GreenGeezer

Viking House Shows Passive and Active Solar Technology

This Viking House is a good illustration of passive and active solar tech.  They also offer a consulting service  for owners of older homes.   Too bad they're in Ireland.  Still, their website has great information on several key energy-efficient technologies, such as heat recovery ventilation.

"Between a third and half of an Irish building's heat loss typically occurs through cold air exchange. Heat Recovery Ventilation is a technology that, whilst having been in existence for some time, is now rapidly gaining recognition in Ireland as an extremely efficient, health-beneficial, cost effective solution to saving energy. Scandinavian in origin, the Heat Recovery Ventilation System (HRV), follows the unique approach to environmentally harmonised living the Scandinavians are renowned for."

Our Green Home is Starting to Take Shape

We are building a green home in Bloomington, Indiana.  Our plan is to build it over the next year, with plans for completion in late 2009.    Here is the latest rendering.  The house was designed by Ron Dean, and is being energy modeled by Conservation Technology International.   The house is a high-performance, super-insulated version of the German Passivhaus, dubbed a "One Watt House" by Marko Spiegel, principal of CTI, because it will take only about one watt per square foot of house to heat it on the coldest day of the year.  It also incorporates a heat chimney, which will draw air up and out of the house on hot days, allowing the house to cool itself naturally. 

Get Solar Makes Finding a Solar Contractor Easier

Get Solar is a new website providing great information on solar energy, the different types of solar energy, and  how to locate a solar contractor in your area.  It also provides a lot of good information on the benefits of solar on its Why Solar? page.  I appreciate its coverage of green building information, including how the Prefab industry is embracing green technology.  Good to see quality information sources springing up to help people find their way in the solar energy consumer marketplace.

D.C. Gut Rehab Proves Value of Green Homes

NPR aired a story on a gut rehab in Washington, D.C. that is projected to earn LEED Platinum status in the LEED for Homes category.  LEED is a third party certification program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, awarded by the USGBC.  Built in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C., it is one of only a few buildings in this category in the U.S., and the first in Washington, D.C. But it's the story of the value that green homes have in this down market that really caught my attention.  Says the owner, Amy Levin in an article in BuildingGreen.com:

"When 1834 Ingleside Terrace was listed, my offer was the first of many great ones," says Amy. "But it was the fact that I wanted to do a green renovation that convinced the owner to accept mine."   

Not only that, but:

• An appraiser valued her townhome at about 10% higher than comparable properties
• Interested buyers made offers (even though the property wasn't even listed) that more than covered the green investments she had made
• Prospective renters were "more than willing" to pay a premium for the "health, energy benefits, and "cool factor"  of the home

Speaking of cool, check out the Interactive Green Kitchen Tour on NPR's website.

Green Earth Fair this Sunday in Naperville, IL

The 5th Annual Green Earth Fair is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, 2008 from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM at the Green Earth Institute's organic vegetable farm at 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road, Naperville, Illinois. Bring the family: activities, entertainment and education centered on earth-friendly practices in gardening and farming, tours of the organic farm and organic vegetable seedlings and native prairie plants will be available for sale.  Plus musicians!  exhibits!  A free event. The organic farm endures due to the generous donation of  Mrs. Lenore McDonald, "the stubborn farm owner on the south side of Naperville who—in the face of suburban development on all sides—declared that her land would remain in              agriculture."  Thank God for stubborn landowners.

 

Green Building History

The Green Building website has a handy timeline of green building.  It is enlightening to see how long ago the architectural profession began considering sustainability and energy:  in 1973 the American Institute of Architects formed the AIA Committee on Energy.  We're still catching up.  Also check out Green Remodeling which  "discusses simple green renovation solutions for homeowners, focusing on key aspects of the building including foundations, framing, plumbing, windows, heating and finishes."

Green Roof Pioneer

Today's Chicago Tribune features a story by Russell Working about Dick Young, a long-time environmentalist who was an early visionary about the benefits of a green roof, and a key figure in the creation of the Kane County forest preserves. it includes a great picture of Dick by Wes Pope.  It's great that we are able to learn from Mr. Young while he is still able to share his knowledge: he is in the early stage of  Alzheimers.

Home for Sale at Ecovillage at Ithaca

There is a unit for sale at Ecovillage at Ithaca, a co-housing community.  As explained on the Cohousing Association of America website, "cohousing communities combine the advantages of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living, including shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors." Cohousing communities also emphasize sustainability, and this one is no exception, featuring:

• an organic CSA vegetable farm and U-Pick berry farm
• office spaces for cottage industry
• a neighborhood root cellar
• community gardens and varied natural areas
• 80% planned green space

The unit for sale includes two bedrooms, full bath and large walk-in closet and half bath downstairs.  The price, at $197,000, seems moderate.  More pictures here.

National Hanging Out Day Celebrates the Clothesline

TreeHugger has the scoop on National Hanging Out Day, and the many new kinds of clotheslines that are being developed to lure people back to hanging their clothes outside.  There's Nature's Dryer, which looks like a tree. And there's Cord-O-Clip, a more high-tech solution.  Find them all at the Clothesline Shop.

I myself grew up with the classic Tee-Post, shown here.

Crocuses in Bloomington, Indiana