Green Building Elements

Building Design and Construction recently published a white paper on the effects of green building on climate change.  Included in the paper were 22 specific action items that building designers can put into action today to address climate change.

Here are a few of them:

1. Write out your firm’s position and actions on climate change and include this in RFPs and all your marketing information.

2. Quantify and document the emissions that have been mitigated by your company.

3. Use the many resources available on the internet for energy savings and emissions reduction ideas.

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Follow Philly’s Postgreen as they attempt to build a modern green home for $100,000.

Just over a year ago, Philadelphia developer Postgreen undertook an ambitious project, to build a modern green home for $100,000.  Not only are they seeking to shatter the myth that green homes are unaffordable, but they are documenting every step on their site, 100KHouse.com.  Located in the New Kensington area of Philadelphia, the house will be a roughly 1,000 square foot two bedroom one and a half bath modern style home - and will not be a prefab; rather it is being built from the ground up according to LEED for Homes guidelines using such affordable energy saving materials as SIPs (structurally insulated panels.)

Documenting the progress of the 100K House are Postgreen President Chad Ludeman and PR Director Nic Darling.  Both are convinced that affordable green building is not only possible, but necessary to bring about true environmental change.  Their blog posts are not limited to the progress of the 100K House; they write about a range of interesting green topics. Read the rest of this entry »

Earthen plasters provide a beautiful, soft, and an organic finishing touch to your home, whether they be a straw bale house, cob building, wood cabin, or even plain old sheetrock walls. A simple natural plaster can be mixed from ingredients straight from the earth, including sand, clay, and fibers such as straw, cattail fluff, or even cow manure.

It’s a simple process and a creative one, too: you can let your imagination shine through earthen plaster with its vast sculptability and its variety of application.

Read on to learn more about making and applying earthen plasters!

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South African Anglican Archbishop and renowned anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu will give the keynote address at Greenbuild 2008, to be held in Boston on November 19 through 21.  Tutu’s appearance marks a continuation of the US Green Building Council’s commitment to tie green building to world issues.  Last year in Chicago, former President Bill Clinton gave the keynote address, which can be viewed here.  Archbishop Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, worked for social justice in South Africa as the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, pushing for reconciliation after the end of apartheid, as well as using his clout to fight poverty, human rights abuses, and AIDS.  “Bishop Tutu’s life, work, and message demonstrate the power of transformational change,” commented Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, and Founding Chairman of the USGBC.  “Bishop Tutu’s role in ending apartheid in South Africa and bringing reconciliation to its people will inspire us toward the transformation of our buildings to a sustainable future, and will give us an extraordinary example of social justice in action.” Read the rest of this entry »

The phrase “Chicago Politics” has been thrown around as an insult over the presidential campaign season.  Now that Chicago has become for the next two months the unofficial second US Capital, Chicago politics have dramatically increased in influence. Agree or disagree with the negative connotations of the phrase, the reality is that if certain aspects of Chicago politics do make their way into the Obama administration, we might be looking at a bright future for green building.

Of course President Obama will inherit enormous problems, both at home and abroad, and no one expects him to place green building anywhere near the top of his priorities.  But a look at the green culture of Chicago and the philosophies of those on the short list to cabinet posts will reveal a potential national shift toward environmental building practices. Read the rest of this entry »

A new study in the December 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that an increase of green space in a neighborhood may decrease the chance for childhood obesity among neighborhood children.

In the study, researchers from the University of Washington, Indiana University-Purdue University and Indiana University School of Medicine followed more than 3800 children aged 3 to 16 over a two year period. Using satellite imagery, the researchers found that of the predominantly African-American and poor children studied, those who lived near greater concentrations of green space had a greater chance of lower body mass index (BMI.) Children whose activities were limited to streets and sidewalks faced greater risk of childhood obesity than those who had access to open spaces such as yards, parks, or vacant lots.

This study finds that what is good for adults may not be good for children. A previous study done by the same researchers found that higher urban concentrations led to less driving and more walking by adults, and a corresponding drop in BMI. Read the rest of this entry »

Cascade Engineering has just launched its SWIFT Wind Turbine in the United States and Canada. Quieter than a whisper, SWIFT provides businesses and homeowners in windy environments an effective solution to lower energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.

Built on unique, patented technology, the SWIFT Wind generates electricity by harnessing the power of the wind providing a clean energy source for domestic, community and industrial use. Optimally sited, this turbine will produce approximately 2000 kWh of electricity per year. One of the quietest wind systems available, it generates less than 35 decibels of noise at all wind speeds Read the rest of this entry »

Step outside Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry’s back door and you’ll find a fully functioning, high-tech, modular, green wonder house.  The project, called Smart Home: Green + Wired, showcases ways to go green, both major and minor.  Inside the 2,500 square foot prefabricated home, you’ll find re-covered thrift store furniture surrounding a dining room table made from a slab of a fallen Michigan ash tree.  The wall-mounted LCD screen controls not only the enertainment for the house but monitors the energy consumption of the entire house.  Landscaping consisting of native prairie plants nearly eliminates the need for irrigation. Read the rest of this entry »

Could the economic downturn hurt the green movement?  Thomas L. Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize winning columnist of the New York Times, breaks down the possibility in today’s Bailout (and Buildup) of a tight economy and lower fuel prices leading to a greater reliance on foreign oil and a postponement of a national switch to cleaner energy.   It is understandable that economic worries have pushed environmental worries to the background for most Americans, but as Friedman points out, a financial stimulus package is an ideal way to kill two birds with one stone - inject money into the United States economy, but invest in green technologies.

Recently, we talked about the impressive return on investment for those who choose to install a photovoltaic system next year due to the Senate rescue package in The Future of Home Solar Power.  Starting next year, the United States Government will pay for 30% of your cost to go solar.  One of Friedman’s suggestions is a national renewable energy standard for utility companies, forcing them to produce 20 percent of their power through clean energy sources, including such non-CO2 producing sources as wind, solar, nuclear, and biomass.  He mentions a proposal by Andy Karsner, the former assistant secretary of energy, to increase tax credits for investing in clean energy.  But perhaps there is a way for homeowners or companies to recoup their investment in home solar and set a national energy standard for utility companies at the same time.  I propose the following addition to the renewable energy standard: increase the percentage of clean energy that utility companies must use but allow the utility companies to buy some of that power from homeowners and companies.

That’s right, let’s allow the utility companies to buy clean power from us. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a Bright New Day for Home Solar

Hidden in the fine print of the massive Wall Street Bailout bill that was signed into law last week was a tax credit extension that had alternative energy companies, especially makers of home solar systems, dancing with joy. Instead of losing the federal tax credit at the end of the year, which seemed likely until Wall Street forced Congress to stay in session longer, consumers who install photovoltaic systems will now receive far greater tax savings than they currently enjoy. To put it bluntly, the federal government is willing to pay 30% of your cost to go solar. For a description of the roller-coaster ride that these tax credits have taken over the last few months, read my post from last week, Senate Bailout Plan Could be Boon for Alternative Energies, Home Solar.

Now that the bill has become law, it’s time to reassess the overall costs and return on investment for a home photovoltaic system. Because of their up-front expense, Photovoltaic systems are often viewed as a luxury for the wealthy. And with the down economy it is possible that even these impressive tax credits won’t cause a spike in the purchase of photovoltaic systems. Convincing someone to invest tens of thousands of dollars in something that may take a decade to pay itself off is a hard sell. Let the hard sell begin: Read the rest of this entry »