating or cooling seasons which will be extra inconvenient.

3. Turn off lights and ceiling fans when not in the room. They use energy and output heat which can add to the cooling load in Summer. Studies have shown that the energy used by the fan plus the energy needed to get rid of its heat is greater than the energy saved through circulating air. Enjoy its cool breeze when in the room, but turn it off if you leave.

4. Unplug external power supplies (wall-warts) as much as possible. These have been estimated to add about 10% extra electricity load to the typical home.

5. If you have a heat pump take care to avoid sharp temperature increases in Winter. Stick to 3 degrees or less when you change the temperature. Greater increases will trigger an electric heating strip in most units that uses markedly more energy.

Carolina Solar Energy's PV Picnic Area at the Zoo

I've just noticed over on Springboard, a Greensboro blog, a piece about the Solar PV Picnic area at the State Zoo. This was installed late last year by the good folks at Carolina Solar Energy, who were responsible for the 75.6 KW system at NC State among other great works.

The array has 9,600 sq ft of solar collectors mounted onto three large picnic pavilions.  Its total capacity is for 104 KW of electricity.  The electricity is being sold to the electric grid via Randolph Electric Membership Corporation with a subsidy from NC Green Power. The project began generating electricity last December. 

The Zoo rents the shelters out for catered events and they include interactive graphics explaining how solar power generation works. One of the things I like best is the web-based read out you can view here.

Progress Energy Seeks to Offer Rebates for Solar Hot Water

Progress Energy announced three new initiatives aimed at the construction industry.

Home Advantage, would pay builders and developers to build Energy Star qualified homes. The program would pay builders for installing efficiency equipment, and it includes a rebate of $1,000 for installing solar water-heating in new homes. Progress already has similar initiatives active in Florida.

Progress' other two initiatives are for commercial builders. They will provide "custom financial incentives" to help commercial builders recoup the costs of energy-efficiency measures they take. And they will pay customers to retrofit existing facilities for energy efficiency.

Progress Energy says its overall goal is to double the energy savings it gets through efficiency programs.

Earlier this week, Progress announced that it would upgrade its distribution lines and build in a capability to remotely control customer air conditioners during peak energy use times.

The plans must still be approved by the NC Utilities Commission.

Crabtree Area Office Builing Going Green

Private investors last week paid $3 million for the 32,000 square foot Navigant building at Creedmoor Rd and US 70, known for its time-temperature display.  Greg Sanchez, a partner in the ownership, said the renovation is aiming for a LEED certification, but the details are still being worked out. Sanchez is also president of Durham commercial real estate services firm Tri Properties, which will manage the building and conduct the renovation.

A LEED certification could attract new tenants who are happy to pay a premium for green offices because of lower operating costs and a healthier environment. "A lot of tenants want to be in an energy-efficient building," Sanchez said.

See the full story in the News and Observer here.

Proximity Hotel in Greensboro: a LEED Gold

The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro is an inspired and inspiring building. They earned a LEED Gold rating, last September. So it's not new news, but since I just came across this video from National Geographic Intelligent Traveler, I couldn't resist posting it.

The Proximity uses 36.5% less energy than conventional hotels. They then supply 60% of their hot water through solar panels. And they have the first Regenerative Drive Otis elevator in North America. The list of green and sustainable features is simply awesome. Which is what you'd expect from a Gold or Platinum rated building. Check out their site here for the full list of sustainable and green features of the build.

New Energy.Gov site offers home efficiency tips

The Federal Government wants us to save energy so they've set up a cute new site to show us how.

The new site at www.energy.gov, by the Department of Energy (DOE), shows a cutaway of a house with clickable points that offer up energy saving tips. Tips like, install CFLs, get an EnergyStar dishwasher, or EnergyStar windows.

Much of the advice at the main page is pretty basic. But as you dig in a bit to the DOE site the information gets more advanced. The tips are categorized by Automobile, Appliances, Heating & Cooling, Insulation & Air Sealing, Landscaping, Lighting, Summer, Water, Winter. And they're pretty well considered.

Celebrate Earth day

Here in the Triangle we had two major celebrations this past Saturday, and two more this coming Saturday. But today is the actual Earth Day.

One special way to celebrate is to give the gift of Co-op America.  It's a meaningful way to share the true spirit of Earth Day with your friends and family--while acknowledging that our choices can make a big impact on people and the planet.

Celebrate Earth Day by giving the gift of Co-op America membership!

Today only they have a Special Earth Day Offer with big savings:

Your first membership will cost just $15 (for yourself or as a gift). The second and third are only $10 each. The fourth is $5, and the fifth is free.

Charlotte Clean & Green

I'm off to Charlotte to give a presentation on Green Remodeling. It's at the first annual Charlotte Clean and Green event being held at the Central Piedmont Community College campus.

For those who attend and those who can't I've drafted my own set of green remodeling priorities here.  It is broken down into small, medium and large projects plus a number of small but important behaviors which I think are important to maintaining a green home.

I know there's debate on certain issues like powered attic ventilation and several other issues. So go on and tell me what you think the most important remodeling issues are. Comment here or email me at pjnery (at) practicaleco.com.

Here's a more detailed summary of my presentation with links to documents I mentioned to help you seal and insulate more effectively.

Obama & Clinton Advisors in Environmental Forum April 25th at Duke

Top advisors to Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama on energy and environment will discuss the candidates' positions on environmental issues at a free public forum at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25, at Duke University.

Dan Utech, environmental advisor for Clinton, and Jason Grumet, environmental advisor for Obama, will take part in the moderated 90-minute forum at Love Auditorium in the Levine Science Research Center on Duke's West Campus.

Following their discussion, the advisors will field questions from the audience.

The event is hosted by Duke's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences. It is being organized by Nicholas School students. Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute, will moderate.

A reception will follow.

For more information, contact Megan Dawson at megan.dawson@duke.edu.

Permaculture Workshop at Pacifica in Carrboro, April 26th

A Permaculture Homesteading Skills Workshop will be held on Saturday, April 26 from 10 am to 6 pm at the Pacifica Cohousing Community in Carrboro.

The workshop will highlight permaculture basics, including ethics and principles, chickens, and a mobile permaculture demonstration.

Everyone is welcome; there is no cost. Donations will be accepted to help defray costs of the tour. Participants are encouraged to bring a vegetarian dish to share for lunch. RSVP to tejisa@gmail.com or 919.724.5311.

The Earth Activist Training (EAT) PermiBus will be there. It is a 40-foot mobile permaculture demonstration project bus in progress; complete with solar power, greywater systems, composting toilet, three dogs and clutch of chickens. The goal is to teach practical skills that can be used to make communities more sustainable.

Pacifica Cohousing Community is located on Viburnum Way, which is at the end of Hanna Street off North Greensboro Street.

R-Anell wins award for its downtown Asheville Lexington Station project

R-Anell Homes has won the 2008 National Modular Housing Council Design Award for the modular multi-family category with its Lexington Station project.

Lexington Station is located in downtown Asheville. It integrates 70 residential condos, 25,000 square feet of office and retail space on the first level, a restaurant and 100 underground parking spaces across three multi-story buildings.  It also features outdoor plazas and courtyards.

The condominiums range in price from $170,000 to $500,000. Inside, the condominiums feature hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, gourmet-style kitchens and thermal windows.

Lexington Station was built using elements of R-Anell's Build It Green construction program. R-Anell has modeled its Build It Green program to incorporate many of the requirements of the North Carolina Healthy Built Home program, the NAHB Green Building Standards and the USGBC’s LEED program.

Chapel Hill Greeks Going Green

Ford Eubanks is out to green the Greek establishment. Of course the "Greeks" here are the Fraternities and Sororities who have houses dotted around the periphery of the campus. These houses don't enjoy the same level of loving care that many personal homes get because the residents are in constant flux and they have a lot of more urgent priorities than home maintenance. Most being older buildings are very inefficient to say the least. So Ford and several partners in the venture have set up a non-profit to tackle the challenge of making the Fraternity and Sorority houses greener.
Their first step was to contact an energy auditor, who as it happens was my friend Bill Klotz - which is how I came to hear about it.

The first round of audits have shown how much room there is for improvement, and came with a detailed list of suggested actions.

So far it's a pilot project focusing on houses in the local area. But Ford and his colleagues have national ambitions for the program. And already they're getting great feedback from national fraternity directors.

And once the initial audits and building improvements are made there's still more. They plan to create a online shop for Greek clients can purchase green and energy efficient products. And they'll provide ongoing training programs too, since as we all know, behaviors are essential to maintaining a green home.

This is a fantastic enviro-vision that I think shows great promise of reducing CO2 emissions and increasing efficiency in the short run. In the long run it's also a great way to instill an environmental consciousness in college students that will continue paying dividends.

Branding For Good

Learn how branding can help grow your sustainable business and increase your bottom line.

BASE, the UNC Business Accelerator for Sustainable Entrepreneurship is holding its first event on April 16^th from 12:45 to 1:45 pm.  It's called: Branding for Good, and is hosted in partnership with The Change.

This is a panel discussion about successful branding strategies for sustainable entrepreneurs with the following:

• Moderator: Jerry Stifelman, Founder of The Change
• Scott Blackwell, Founder, Immaculate Baking Company
• Maria Kingery, Co-Founder, Southern Energy Management
• Daniel Whittaker, Owner/Manager, Green Planet Catering

For details, visit: www.cse.unc.edu/base/events

This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to Jessica Thomas

Dollars and Sense of Going Green - Urban Land Institute event

April 16th from 8am to 9:30 am, the local Urban Land Institute is and event on creating value through sustainability. The keynote speech is by Tom Darden, CEO of Cherokee Investment Partners, and will explore national and international trends. This is followed by three speakers,  Roger Perry, Diana Permar and Michael Lemanski talking about their experiences in developing some of the first LEED projects in the Triangle area.
See the flyer here for full details including costs. 
Or go to the Urban Land Institute site here for online registration.

Rainwater Pillow: Going Beyond Rain Barrels

It has been raining quite a bit recently so it's easy to forget that we're still facing quite sever water shortages around North Carolina. Rain barrels are great, but quite limited in their capacity. If you want to go big but aren't ready for a big cistern here's an alternative.   

The Rainwater Pillow™ is basically a great big heavy duty water bag that you can keep in your crawlspace, or under a deck or porch. They come standard in 1000, 2000 and 3000 gallon kits which measure 10x10, 13.5x12.5 or 15.5x14.5 feet by 2-2.5 feet high. The kits come with the "pillow", filter, pump, remote control, ground fault protector and all necessary fittings.  And they're made nearby in Alpharetta Georgia where they know a thing or two about drought conditions too. 

Since you can easily collect 1000 gallons or more of water from just an inch rainfall on a typical roof, this is a great way to save water and still be able to maintain a healthy garden or lawn.

Nano Technology Zero-VOC Surface Sealant

A number of people have asked me about green sealants.  Well I've found one that's appropriate for stone, brick, travertine, concrete, grout and other porous masonry materials.   

 NANO1000 uses zero VOC nanotechnology chemistry to seal surfaces. The nanometer-sized molecules bond below the surface, well into the pores of  the material, to give a long lasting bond that can't peel off.

The finish is invisible and transparent once fully cured.  Just apply it on with a high quality 3/8 -1/2” nap roller, nylon or polyester brush, or clean pump sprayer to a clean dry surface. It dries to touch in 1 hour, can be walked on in 2 hours, and is fully cured in 7 days. 

The image above shows a brick with one side treated. On the treated side water beads up, while on the other side it has soaked in.

Honda's Aircraft facility in Greensboro on track for LEED

Honda say they're trying to reduce their environmental footprint. They're specifically focused on factories and buildings through a "Green Factory and Green Buildings" initiatives.

They're on track to earn four more LEED Certifications from the USGBC for the Acura Design Studio in Torrance, Calif., the Midwestern Consolidation Center in Troy, Ohio, the Honda Data Center in Longmont, Colo., and the Honda Aircraft facility in Greensboro, N.C. 

Each facility features innovative sustainable concepts in its design,     construction and operation.

• A significant portion of construction materials were harvested and manufactured locally, reducing fuel use and emissions associated with shipping.
• Rainwater harvested from the roof is stored and used to flush the low-flow toilets, reducing potable water consumption
• Renewable bio-diesel fuel is used to power the emergency generator with up to a 75 percent reduction in emissions compared to mineral-based diesel.
• Other innovative design features include passive heating and air conditioning system, intelligent lighting system, extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials, and a radiant underfloor heating system.         

Triangle Earth Day Celebrations

Earth Day is officially April 22. Here in the Triangle area there are several events. I already mentioned the Raleigh Event in a previous entry. But Durham and Chapel Hill are both doing events.

Durham's event is April 19th concurrent with the Raleigh event. It's being held at Durham Central Park all afternoon that day. There will be a sustainability expo, solar powered entertainment and a water expo.

Chapel Hill's Earth Action Festival is on April 26th from 11am to 4pm at the plaza atop the James C Wallace parking deck on Rosemary St. There will be demonstrations, rain barrels a bicycle parade and lots more.

There are also numerous events all month at Duke, UNC and at NC State universities.

Vanguard Homes participages in educational tour for Raleigh students

The VP of Construction for Vanguard Homes, Robert Smart, held an educational tour about green building for downtown Raleigh’s Exploris students.  The event was hosted at Blount Street Commons, a new community  under development downtown.

Mr. Smart taught students what green building is and why it's important. He also introduced a number of key green building terms such as energy efficiency, indoor air quality and water conservation.

This was all part of the Exploris Middle School Green Fair and included tours moderated by local companies which included Starbucks, Whole Foods and Progress Energy. Nearly 200 people attended the Green Fair to learn about Green Practices from displays produced by the students.

Read the full story on Triangle dBusiness News

Green Building the Cheapest Way to Slow Climate Chaos

You've got to respect the report in Scientific American saying that green building is the cheapest way to slow global warming.  You probably know that anyway, if you're reading this blog. (Notice how I'm calling it "climate chaos" now? Global warming sounds to benign.)

The article in SA is good read, but the statement comes originally from  the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), which was established under NAFTA.

According to their statistics "Green Building" represents only 2 percent of commercial 0.3 percent of new homes in the US. That's just not enough.

They mention the fact that conventional building benefits from volume discounts that keep prices lower. So when green building reaches 50% (why not 100%?) then the cost differential should shrink. 

Of course that doesn't take into account the fact that much of green building is simply about mindfulness and attention to how things are not. It's not all about the materials.

But as more of this sort of news gets out the snowball will keep growing and perhaps soon all building will be high-performance (see my post from last year about why I don't like to call it "green" anymore).

GreenPros Training: April 5th passive solar case study

Designers, builders and homeowners looking to put theory into practice should attend the "Green & Passive Solar Case Study & Design Lab"

This full day course presented by Alicia Ravetto, AIA LEED, a Carrboro architect, and Paul Konove a local designer-builder will be April 5 from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. at Central Carolina Community College.

The workshop will focus on greening plans and specifications to achieve your optimal green design goals.

Alicia and Paul will share with their experience from actual design projects. Highlights include an exercise to determine optimal lot siting for green building and an exercise to design /modify a conventional home plan to optimize renewable energy, green construction details, and specifications.

Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro Campus Multipurpose Room, Building 2

COST: $90
PRE-REGISTRATION: call CCCC Continuing Education 919-542-6495 ext. 223
ON-SITE REGISTRATION: starts at 8:30 am

CoStar Study shows LEED buildings outperform others

The CoStar Group just released a study concluding that LEED certified buildings do better in terms of occupancy rates, sale price and rental rates.

The results indicate a broader demand by property investors and tenants for buildings that have earned either LEED® certification or the Energy Star® label. Naturally, this strengthens the business case for commercial green buildings, though it was pretty strong already.

According to the CoStar study, LEED buildings command rent premiums of $11.33 per square foot over their non-LEED peers and have 4.1 percent higher occupancy. Rental rates in Energy Star buildings represent a $2.40 per square foot premium over comparable non-Energy Star buildings and have 3.6 percent higher occupancy.

And  Energy Star buildings are selling for an average of $61 per square foot more than their peers, while LEED buildings command a remarkable $171 more per square foot.

Read the full press release here.

 

Ecolect - new resource for finding sustainable materials

I've just stumbled into Ecolect which is a fairly new website that features information about an impressive array of sustainable materials for  building and interior design.  It's quite heavily focused on interiors, surfaces and textiles. But I was amazed at how many things I found there that I had not yet heard of. And here I was thinking I had a pretty good knowledge of eco materials. Obviously the rate at which new green products and materials are being introduced is accelerating. Which means we'll all need resources like this even more.

Ecolect's mission is to provide the tools and resources that make it easier for you to design responsibly. So they provide us with:

1. A website featuring only materials with sustainable attributes, a place that stimulates discussion about defining sustainability and is a source of accurate information
2. A place for you to contribute user reviews and images of materials you use
3. Helpful case studies on successful sustainable design
4. An informative blog that discusses how design and ecology affect the world

Lemons to Lemonade: How to Launch a Sustainable Business in 24-36 Months

CSE Distinguished Speaker, Rinaldo Brutoco will be presenting Thursday March 27, 6:00pm at the Koury Auditorium, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School,  Chapel Hill

The event is free and open to the public with free parking in the business deck. A book signing will follow.

The attend please RSVP to: cse@unc.edu

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Center for Sustainable Enterprise is pleased to host Distinguished Speaker, Rinaldo Brutoco, on March 27. A highly successful entrepreneur and international business executive, Mr. Brutoco is a practical visionary, change agent and futurist. Mr. Brutoco was co-founder and COO of the nation's first pay cable television operation, Optical Systems Corporation, as well as CEO of one of the first companies to offer over-the-air television transmissions of major motion pictures, Universal Subscription Television.

For 13 years, Mr. Brutoco also served as the Chairman of Logical Data Management, which pioneered distributed data processing transfers. Most recently, he founded Seven Oaks Ranch, Inc., a sustainably designed, values-driven enterprise which manufactures and distributes organic food products. He also founded the World Business Academy, which advances global business leadership thinking on sustainable business strategies, global reconstruction, and values-driven leadership.

Mr. Brutoco is the co-author of the new book Freedom from Mid-East Oil, and has been the contributor to, or principal author resource for, several books including Winning the Innovation Game and New Paradigms in Business. 

Vacuum glass at R12+

According to Inhabitat,  Guardian Industries have unveiled a new super insulated vacuum glass that offers an insulation rating of R12-R13.

It uses the same principle as a vacuum thermos bottle to achieve this incredible R value.

The creators, Guardian Industries, hope to have these in the market next year. So I won't start warming up the car to get mine yet but I'm intrigued at the radical shift in energy efficiency this could mean for buildings everywhere.

See the full story on Inhabitat.

Carolina Recycling Association annual conference March 25-28

The Carolina Recycling Association annual conference is fast-approaching, being held this year at the North Raleigh Hilton, March 25-28. 

The conference will feature many sessions on ways recycling is contributing of North Carolina’s sustainable economy. The keynote speaker on Wednesday morning, March 26^th will be John Wells, CEO and President of Interface America, who will describe the company’s successful drive toward environmental sustainability.  On Thursday of the conference, Jeff Barrie will show and discuss his award-winning film “Kilowatt Ours.”

Free passes to hear both John Wells and Jeff Barrie are available at the bottom of the CRA main conference Web page

Winmore Neighborhood Hosting a Talk by Dan McFarland

Dan McFarland, from Southern Energy Management, will be giving a talk tonight titled, "Green Building: How Will I Know When I Build One."

Dan is the Director of Builder Services at Southern Energy Management and a local source of great knowledge about high-performance building.

The event runs from 7pm to 8:30 pm at 112 Della Street in Winmore, which is just off of Homestead Road in Chapel Hill, to your right as you head West from MLK.  Builders and the public are invited to attend.

New Green Development in Greensboro

A new development of 85 Energy Star (or better) homes will begin construction soon in Greensboro. The community to be called Terrapin Ridge has 85 sites that have been sensitively cleared in accordance with Green Building Initiative (GBI) standards.  A  model home has been designed and will begin construction in a few days. Between 8 and 10 builders are sought to take on a minimum of 3 lots each. Lot sizes vary from a 1/4 to 1/3 acre in size.

The community is within easy access to Greensboro, Burlington and RTP off of the Mount Hope Church Road exit (exit 132) of the I-40/85, about a mile and a half from the freeway. It's being positioned as an "Arts and Crafts"  neighborhood of custom-built homes starting in the $300,000's.  Sidewalks will be brick pavers and street lighting will be decorative. Acres of common ground are also part of the package. 

For more information and details contact www.TeamLeung.com, part of Keller Williams Realty.

Window Films to Cut Down Heat Also Improve Security

I've been on the look out for retrofit solutions to improve existing windows and came across the 3M Prestige line of products while attending a home show in Wilmington last week.

The film is available in a range of tints, but the effectiveness in reducing heat gain is not dependent on the tint. A nearly clear film will still repel 97% of the infrared light which heats your interior. That, of course, will cut your cooling bills in Summer. It also repels the UV light which can fade your furniture and carpets.

In addition, it won't change the visible reflectivity of the glass, so your windows won't become mirrors outside like with some other films.

But what sold me is the safety and security angle. The film is so strong and the adhesives so aggressive that you can smash the window and it holds the shards together. This makes it hard for burglars to smash through. And in my case,  where I have low thin windows and a 2-year-old, hard for toddlers or anyone else to hurt themselves.

The local installation company Carolina Solar Security works the region from the coast to the Triangle. They are very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. 

Duke campus expansion will be green

In last night's public meeting about the Duke Central Campus expansion plans, the architects of the plan claimed that the project will be green. It will encourage walking and cycling and will disrupt as few trees as possible. Though the project is still conceptual, Duke wants to complete it within four years.

Duke has engaged the firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects as master designers of the plan charged with developing the overall vision for the campus.  The firm also created the sports "quad" and the area known as Krzyzewskiville" at Duke.  Other works they are known for include the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Reagan National Airport and work at several other universities.

There will be further public meetings as the plans evolve, the next one will be in May to address more specific designs.

Add a tank to a tankless hot water heater?

It may not seem sensible at first but adding a small tank to a tankless hot water heater can be a smart thing to do. Why? There are two key problems that can arise with tankless, or on-demand, hot water heaters. They are a cold water surprise when two showers are taken a few minutes apart, and a loss of pressure when two or more people are using hot water.

Basically, the problem occurs with after one person has showered the water in the pipes should still be hot for a while, assuming they're well insulated. But since the heater itself is not the water there will cool quickly. Once a second person starts to shower that cold water is moving down the pipes before the heater has kicked in resulting in a sandwich of cold water in the pipes that will hit the shower shortly.  By adding a ten-gallon heated tank to the system, the cold water surprise can be totally eliminated. The cold sandwich is tempered in the tank before it moves on up the pipes.

The loss of pressure is another problem that requires the addition of a small pump to resolve. For the whole story see Michael Chandler's article in Fine Home Builder magazine.

Greensboro Chalks Up First Speculative Green Warehouse Development

The new Bull Ridge Distribution Center is the first speculative warehouse building to be registered with the USGBC LEED program. The building is awaiting certification but is ready and waiting for tenants now. It offers reduced operating costs and the conservation of natural resources as well as convenient location for manufacturing and distribution businesses.

The developers, Liberty Property Trust who currently have about 3 million square feet of space that meets LEED standards, say that green buildings can reduce operating costs from 23 percent to 60 percent. PLus, the better air quality and natural light can improve employee performance up to 25 percent.

Via Springboard. See full story here.

PureWood - treated with heat rather than chemicals

I picked this up from Building Green today. A new outdoor decking wood made from Southern Yellow Pine and treated with heat - no copper arsenate or other chemicals at all. Hence the name, Pure Wood.  This process that was developed in Finland by Stellac Oy, and is licensed by Bay Tree Technologies here in the US, lasts about 50-60 hours.  The lumber is heated to 210°F then to 370°F or as high as 480°F when the sugars in the wood are transformed rendering them undigestible to insects or other decay organisms. They then recondition the wood with steam to restore some of the moisture.

The end result is a decking material that has no chemical preservatives, just pure wood, which is a relief. And it will be guarateed for 25 years even with ground contact. Some of the downside are that it's expensive, about the price of composite decking; and that a great deal of energy goes into making it. Currently it's mainly oil used to fire the burners, but the company are hoping to be able to operate with as much as 80% renewable fuels.

Bay Tree are currently establishing its distributor networks for the product so it's not yet available. But I'm looking forward to seeing some real world applications.

See www.purewood.net.

Ecoterrorism in Washington Sadly Misguided

I read this morning in the NY Times that Eco terrorists have torched five "green" luxury homes built in rural Washington state. I'm certainly no supporter of McMansion style building of mini mansions with green features, but there's just no sense in this or any violent act, no matter how justified the perpetrators think they are.

It reminds me of a story back in 1998 when I was in the UK, about an animal rights activist releasing 6000 minks from a farm. Of course, most of them died because they were unprepared for life in the wild and many of them killed local wildlife in their attempts to survive.

This case is a similar fiasco since the burning of 5 homes will have release huge quantities of CO2 and toxins into the air.

See the full story in the New York Times here.

Ground Source Heat Pumps video

Geothermal and Geoexchange systems are certainly among the most sensible, cost effective forms of renewable energy for buildings. Also known as ground-source heat pumps they may not have the pizazz of a solar panel, and they're not a visible badge either, but they are reliable and predictable, which neither Sunlight or the Wind can claim.

I caught this video here on CleanTechnica.com. It's a great outline if you know nothing about these systems.

Home Energy Audits for Greening In Place

Earlier this week I tagged along with an energy auditor, Bill Klotz from Eco-Anthracite. I wanted to see how it all works and besides it was an interesting project which I'll be writing more about soon. A group of UNC Fraternity brothers are forming a non-profit venture to green-up fraternity and sorority houses in the region.

Two of the fraternity brothers and I followed Bill,the energy auditor, around the building from basement and crawlspace area up to the attic looking for a wide range of signs and clues. We found clear indications of moisture condensing on the stone walls in the basement, not far from the kitchen. And we found plenty of leaks in windows, doors etc.

In the photo to left Bill does what he calls the "door dance" which is a tricky maneuver to fit the blower door into position. This enables the house to be pressurized and helps find leaks as well as measuring the overall seal of the building.

In the end the owners get a detailed report indicating areas of concern and recommendations. In this case it was recommended that a $2000 spend (this is a very big house remember) on sealing and tightening would save half that each year in energy costs. Which is a great ROI anywhere.

 

Piedmont Real Estate Council meeting to focus on green building

On March 14th from 11:30 to 1pm at the Piedmont Club in Winston-Salem, the regular monthly meeting of the Piedmont Real Estate Council will discuss Green commercial building practices and techniques.

Rence Callahan, vice president of Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce architectural firm, and Greg Savage, director of sustainable construction for John S. Clark Co., will present an overview of the emerging environmental trends in commercial buildings.

The meeting is open to the public at a cost of $14 which includes lunch, tax and tips.  You can find the Piedmont Club at 200 W. Second St.

For further information, contact Judy Sutherin at 724-7077 or Judy.Sutherin (at) ourclub (dot) com.

East 54 Construction Cam is live

East 54 is a development led by East West Partners in Chapel Hill. It's yet another green neighborhood development being built in the town. Greenbridge being the other main one that broke ground a few months ago. What's quite cool is that they've got a web cam on the scene which you can view here.

East 54 is participating in the LEED^® Neighborhood Development pilot program, which they say will make them among the most environmentally sound, mixed-use communities in the country.

They're aiming at LEED Silver or better when completed. Perhaps that's why of the 53 units shown on the website, only one remains unsold, even at 660k for a 1677 sf 2 bedroom apartment. The community plan shows another building so there may be hope yet if this is what you're looking for.

Raleigh's Earth Day Celebrations

The City of Raleigh is collaborating with Burts Bees and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences on the biggest Earth Day celebration Raleigh's ever seen - April 19 on Fayetteville Street. The all-day celebration will feature bands, activities, a green bazaar, artists and other Earth-friendly exhibits.

The City of Raleigh will feature exhibits focusing on water conservation and the City of Raleigh’s Solid Waste Services composting, recycling, and mulching initiatives.

The participants in the Planet Earth Celebration have taken a pledge to make the day a zero-waste and zero-carbon footprint event, using only items that can be composted or recycled and leaving no trash behind.

NC State University will also be holding events the entire week, culminating with a fair on Friday April 25th in the Brickyard where  non-profits and vendors are invited to participate.

Wilmington gets greener with Sapona Green Building Center

It seems like green building supply centers are flourishing in North Carolina this year. Now Wilmington has its own called the Sapona Green Building Center with a showroom in Anderson Square.

The store carries a wide range of interior products such as counter tops, paints, adhesives, natural plaster, flooring, window treatments, fabrics and wallpapers.  They also offer solar hot water installation, carpentry woods, water heaters, lighting low-flow water fixtures, insulation and even green roofs.

Sapona has positioned itself as a well-rounded building and home remodeling supply store with design and consulting services to help local builders, developers and home owners to make the right green choices.

The store is owned and run by Matt and Elaine Jack who saw a need when they tried to remodel their own home with green products. The cost of freight quickly mounted up when ordering items online. So they decided the time was right for a retail store.

If you're in Wilmington drop by at 4113-b Oleander Dr. 28403. And if you happen to be there on Saturday Feb 23, they are having a grand opening celebration in the store from 3pm to 7pm.

Renewable Energy award nominations sought

I mentioned the NC Sustainable Energy Conference in a post back on Feb 18th. It's on April 8 and 9 in Raleigh. What I failed to highlight then was that they are seeking nominations for The North Carolina Leadership in Sustainable Energy Awards.  The deadline to nominate is February 29th (a week away.)

I'm thinking of nominating my 2 year old. She just keep going and going and going ...

Conference details and nomination form can be found at their website: http://www.energync.net/conference/

And while we're on the subject of awards, there's also the Holcim awards for sustainable construction. The deadline is in 7 days.