Staging an Event? See What You Can Learn from Green Initiative at the U.S. Open

Staging an Event? See What You Can Learn from Green Initiative at the U.S. Open

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GE's NET ZERO HOMES

Story from the Commercial Record

If massive Norwalk conglomerate GE gets its way, by 2015 all homes will generate as much power as they consume, thanks to residential wind power, next generation solar technology and smart power management, among other technologies.

GE said by 2015 it intends to develop a turn-key product portfolio that will empower both new homebuilders and existing homeowners to build or modify so-called "zero net energy homes."

The GE net zero energy home offerings will be comprised of three major groups within the company's product portfolio: energy efficient products, energy management products and energy generation/storage products.

Energy efficient products include GE Energy Star-qualified appliances and lighting products.

Energy management products will enable consumers to manage their costs and energy consumption while helping reduce utility demand peaks, thereby reducing the need for more power generation. In a statement, GE said it plans to be the first manufacturer to offer a full suite of demand response appliances that will work with utility smart meters to help shed load from the grid, while helping consumers save money during peak demand usage and pricing times.

Lastly, the company's GE Energy unit plans to incorporate products like solar PV, advanced energy storage, next generation thin film solar and small wind generators to help homes generate their own power independent of the grid.

"We have a long, trusted relationship with consumers, strong presence with homebuilders, demand response appliance technology and the extremely critical smart grid technology leadership of GE Energy that makes the GE net zero energy home an exciting prospect for our future growth," said GE Consumer & Industrial President and CEO James Campbell.

Protect Our Local Wetlands

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Fairfield County, Connecticut has some of the most inspiring natural lanscapes an artist could ever desire to paint. From coastal vistas to splendor in the grass, the land we are stewards of provides amazing beauty. Our wetlands are an asset not only to our eyes, but to the very planet we depend on for survival.

Please take a moment to learn more about wetlands in this video from BobVila.com

Watch this at Bob Vila

$15.4 Million for Going GREEN

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $204 million in Recovery Act funding to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in ten states. Connecticut was one of the states receiving the funding. Under DOE's State Energy Program (SEP), states have proposed statewide plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Connecticut will use its $15.4 million in SEP funding to create or protect jobs and save energy with several projects, including in-home energy audits and the deployment of a variety of technologies, such as alternative-fuel vehicles. In one project, Recovery Act funds will enable more residents to take advantage of inexpensive in-home energy audits designed to reduce energy bills and encourage energy efficiency. For each home, a specialist will perform an energy assessment, find and professionally seal critical leaks and drafts, replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, provide and install water conservation devices, and check insulation and appliances.

The state will also use funding to support four Clean Cities coalitions—Greater New Haven, Clean Cities of Southwestern Connecticut, Norwich Clean Cities and Capital Clean Cities—to support their efforts to facilitate the adoption of alternate fuels and petroleum-reducing technologies in Connecticut.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive an additional $19 million, for a total of $38 million.

CLICK HERE to read full press release

Up On The Roof

Image by pnwra via Flickr

Green roofs are everywhere these days. What, you've never heard of a "green" roof? I am not talking about a new trend in shingles or mold growing where it should not be. Green roofs are actually, well, gardens on your roof. A green roof reduces the amount of heat on the roof from the sun. This reduces heat in the building as well as the heat the structure generates which creates a "heat island" warming the surrounding air.

There are additional benefits, other than being a great insulator, to having a green roof. It conserves energy used by home heating and cooling. They help clean storm water so the runoff doesn't pollute our oceans, lakes and streams. They abate the heat that roofs generate and warm the local community and green roofs help to improve air quality.

Check out the video below for more Green Roof information.

"Secret Benefits" from Energy Conservation

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I often use the analogy of the car buying process to help explain how I believe one should look at the greener home buying process. Like a car, a home has an effect on the air we breath. Like a car, a home has energy-consumption and maintenance costs that continue through the life of your ownership. These costs should be factored in a buying decision.

However, reducing energy-use cost in a home is much easier these days than in a car. Most of us don’t have the knowledge and resources to redesign our existing cars engine to have greater fuel efficiency. We also find it difficult to reduce our consumption of auto fuel after we work to eliminate unnecessary trips and plan our errands more efficiently.

The easy, low cost changes we can make in our homes can reduce our monthly bottom line and help our planet in numerous ways. I recently read a white paper entitled The "Secret Benefits" From Energy Conservation and it added another dimension to my car/home analogy.

The authors state that "It is logical that a car driven 25% less each year will last longer. The same is true for most energy-consuming equipment, such as lights, motors and even digital equipment......It doesn't matter how energy-efficient an organization is, there are savings from turning equipment "off" when it is not needed." Like a car, "It's not the age....it's the mileage"

Once can reduce their utility budgets by conserving energy. By reducing equipment operation, the need for replacement is reduced. When equipment runs fewer hours, maintenance costs are reduced. By reducing energy-consumption one is also buffering themselves from sudden fuel cost spikes and suprise increase in utility bills.

The secret it out!

Click the link below to read the white paper referenced above.
http://www.instituteofgreenprofessionals.org/associations/9228/files/SecretBenefitsfromEnergyConservation-2008.pdf

Downsizing is in, Greensizing is BETTER

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Recently, the Today Show on NBC ran this video about the trend to downsize your home. While I do think the trend is an important one to note,I would also add a mention of GREENSIZING your home. Greensizing is all about the 3 R's of the green movement. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

It doesn't take long to go through your home and reduce the clutter, reuse what you find and recycle (donate, sell, give away) things that you no longer need. If you throw things away, remember to recycle that which can be recycled in your community! Every bit helps the cause....

Make Me Greener, Please

By MIREYA NAVARRO
Published: June 10, 2009

NYTimes.com

GEORGE BRYSON and Alina Sanchez flunked the test on water consumption.

They had hired a consultant to tell them how they could do better at home in helping the environment, and although they did very well on energy use, water was another matter.

“I do a lot of thinking in the shower,” Ms. Sanchez offered as a possible explanation. (The culprit turned out to be the sprinklers.)

Environmental savings can be elusive, and the benefits and costs confusing. To help households wade through the information, consultants armed with stepladders and gadgets are selling advice on energy efficiency, indoor air quality and even methods for creating an eco-conscious wardrobe.

The field of personal and home eco-consultants is relatively new. GenGreen, a Colorado company that offers a national directory of businesses marketing themselves as green at gengreenlife.com, says it has just over 3,000 listings under the umbrella term environmental consultants, up from 657 when the database was started in 2007. They include energy auditors, health and wellness experts, interior designers and “eco-brokers,” real estate agents who specialize in green homes. While real estate agents can get training and certification as “eco” or “green” by trade organizations, and states like New York run energy audit programs with accreditation rules, there are no industry standards for most eco-consultants, who can range from environmental engineers to the self-taught.

READ MORE http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/garden/11consult.html?_r=5

Acting locally, in the local manner - Energy conservation, local innovation | TerraPass: Fight global warming, reduce your carbon footprint

Erin Craig June 8, 2009

http://www.terrapass.com/
From Japan to Australia, regionally appropriate tricks for conserving energy

I was chatting with a friend in Sydney, Australia not long ago and came away with an enhanced appreciation of what it means to act locally.

My Bay Area was suffering an unseasonable heat wave while hers was unusually rainy, so we talked about how the weather affected our households. “At least I get my water heated for free,” I noted, explaining that we installed a solar-heated hot water system. While she was duly impressed, she replied that systems like that weren’t very practical in her neighborhood because she, like most of her neighbors, has on-demand gas water heating and no hot water tank. Without a tank, solar hot water is problematic because you can’t moderate its temperature.

On the other hand, she wasn’t complaining about the rain. “We have a rooftop rainwater cistern directly plumbed to the clothes washer,” she said. “It rains about the same amount here as there, but it’s distributed all year-round instead of dumping it all in the winter. We almost never need to supplement the cistern.” I found this idea quite enchanting, but such a system would only be useful to me five months of the year.

As we discussed our efforts to save electricity, she reminded me that in Australia, all outlets have switches built in so saving on stand-by power is a little easier. Her challenge is to make the switches more convenient: the ones in the kitchen are fine as they’re at counter height, but the switches behind the TV cabinet are too hard to reach.

These local flavors reminded me of a lecture given by a university professor known for his energy conservation ethic. He had recently visited Japan armed with energy management and measurement devices. When visiting traditional Japanese homes, he had expected to find them horribly inefficient, as they do not feature much insulation. What he found instead is that Japanese approach heating very differently than American. Some rely on micro-heat located where needed instead of central heat. When he joined a family for dinner, he basked in the warmth of a small heater attached to the bottom of the dining table.

In a similar way, I discovered one of my favorite “appliances” in a bed and breakfast kept fairly cool during a New Zealand winter: a mattress pad heater, perfect for a room where sleeping comprised 90% of the room’s use.

Which leads me to wonder what else I might be missing in my immersion in the American version of living lightly, and a West Coast version, at that. Any local practices employed which people would like to share? CLICK LINK BELOW
Image by Flickr user tomsaint11.

Acting locally, in the local manner - Energy conservation, local innovation TerraPass: Fight global warming, reduce your carbon footprint

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Purify Air - Surprising Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

The most widely quoted statistic about air quality is this: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be two- to five-times more polluted than the air outdoors. And while the EPA is responsible for cracking down on outdoor pollution -- the smog, ozone and other chemicals that spew from tailpipes and smokestacks -- protecting the air indoors is largely the responsibility of homeowners.

While many sources of indoor air are fairly obvious and well-known -- second-hand smoke, carbon monoxide and radon, to name the most prominent, and deadly -- there are more insidious, secret sources of pollution that any concerned homeowner or parent should consider. Below are some of the most surprising. For tips on reducing indoor air pollution from these and other sources, see 25 Indoor Air Quality Tips from the American Lung Association. (www.thedailygreen.com/indoor-air)

Purify Air - Surprising Sources of Indoor Air Pollution - thedailygreen.com

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Federal money helps Fairfield go green

By Genevieve Reilly
staff writer- Connecticut Post

FAIRFIELD -- More than one-half million dollars in federal money will be used to save the town some green when it comes to conserving energy.

The Board of Selectmen on Wednesday authorized First Selectman Kenneth Flatto to accept a $545,100 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant awarded through the federal stimulus and energy independence acts.

Projects the town is looking to fund with the grant money include two reciprocating natural gas generators for the main library and police headquarters; financial incentives and public awareness programs; a geothermal study of Stratfield School; and a $23,000 hybrid vehicle for the town car pool.

The generators, budgeted at $360,000, generate electricity and use waste heat to warm the buildings, according to Ed Boman, assistant public works director. The equipment would save the town about $70,000 yearly for each building in heating and electrical costs.

"This is a home run," Flatto said of the proposed projects and the grant funding. There is no town match required for the grant money.

Another $115,100 will be used for the financial incentives and public awareness programs. Uses for this money will include reimbursements to residents and small business owners for purchases of energy-efficient equipment, reusable bags and 10 new bike racks around town. READ MORE......

Solar in the News

A fellow EcoBroker Certified real estate agent, Simone Healey, had an exceptionally informative interview on CNBC recently. Simone is an agent with Vikki Healey Properties in Maywoood, NJ. In this interview she speaks about a rennovation of an antique home c.1767.

The home is having an addition built as well as an energy-efficiency upgrade to the older part of the home. The energy-efficieny measures include added insulation, heating and cooling equipment upgrades and solar panels to generate electricity.

The interview centers around the associated costs of the "green" upgrades. It demonstrates how quickly those upgrades can provide a return on your investment. It also talks about solar incentives from the government to make the payoff sooner and longer lasting.

The video is 3 minutes as 45 seconds.

Connecticut's First LEED Gold Home

By Rob Wotzak

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/

An Efficient Design and a Carefully Detailed Envelope Add up to Big Energy Savings

Craftsman bungalows are celebrated for being comfortable, practical and carefully crafted from local natural materials. This LEEDGold home in South Glastonbury, Connecticut, incorporates all of these qualities and more. To meet the home owners' goal of creating an enjoyable and economical place to retire, CK Architects penned an attractive, efficient, and adaptable plan. A meticulously detailed building envelope, a discretely mounted photovoltaic array, and a geothermal HVAC system keep the home affordable.

Let nature work for you. Beneficial natural conditions paired with good design choices helped maximize the project's sustainable features. An L-shaped house plan and a central screened porch let cooling breezes pass right through the house. An existing clearing made it easy to install the geothermal loop and then cover it with a meadow of wildflowers. The landscaped portions of the site contain large beds of noninvasive, drought-tolerant plants, minimizing the need for irrigation and yard work.

Designed for easy living. Farmed white cedar shingles, fiber-cement siding, and cellular PVC trim ensure that the house is equally maintenance free. CK Architects left the core living area open with plenty of south-facing windows, creating a bright, functional, and efficient space. Less frequently used, the guest rooms are deliberately isolated from the rest of the house, allowing John and Karen to reduce their heating demands when visitors aren't around.

Early actions pay off. The build team's commitment to environmental responsibility made joining the LEED for Homes pilot program an easy decision. Doing this early in the process guided smart choices on everything from initial site preparations to interior finishes. Architect Russell Campaigne estimated that the green building methods added about a 5% premium over a comparable home built to code. With utility bills for the first year averaging less than $100 a month (pretty good considering Connecticut has some of the highest electric rates in the country), it seems that the investment is paying off.

CLICK HERE to read full article

Photo and story courtesy of Green Building Advisor

Awesome Solar Options in Connecticut

By Jeffrey Clonts

In an effort to reduce my electricity bills and to promote clean alternative energies, I decided to look into the Connecticut Solar Lease program. The program, one of the leading solar programs in the country, is brought to us by The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and CT Solar Leasing, LLC.

Combining the power of CCEF’s innovative Solar Rebate program with a leasing option creates an unbelievable opportunity for qualifying homeowners who are customers of CL&P and UI. If you qualify, this program helps you add solar energy to your home at the lowest possible cost. Qualification is based on where you live and your annual gross income. For Fairfield, the AGI limits are $162,000 for a family of 4. For Westport the AGI limit is $235,600 for a family of 4. Click here to see if you qualify.

What the program really does is reduce your monthly utility costs. You save money and the planet at the same time. Trinity Solar, my solar installer of choice for the program, came to my house to do an evaluation. The goal was to see if my home had solar potential.

Ken Nastri took me through the evaluation process and the results were shocking to say the least. It was not shocked to hear that a few trees would have to come down around my place before solar was practical. The real slap in the face was the total cost of my electric bill over the next 20 years.

Using my current annual electric usage and the assumption that electric rates will continue to grow at the rate of 8% per year, my total electric utility costs for the 20 year period would be $157,275.00. I felt sick to my stomach once I saw that number. That is just my electric bill!!!!!!! Yikes.

The good news was that with the removal of a few trees and the CT Solar Lease program I could save $47,345.00 over that 20 year period. In addition to the dollar savings I would be reducing my CO2 consumption by 15,510 lbs. and conserving 5,598 gallons of water. All of this has the same effect on the planet as planting 776 trees. Who new?

Unfortunately the trees that need to be removed to make my home solar friendly are on my neighbor’s property. I have a good relationship with them so we’ll see how eco-neighborly they are feeling. The end result…Solar or not, I have to reduce my energy consumption. My next step is a home weatherization audit through the HES program. More to come…..

If you want to know more about the program or have me arrange for a consultation at your home by Trinity Solar (authorized provider for the CT Solar Lease progam) email me at http://www.AskJeff@prudentialct.com

Beach Season is Coming....

Beach season is quickly approaching in Fairfield County. While we all enjoy the sun and fun of our coastal community, remember the cost of leaving garbage behind on our families and the environment. Take a couple of minutes to view this video from National Geographic to remind us of what we can do to minimize the impact of our love for the beach on the environment.

11 Homes Made Out of the Darndest Things, from Treehouses to Missile Silos

Green buildings can come in many different shapes and sizes, including recycled shipping containers.

May 13, 2009 at 8:35PM by Brian Clark Howard

Green building -- designing homes and businesses to maximize energy and water efficiency and minimize harm to the environment -- has been gathering steam across much of the world. In New York City, architects are exploring the exciting potential of growing fresh food in the urban landscape through green roofs and vertical farms. In the heartland, more folks are taking advantage of home energy tax credits to tighten up their home's seal, invest in more efficient systems and install renewable energy. In Hawaii, new single family homes built in 2010 or beyond will be required to heat their water via the sun's rays. Shoot, folks are even taking green digs on the road with them!

There are many ways regular folks can green up their current residences, from swapping out those light bulbs to planting shade trees, sealing leaks and so on. This article isn't about those things. It's also not about the latest green dream homes, from modular designs to LEED-certified construction. This article is more along the lines of the famous "hobbit house," which combines elements of the old-fashioned prairie sod-house with a whimsical, aspirational attitude of "why not?"
We don't expect most people will be moving into reclaimed trains, planes and automobiles anytime soon. But we do think these home designs are a lot of fun. They show what's possible if we think outside the ticky tacky box, and dream of something different. You may not be reusing an airplane wing today, but maybe you can reuse some used lumber or furniture, or perhaps switch to paints that are better for your air quality. CONTINUE READING at The Daily Green

Click to read more from www.thedailygreen.com

CT Schools and Green Cleaning

By Jeffrey Clonts

On Wednesday May 6, 2009 the Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill that would require state school systems to use “green” cleaning products by July 1, 2011. The legislation passed 124-19 and now moves to the Senate.

Green cleaning products are those that do not contain harsh cleaning agents like ammonia and bleach. Standard cleaning products also often have chemicals and ingredients like benzene and formaldehyde that have been suspected of causing illness, including cancer. Many chemical cleaners also contain unnecessary antibacterial compounds, which may lead to antibiotic resistance.

In fact, indoor air quality in our homes and schools is a growing health issue. The EPA studies show that levels of air pollution inside our homes and schools are two to five times greater than outdoors. Cleaning products are not the only culprit when it comes to indoor air quality. Off gassing from building materials, paint, carpet and mechanical systems all contribute to the problem.

Those who opposed the House bill were mainly concerned about the potential for expensive unintended consequences. Rep. John W. Hetherington, R-New Canaan expressed his concern over increased liability lawsuits if the green products are mandated.

There was some additional concern over cost of green cleaning products. The bills supporters noted that the cost of such products have gone down due to more demand from consumers and broader availability.

There are several green cleaning products available for your home. Check out Dr. Bronner (www.drbronner.com), Earth Friendly Products (www.ecos.com), Ecover (www.ecover.com), Method, which even has a “Detox Kit” to detox your home (www.methodhome.com), Seventh Generation (www.seventhgeneration.com), and Shaklee (www.shaklee.com) and WOW Green (www.wowgreen.net). You can also make your own with common ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. You can find recipes at The Daily Green.

If you are interested in more information on green cleaning products for your home, check out this video from ABC News.

No VOC's, Baby!

By Jeffrey Clonts


One of the advantages of being a real estate professional is that you get to see beautiful homes (and some not so beautiful) all the time. Some of the areas greatest interior designers are hired to make the house a home and, in some cases, a showplace. To me it is free decorating advice. I often see things I like and try them in my own home.

This months project is a repaint of my kitchen. After the torture of finding the right shade of Sea Foam, I had my local Benjamin Moore store mix up a gallon of their Natura low/no VOC paint.

Because low- or no-VOC "volatile organic compound" paints have a lower odor and less impact on air quality than higher VOC-content paints, they are excellent for use in homes to help maintain good indoor air quality. It is also great for other buildings such as hospitals, schools, and workplaces as well.

Recent EPA studies estimate indoor air quality to be 3 to 5 times more toxic than outdoor air largely caused by toxic emissions of paints and finishes. Paint manufacturers realized the need to develop paint that contains lower VOC yet maintain high levels of performance and durability. The carpet manufacturing industry has also created low VOC products for the same reasons.

I am absolutely thrilled with the Natura® paint thus far. It was great doing the work and not feeling faint from the odor. In addition, the paint was great to apply and it’s coverage as good as any I have used before.

When you are planning your next home improvement project that involves paint, I encourage you to try a no/low VOC paint. There are many brands out there. I can only attest for the two I have tried to date. Your family’s health and well being is worth exploring the options. The planet will thank you as well!

Read more about Volatile Organic Compounds and indoor air quality.

Go Green, Live Rich

Going green is about making common-sense, everyday choices to improve the quality of your life and the quality of the planet. Going green will save you money as well.

Reduce, reuse and recycle is not only the mantra of the eco-friendly movement but the key to putting money in your pocket. Think about it. If you're using less and reusing more you save money every day! Thinking about your daily actions like walking vs. driving (walking is cheaper, healthier and more eco-friendly) and keeping an eye on your thermostat (adding a programmable thermostat is a small investment for a big return on your $$$) or reducing your home water consumption (turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth)you can continue to add value to your bank account and add value to the planet.

Planet Green has some great tips to enRICH your life. Check them out by clicking here.

Water Conservation Video

Here is a 3 minute video on water conservation from National Geographic. Take a few minutes to learn and conserve one of our most precious resources.