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Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is…

Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is… published on 1 Comment on Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is…

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It’s not often I get a fun AND informative expense paid weekend. Once again, thanks to the Plastics Make it Possible campaign for inviting me along to the Solar Decathlon in DC. I was honored to be included among such bloggers of awesomeness as Jetson Green, Dwell, Shawna Coronado and Ugly Duckling House .

The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative, but we struggled through it like troopers. The first home we toured with Brooks Utley was the Caltech Compact Hyper Insulated Prototype or CHIP. I’m not gonna lie. The interior was nice, but this house was alllll about the exterior for me. Anything that looks like a space ship is fabnificent in my book. The CHIP does not have any insulation, not because they are from sunny California and don’t need it. It’s because that funky puffy “siding” acts as the outsulation, a word they are trying to get into the dictionary. CHIP’s skin is made of heavy-weight (24oz/yrd) recycled white vinyl. White was used to reflect as much of solar radiation as possible, reducing cooling load. The “siding” is highly durable and waterproof.

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Florida International University also had an impressive exterior. Their perFORM[D]ance House has layered walls designed to protect the house from undesired elements. Check out their website for energy performance on the walls and windows. It’s the louver system I want to discuss. The PVC and aluminum panels shade and protect the house as well as provide hurricane protection. Looks a bit nicer than the plywood or duct tape people were using here for Irene, no?

University of Maryland First Place in Solar Decathlon

The winner of the 2011 Solar Decathlon was the University of Maryland with their Watershed project. They best utilized sustainable design for running the entire house.

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Check out the home’s control panel with an easy button thrown in for good measure.

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The dehumidifier is a work of art. The Innovative Liquid Desiccant Waterfall (LDW) system was developed by Maryland’s 2007 LEAFHouse team. A high-saline solution absorbs humidity from the air as it falls through back lit plastic “jellyfish”. It’s beautiful AND smart.

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My personal favorite was New York’s Parsons School of Design. Not because I’m partial to NY (I am). Not even because I thought the house had the best overall design. It’s the story behind it that I fell in love with. The EmpowerHouse is a Habitat for Humanity home and of all the houses we toured, this one felt like a HOME. It’s probably because the lucky family who are inheriting the house were there on hand. Their photos were on display. This was actually someone’s home and I got a little verklempt when I met them.

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My own honorable mention and the winner of the People’s Choice Award is Appalachian State’s Solar Homestead. Whereas some of the entries felt a bit cramped, this home had space and style. Once again, it was the exterior that blew me away.

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The modular porch with outbuildings is kept dry by a bifacial PV canopy that acts as a net zero energy source for the home. The technology allows each 195 watt panel to collect sunlight bounced from below as well as above.

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But honestly, the had me at the bark siding. Yes, this is durable and water resistant as long as it’s not sitting in a flood zone. The bad news is that it’s expensive.

Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on some other innovations I saw and easy DIY techniques we can steal for you kids to try at home. The bark included. Yum!

 

One Word. Plastics.

One Word. Plastics. published on


The 2011 Solar Decathlon is THE big green deal going down in DC at the moment. Reclaimed Home will be heading down there in….oh, a few hours…to check out the green scene. Thanks to Ogilivy Public Relations and their client, The American Chemistry Council aka Plastics Make it Possible for sending us (Yeah, I’m dragging the hubby) all expenses paid! Carfare, hotel, *swanky cocktails and dinner….the works.

Oh, but the best part of course, is we get to cover the Decathlon. Not only that, but we’ll have our very own celebrity tour guide. Brooks Utley, that smiley carpenter from HGTV’s “The $250,000 Challenge” and “Designed to Sell” will be on hand to show us how plastics make it possible (How do you like how I incorporated that?) to make our homes more energy efficient.

The U.S. Department of Energy is the force behind the Solar Decathlon, which has been a biennial event since 2002.  Collegiate teams compete to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and visually appealing. The winner is the team that blends all of these principles together in the best way.

There will be loads to report once I actually go to the event, but in anticipation, I’m gonna guess how these showcase homes will use plastics.

1. Solar Panels. Hello! This IS the Solar Decathlon after all!

2. Decking. Composite material made from recycled plastic is a favorite durable deck “lumber” used in place of wood.

3. Carpeting. Yes, there are manufacturers who make carpets out of recycled plastic!

4. Insulation. Ah-a! Foam instead of fiberglass. A lot less itchy to install. KnowwhatImsayin??

5. Piping. PVC is to code in many parts of the country now. Easier to work with than cast iron.

6. Small Appliances. Try finding an electric can opener or coffee maker without some plastic on it.

Ok, I listed the obvious stuff.  I’m looking forward to seeing some real live recycled plastic innovations tomorrow! Will report back next week.

* I made up the swanky part. Could be a 40 of Colt for all I know.

 

Reclaimed Lumber Shipped Nationwide

Reclaimed Lumber Shipped Nationwide published on

We usually try to stick to local reclaimed wood resources but new advertiser Reclaimed Lumber (see link on the sidebar) has a warehouse in Pennsylvania. That’s local enough. Plus, they do ship nationwide.

The wide plank pine shown in the above photo is $5.95 per square foot. That’s not bad! The website says that shipping should cost less than $250.

One can get lost on the site. There’s all sorts of reclaimed flooring, including pine and oak from barns and wine barrels. But flooring is just the start. There’s paneling that’s not your grandma’s 1970’s wall paneling. Ceiling panels, reclaimed wood furniture, beams, frames and slabs. It’s the go-to source for reclaimed wood in any form.

You can buy and sell barns on the site. No sh*t! And old log cabins!

Kind of makes me wish I was restoring an old country home.

Reclaimed Building Materials, NY

Reclaimed Building Materials, NY published on

We’ve posted local reclaimed lumber resources here before, but the list keeps growing. Before checking out any of these pricey places, be sure to have a look at Craigslist first to see if anyone is giving away materials they don’t need. It happens.

Need recycled bricks? Chief’s in The Bronx sells used bricks and cobblestones.

Here are a few reclaimed wood and flooring companies to check out:

Antique and Vintage Woods. Upstate.

Restoration Timber @ NY Design Center

Cornerstone Salvage. NYC

And don’t forget this Coney Island boardwalk wood!

2011 Building Brooklyn Awards

2011 Building Brooklyn Awards published on

Last night the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce honored 13 construction and renovation projects that “enrich Brooklyn’s neighborhoods and economy”. Since Hubby works on the “Newtown Creek Waste Water Facility” Skanska project that won in the Civic and Institutional category, I got to attend the 2011 Building Brooklyn Awards.

There were two honorees of the evening. Deb Howard, Executive Director of Pratt Area Community Council and Jed Walentas, Principal of Two Trees Management Company were recognized for their achievements.

Winners were rewarded not only for design and building but for completing projects within or under budget and bringing jobs to communities. Architects, Engineers, Developers, Builders and Contractors were all recognized as integral parts of each project.

Some interesting winners:

184 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg won for Adaptive Reuse. The 1915 Cass Gilbert building was headquarters of Wild Turkey bourbon manufacturing. The redesign of the 340 unit now-residential building was redesigned by SLCE and SLADE Architects and features an interior courtyard .

The winner of the Education category went to Pratt Institute-Myrtle Hall. This is Brooklyn’s first LEED gold certified academic building.

Erasmus Hall High School won for Historic Preservation. (My dad’s high school: Woot!) This NYC landmark is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Charles B.J. Snyder increased light and air to the interiors of the Gothic structure.

Mixed Use winner was Brooklyn Ecopolis on Warren Street in Cobble Hill. The acceptance speech was most interesting to me because it wasn’t a bunch of industry people standing up there, it was a female nurse. Ecopolis is a family owned, built and operated project. The building houses a sustainable cafe on ground level and a non-profit sustainable resource center on the second floor. The owners live on the residential floors above. This is a LEED Gold project.

If you’re a Brooklynite, you can probably guess the Open Space winner. Brooklyn Bridge Park, of course! Piers 1 & 6 represent 18 acres of the 85 acre East River park. 6,000 to 8,000 people visit on weekdays with up to 12,000 on weekends. When there’s an event, the number rises to something like a gazillion. (author’s guestimate)

The Affordable Housing win went to The Domenech in Brownsville. Common Ground Community developed a 72 unit LEED silver-certified building devoted exclusively to the needs of the chronically homeless and low-income seniors. The complex features a courtyard, natural light and central heating and cooling systems.

Please check out the other wonderful winners and nominees on the Chamber’s website.

Hey Eco-Geeks!Solar Wireless Chargers

Hey Eco-Geeks!Solar Wireless Chargers published on

Guest Post

So there’s this most recent direction running along side our attraction with the most desirable wire-less accessories [1], and it’s how to best maintain their battery packs 100 %. With lots of the modern pads and tablet pcs, mobile handsets, and lap tops the only typical headache is the most handy alternative to have them charged up. I began wondering what normally I would undoubtedly undoubtedly do with some of these various units and now I ask myself what I’d do without them. I even worry every night whether I have all of them on their proper wires and charging up for the day ahead.Continue reading Hey Eco-Geeks!Solar Wireless Chargers

Renovating on a Tight Budget

Renovating on a Tight Budget published on 1 Comment on Renovating on a Tight Budget

If your renovation is costing more than you paid for your house, something is wrong. You shouldn’t have to sell your first born to update a home. Sure, there are certain large ticket items you wouldn’t want to skimp on….roof, windows, facade, boiler, structural. But semi-skilled work? Come on.

As you know, I’m a big advocate for DIY. If you put in the sweat equity, you can be save yourself in the vicinity of $40k. I came up with that estimate by comparing DIY input to that of an unskilled day laborer at $125 per day over the course of a year. My own skills are superior to a guy you pick up at Home Depot, so my own estimate is probably double that. Obviously you wouldn’t quit your $200k per year job to do it, but as a freelancer earning bupkas, I was able to put in the time. My husband who put in a lot less time because he actually has a full time job and does earn something, probably saved us even more while only working on the house on weekends. That’s because he has mad skills.

Before I go into materials, just a few thoughts on other ways to save on labor. Painting and demolition parties, barters, hiring apprentices to high end contractors and of course picking up day laborers.

Materials range from free to high end. Since this has the words “tight budget” in the post title, guess where I’m going with this?

FREE

It would be a fun experiment to try to do an entire renovation free of cost. But nothing is ever free. It would take tons of time and probably cost more in fuel than trying to buy locally. But here goes…..

1. Craigs List. Go directly to the “free” section. You may find anything from sheetrock scraps to clawfoot tubs. People measure wrong, decide to use something else or may want to recycle what they are ripping out.

2. Freecyle.org Sign up for the group to gain access to a nationwide network of recycled goodies. IMO, it sounds a whole lot better than it is. When I signed up, I couldn’t believe the audacity of some people. One of the requests I saw was for a minivan for someone with 8 kids. Hello, maybe you should stop having kids if you can’t afford a van! But I digress. You can post your own needs, search for what’s out there and offer up what you no longer want.

3. Dumpster Diving. Oh yeah! I’m talking dumpsters parked outside of a renovation, obviously. Better still, find the fixer uppers that have just closed, contact contractors and demolition guys to see if they’ll give you the head’s up. No, they won’t be happy, but one or two of them might not think it’s great to stick everything in the landfill. You know, those sensitive contractors.

Almost Free

1. Craigslist. This time search “materials”.

2. ReStores. Located throughout the US and Canada. Run by Habitat for Humanity, these shops take donations from the public and sell the items at a fraction of the cost. They have everything including the kitchen sink. Paints, cabinets, light fixtures, furniture….

3. Build it Green. I saw a coffin in here once. If you live in NYC, this place is just as good as any Restore since the closest ReStore is in Mt. Vernon. BIG is a huuuuge warehouse in Queens. They have new and used studs, wiring, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances and more. Do keep in mind that items like plywood, sheetrock and studs go quickly as these are basic to any renovation.

4. Salvage! There are antique architectural salvage yards all over the planet. Although you might sometimes find a bargain at Olde Good Things or Demolition Depot, they are not for the shallow pocketed. My two local faves: Eddie Hibbert in Clinton Hill and Vaccaro’s in Gowanus. I’m talking antique french doors for 20 bucks and marble mantels for less than $400. *They may need work.

5. Overstock and Closeouts. Every now and then, manufacturers need to get rid of some clutter. There are samples, irregulars and dead stock taking up space. They don’t always post it online, but I’ll give you a for instance. I once found the mother load of concrete tiles, countertops and sinks on Craigslist. Get Real Surfaces in Poughkeepsie was having a sale to get rid of dead inventory. I made out with enormous boxes of tile for $10 per box. They were probably worth about $20 per square foot.

6. Ebay. Did you know that you can buy faucets, toilets and tools on Ebay? Yep, it’s all there!

7. Overstock.com. Sometimes good for faucets, shower and light fixtures, tiles…it kind of depends on what they have that week. Hit or miss.

Upscale. Low Budget

Green Demolitions. Buy what the millionaires got tired of looking at. Top shelf appliances (think Viking, Sub Zero) and cabinets for a ton less than what you would pay new. These aren’t completely inexpensive, but it’s a good deal for what it is!

PS: Side effects may include saving the planet while saving your pocketbook.

Foie Gras for the Homeless

Foie Gras for the Homeless published on

The Prospect Park goose serial killers are at it again. Last year, hundreds of geese were rounded up and gassed. There were plenty of protests, not because the geese ended up in a landfill, but because they were killed in the first place.

The DEP has a solution this year. The captured geese (who, BTW, have reproduced since the mass slaughter didn’t quite do the trick) will be shipped to Pennsylvania to feed the poor and hungry. All on the NY taxpayer’s dime.

Goose killing became a favorite pastime since that one goose took down US Airways flight 1549 from LaGuardia. That’s the plane that ended up floating in The Hudson.

What can be done in lieu of murder?

A few suggestions…

Habitat Management. “Birds shot dead can neither learn nor pass on information.”

Friends of Animals. Habitat Modification.

Via City Room

Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time

Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time published on 1 Comment on Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time

Guest author: The Hubby

By choosing to live in a city, you have already reduced your carbon footprint by 2/3rds. This may seem counter intuitive but there are some major advantages including public transportation and sharing of resources.

More people cram into high rise apartment buildings and share park space. Garbage collectors use less fuel to get around because people in urban areas live closer together. How does NYC rate on the recycling front? Well, due to a lack of vision and budget constraints, NYC only recycles 30% of it’s waste while San Fransisco is at 70%. We still beat Houston, TX which is in the single digits.

Some things aren’t that clear cut though.

Do reusable bags actually save energy and resources? They take more energy to produce and now since the green movement is in full swing, they are incredibly easy to come by because everyone wants their logo on a tote. The cheaper ones tear easily and get trashed in less than a year. Then there’s the bacteria scare. Unless you wash them regularly, they can get pretty nasty. It takes water, soap and energy to clean them, so how environmental is this?

Probably a hell of a lot better than plastic bags. The heavy canvas ones beat the lightweight semi-disposables any day.

What about the bottle debate? Glass, plastic or aluminum? Glass is heavier and is thus costlier to transport to the store and recycling plant. Aluminum takes a lot of energy to produce from bauxite but it’s easily recyclable. Cans are made from 40% recycled material. Glass bottles are 20%. Plastic bottles are reusable but not recycled as bottles. The advantage of plastic is that it can be made into fleece or packing material.

In an ideal world, we would all refill our glass containers locally. Kind of like our seltzer delivery by Ronnie the Seltzer Guy.

There’s always common sense solutions to saving the planet that do not need to be debated.

Turn off the tap when not rinsing body, teeth or dishes.

Don’t run half empty dishes or laundry.

Unplug energy sucking vampire electronics and appliances when not in use.

Replace standard bulbs with CFL. For God’s sake, turn off the light when you leave the room!

Walk, cycle, take the train. Car pool.

Get a little uncomfortable. Do you really need all that heat and air conditioning? You better not be walking around the house in your skivvies in the middle of winter complaining you’re cold.

Consume less meat. The closer you get to a vegan diet, the more resources you save. Land, water. Co2 emissions. Not to mention the animals.

Buy local. This not only saves on fuel, but hello….let’s build up our own economy!

One person can’t fix the planet on their own, but if each of us took baby steps towards righting Ms. Earth, perhaps one day she will be grateful enough to thank us. (Because she’s pretty pissed right now).

 

Let’s Talk Gardens

Let’s Talk Gardens published on 4 Comments on Let’s Talk Gardens

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Let me be clear. I’m a DIY chick, but there are certain areas where I lack skills. I don’t cook. I don’t sew. And I don’t do gardening. This Spring I’m all about planning the parlor floor deck so we can hang out upstairs and watch the pets spread their feces around the yard.

I don’t know if it’s because I realize the deck won’t actually get built until 2020 or if most of the interior renovation is done and I’m getting bored, but I’m jonesing for a nice garden this year. I did get inspired by some photos (below) on Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District‘s Facebook page. Aren’t they gorgeous? Most were done by professionals, but this control freak needs to design it herself and play in the dirt.

When we first bought the house and I saw the lovely astroturf on the fence, I immediately envisioned a 1950’s kitsch back yard with pink flamingos, garden gnomes and string lights. Now that I’m working on this masterpiece deck, I know it’s not gonna match the tacky yard.

I’m thinking something more grown up. I love every single one of these photos. Between the pets and my black thumb, the less maintenance the better. Sooo, what should I do? *Also, if you wanna come over and help, there would be beer and pizza in it for you.

Upcycle Magazine

Upcycle Magazine published on

Did you know there is an Upcycle Magazine? I do now. The site goes over how-to’s, products and ideas. It is a tad heavy on the Etsy crafty stuff, but there are some great ideas for the home and garden. “Bigger projects” as I like to call them.

Looks as if the site launched in 2009 but the content in the archives isn’t too overwhelming. In fact, I wish there was more.

Well, since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll shut up now and show you. As always, click on the image link to learn more.

Via Best Green Blogs.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! published on

Happy Earth Day! You can find local Earth Day events for the weekend @ the Earth Day Network. Just punch in your zip code.

And please be kind to Momma Earth today and every day. Hate to get preachy on y’all, but just a few seconds out of your day would really make a difference.

Like what? Howzabout….

1. Don’t leave your reusable shopping totes behind.

2. Turn off lights when you leave the room.

3. Shut windows when it’s too chilly. Why waste heat?

4. Walk or take public transit instead of driving.

5. Recycle your paper and cans! Nobody should be throwing that stuff in the garbage. It’s 2011 for F’s sake!

6. Unplug chargers and other energy vampires when not in use.

7. Turn off water in between rinsing while doing dishes and brushing your teeth.

8. If it’s yellow….you know the rest.

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