Time to Install Solar Hot Water

In the late 1970's when the Solar Hot Water Panels went on the White House we were getting back to a technology abandoned only a few decades earlier. Only a few short years later we would abandon this renewable energy technology again. I'll avoid a discussion of the politics here but suffice to say that fossil and nuclear energy companies didn't (and don't) like competing with the most infinitely renewable energy source (which falls freely on our heads and roofs!). Will we as a culture work aggressively now to put solar hot water technology on all of our homes and workplaces? The economics are so beneficial and easy to comprehend. The carbon output reduction is so simple to calculate. The planetary need is so obvious. The need for jobs in manufacturing and installation is so necessary at this time. Why wouldn't we do this? To learn more I recommend starting with the information at this link:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative-Energy/2003-10-01/Save-With-Solar-Hot-Water.aspx

Let me know if you decide to do it!

Green Homes Save Money, Make Owners Happier

This just in from a new study by McGraw-Hill and the National Association of Homebuilders (italics are mine):

NEW YORK, April 3, 2007 -- New market research by McGraw-Hill Construction finds that approximately 0.3 percent of all homes in the U.S. are "green," incorporating elements in three of five environmental building categories.

Although the number of green homes is small, the market is estimated at about $2 billion, thanks in large part to the fact that owners of green homes are both substantially happier with their homes than other homeowners, and more likely to spread the word about the benefits of building green.

The survey was co-sponsored by McGraw-Hill and the National Association of Home Builders, and it found that people who bought green are 85 percent happier with their new green homes versus their previous non-green ones. And more than a quarter of new green homeowners reported first hearing about green homes through word of mouth.

In addition to the evangelical nature of green homeowners, the survey also found that green products are taking center stage in remodeling projects as well. About half the overall U.S. homeowner population has recently done some renovation work on their home, and approximately 40 percent of those are using green products in their remodeling.

"This is another powerful finding," says McGraw-Hill vice president Harvey M. Bernstein. "As home prices increase and homeowners stay in their homes longer, remodeling becomes a key market opportunity. It's encouraging that there is already so much of the community aware of these green product options and, more importantly, using them."

A McGraw-Hill estimate from 2006 found that a much larger number of homes -- 2 percent -- incorporated at least one green building element, such as energy-efficient appliances, but the market appears to be turning much greener. Bernstein added, "It's also powerful to find that people are really starting to commit to building truly green homes, moving away from just adding energy efficient appliances or one aspect that's green. They're paying attention to the holistic benefit of green."

Demographics unearthed in the research showed that the average new green homeowner is affluent and well educated, in his/her mid-forties and married, and also more likely to be from the Southern or Western states. Women are also more likely to be green homeowners than men.

More than any other factor, saving money by building green was the motivating factor for these homeowners. 63 percent reported financial concerns as the key reason behind buying a green home. About 50 percent reported environmental concerns and family health as motivators.

Among the largest obstacles to growing the green building market are lack of awareness, higher costs, and scarcity of the homes. Over 60 percent of respondents cited education, additional costs involved in green homes and the availability of the homes as obstacles they had to surmount.

David Whitten, The Real Deal in Green Homes

Housing Doldrums? Not for "Green" Materials

Even though conventional media wisdom is portraying the national real estate market as being in a slowdown, there is at least one glaring exception:  the trade in "green" building materials.  This sector appears to be growing and expanding at a rapid pace despite trends in construction and housing to the contrary.

Tellingly, The Wall Street Journal reports that "nationally, green homes are projected to increase to between 5% and 10% of U.S. housing starts by 2010, from 2% in 2005, according to a report last June by the National Association of Home Builders and McGraw-Hill Construction..."

Energy prices are certainly the prime driver of this trend and if oil drops down to historic lows again, the trend may in fact reverse a bit.

Anyone interested or involved in green or energy-efficient building should take a moment to check out this article in its entirety as well as this related piece.

David Whitten, Raising Awareness About Greater Portland Maine "Green" Real Estate

House Sizes: Trending Down?

With energy prices expected to be volatile into the future, many are wondering how home design trends will be changing.  As you know from this blog, "green" home building and design are continuing to gain momentum in Maine and elsewhere.  Efficiency and conservation are on the minds of more home builders, buyers and owners every day.

But a more fundamental shift is also afoot - downsizing the house without necessarily downsizing the quality of the living experience.  In fact the work of Sarah Susanka, architect and author, has been drawing the attention of thousands in the design/build world.  Author of "The Not So Big House" and other titles, Sarah sums up her philosophy like this:

"The inspiration for The Not So Big House came from a growing awareness that new houses were getting bigger and bigger but with little redeeming design merit. The problem is that comfort has almost nothing to do with how big a space is. It is attained, rather, by tailoring our houses to fit the way we really live, and to the scale and proportions of our human form."

In a different but related trend, the Wall Street Journal highlights the growing demand for "micro houses" often in lieu of "McMansions."  More and more architects and designers are getting the call for this type of dwelling:

"Designers say microhome buyers tend to fall into one of two groups: The majority are looking for a secondary space, either a vacation home or a building near or attached to a primary residence. A minority of buyers are hoping to move into a minihouse full-time, motivated by a desire to simplify their lifestyles or by social and environmental concerns about the amount of living space people need."

This downsizing trend is an interesting corollary to the green building movement.  It tries to get at the heart of what we really need in our homes in order to live well vs. just "consuming" the housing "product" that is offered at face value in many real estate markets.

6 Ways to Save Money on Hot Water

These are some great tips from the Wall Street Journal's Real Estate site:

1. Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120° F. If you lower it by just 10ºF, you'll save 3% to 5%. For most homes, 120 ºF, or even 115 ºF, is sufficient.
2. Consider getting a more efficient water heater for your home. Natural-gas-on-demand or tankless water heaters can save you up to 30% compared with standard natural-gas storage tank water heaters. Or, just buy a new energy-efficient water heater. It costs more up front, but you'll save over time.
3. If you buy a solar water heater, you might be eligible for a tax credit or rebate. Look for details in the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy at www.dsireusa.org.
4. Drain a quart of water from your tank every three months. You'll remove the sediment that lowers the efficiency of your water heater.
5. Place heat traps on the hot and cold pipes connecting to your heater -- you'll prevent heat loss.
6. Insulate your hot water pipes -- doing so can raise water temperature 2ºF-4ºF.

NAHB, ICC Collaborate on Green Building Standards

This month the National Association of Home Builders and the International Code Council announced that they would be "collaborating to bring uniformity to sustainable building practices."  Both parties asserted their commitment to sustainable building and the creation of national standards for green building.

This is great news, but the story had me wondering how this relates to the already existing LEED system developed by the US Green Building Council.  Apparently the USGBC came out right away in support of the NAHB/ICC move.  The USGBC president put it in perspective:  "LEED for Homes, now in its pilot phase and due to be released this summer, recognizes leading-edge practices in green home building through third-party verification. What USGBC is learning through the LEED program can contribute greatly to NAHB and ICC's efforts. With that in mind, USGBC has already expressed our interest in becoming a member of their standards committee."

With the USGBC and others participating with NAHB and ICC it's only a matter of time before some meaningful national green building standards are in place.

David Whitten - Maine Green Building and Real Estate

Boston Leads in LEED

Just down the road a bit, our big sister city of Boston is doing some exciting things with regard to green building standards.  Maine is no slouch in this arena, but apparently Mayor Menino of Boston recently announced some big steps.  "Boston will become the first major city in the nation to require adherence to the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified standard as part of the private development review process."  It seems that they won't require LEED certification per se, but that the LEED standards are being incorporated into their standard design review process.  That's big.

For the full statement, check out the Boston Redevelopment Authority web site.  And for more on LEED, visit the US Green Building Council.

David Whitten, Green Real Estate Agent

2006 Green Buildings Open House Tour

Anyone interested in greening their home - or building a green home from scratch - absolutely can't miss the upcoming Green Buildings Open House tour organized by NESEA.  Hundreds of homeowners and business people graciously open their homes for a day to share how they acheived healthier and more energy-independent living and working environments.

This year's tour (self-guided) is on Saturday, October 7th and here is the web site to get more details:  http://nesea.gaiahost.coop/buildings/openhouse/

A Tour of Green Homes

Blue skies and a light breeze set the stage for a great afternoon of green home hopping recently here in southern Maine on July 25th.  Builders, architects, real estate agents, and other green building professionals and advocates were among a select group invited to tour several area homes that each have taken a different approach to “green” or sustainable building.  Of the three homes we toured 2 are in various stages of LEED for Homes certification.  A third home was a remarkable example of sighting and of building for low maintenance and long life cycle using standing seam copper siding, slate flooring, and salvaged timbers for framing. 

Open loop ground source heat pumps were probably the most amazing technology on display today but it was some of the simpler things that were really quite impressive.  For me it was great to see local subcontractors that I’ve seen around for years working on making the transition to better and more sustainable building.  Our host for the event was the Maine Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and as usual for this group the event was well planned and we were well fed and well watered! 

David Whitten

Greening Real Estate

Does Your Landscape Add Value?

A well-landscaped home definitely has its advantages.  Consider these statistics:

• According to Money magazine, while remodeling a kitchen or a bathroom may return only 75 percent and 20 percent of its cost respectively, landscaping investments are estimated to return at least 100 percent and up to 200 percent of their costs. [Money magazine, May 2003]
• A study of 2,000 realtors by Homegain.com found an investment of $500 in lawn improvements would likely yield 400 percent of that total when selling your home. [Homegain.com study, 2000]
• Ninety-five percent of the members of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers say landscaping adds to property value, while 99 percent agree landscaping increases speed of home sales. [Society of Real Estate Appraisers study, 2002]

Here's a brochure that gives some tips on environmental lawn care, so you can get some of these benefits above, without adding chemicals to your water table (or to your lawn where kids and pets play).

Are Your Walls Healthy?

So, you'd like to do something nice for the planet and your indoor air quality?  Well the next time your doing some remodeling, redecorating or building new choose to use an array of new paints that are much easier on the environment and the air inside your home.  These might also be the paints to use if your getting ready to sell and want to freshen up the look of your home without being stuck with strong paint odors.  The buyers at the open house will appreciate the crisp clean look without reaching to open a window for some fresh air.

Here is GreenSeal's List of approved "eco-friendly" paints.  Here's a great article about the whole trend in these finishes.

And this PDF brochure from the City of Seattle is probably the best resource I've seen on the subject.

Energy Efficiency and Home Buying

Here is another great article from Mark Nash.  He really puts some great information together so, again, I am choosing to publish his work in its entirety.

----------------

2006 Home Sellers Energy Inefficiencies Can Sour Buyers

by Mark Nash

Forget the real estate bubble, energy prices are a primary concern for homebuyers. Stung by rising mortgage rates and higher commuting costs from recent increases at the pump, homebuyers in the last three months have paid extra attention to energy costs during their home search.

From my experience and hearing client reports as they look for seasonal homes in southern climates, natural gas, heating oil and electricity costs have moved dramatically up the list as potential deal-killers. Sellers should be prepared for buyer inquiries about energy consumption and efficiency improvements. Energy questions apply to condominiums and single-family homes.

Do's

• Provide the last three months electric and natural gas/heating oil bills. Buyers appreciate pro-active sellers providing these costs without asking. Buyers can usually can energy history from utility companies.
• Be honest about how you set the temperature in your home. If you blast your furnace for a new baby or practice conservation let buyers know. Disclose that you have turned the thermostat down on the hot water or pool heater too.
• If you have your pool opened up for showings and have a solar cover, let buyers know. Pool energy costs are a second-tier energy expense to buyers.
• Install a programmable thermostat if you don't already have one. Buyers look for this telltale sign of energy-awareness .
• Make readily available manuals from energy star appliances (appliances that significantly exceed the minimum national efficiency standards).  Save yellow energy use labels from furnaces, hot water heaters and appliances.
• Inform buyers that you have solar-energy systems. Buyers might miss these systems while taking in other features of your home on their first visit.
• Disclose active or abandoned buried oil storage tanks. Most state residential property disclosure laws require sellers to inform buyers of the location, size and age of tanks.
• Display furnace and air-conditioning service histories. Buyers love to see maintenance records.
• Verify that all radiators valves work properly. Buyers love the even heat from this old system but want to know that they can control heat levels. Buy radiator valve keys at the local hardware store.
• Provide receipts from recent insulation or window replacement projects. Highlight special features such a double glazing and low-e coatings.
• Reports from energy audits on your home completed by your utility company.

Don'ts

• Forget to replace your furnace filter once a month. Home inspectors and home shouldn't discover filthy filters. Ditto water filters in your refrigerator and sink. Check dryer and range-hood filters too.
• Cover windows and doors with plastic sheeting. Buyers want to see views and use doors on property tours. Plastic coated windows looks like a energy band-aid. Boomers remember the coated couches and lamp shades.
• Pile straw bales around the foundation. Buyers consider this a quick fix for problem crawlspaces.
• Close all the blinds to save air-conditioning costs when showing your home. You won't sell your house if it is dark and closed up for property showings or buyers have to fumble in the dark for lights.
• Remember to vacuum floor vents and ventilation supply ductwork. Many a homebuyer has moved-on from pet-hair tumbleweed coming from the bowels of a heating system.
• Leave exhaust vents running in bathrooms and kitchens during home showings. They suck the heat out and appear wasteful to buyers.
• Neglect covering window air-conditioners in the off season. Drafty air-conditioning units aren't a selling plus and emit outside noises . Don;t forget to clean filters on window units.
• Ignore installing storm windows during heating season. Buyers need to see that you have storm windows for maximum heat retention. Make the screens visually available. Buyers always ask about them and sometimes verify the number matches window and door count.
• Disregard build up of dust on refrigerator and freezer coils. Move appliances out and vacuum before listing your home. Mr. and Ms. clean-obsessed buyer might question overall home maintenance at a home inspection if they discover excessive debris around refrigerators and freezers.

Incentives to be Greener

Here's a nice little summary article culled from the Wall Street Journal's "Real Estate Journal."

New Incentives Make 'Going Green' Easier

By Kelli B. Grant
From SmartMoney

It's getting easier -- and cheaper -- to be green.

Thanks to new tax credits that kicked in this year and increasingly competitive prices on energy-efficient appliances, it's easier than ever to boost your home's energy efficiency without going broke. Under the Energy Policy Act, in 2006 and 2007 consumers can receive federal tax credits for making energy-efficiency upgrades to their homes.

"Energy efficiency is a good deal unto itself, but these tax credits are offering some special opportunities to get a financial boost," says Bill Prindle, deputy director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEEE, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates energy efficiency.

The credits don't apply to just any energy-efficient upgrade, however. And there are requirements and limits that must be met.

What's Covered

You can get a one-time tax credit of up to $500 for projects that involve the home's shell -- insulation, windows, sealing -- or its home heating and cooling equipment.

Eligible projects include new windows (10% of the cost, up to a credit of $200), central air conditioners (up to $300 of the full purchase price), hot-water boilers (up to $150 of the full purchase price) and pigmented metal roofs (10% of the cost, up to $500).

You also can get a one-time tax credit for the cost of installing an alternative energy system. For installing a photovoltaic system (which produces electricity) or a solar water heating system, you'll receive a credit for 30% the cost of the system, with a maximum of $2,000.

All of these projects must meet specific criteria. And they must be put in place during 2006 or 2007.

Get Some Money Back

Most appliances -- including dishwashers, dryers and refrigerators -- aren't eligible for the federal tax credits. But you still may be able to save, given that many states, cities, utility companies and even appliance makers offer rebates and coupons for energy-efficient products.

In Montana, for instance, the Bonneville Power Administration offers $6 coupons that can be redeemed for energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The WARMAdvantage program of New Jersey Natural Gas offers customers rebates for buying high-efficiency equipment: $300 for a furnace or boiler, and $50 for a water heater. Other states have programs for free online energy audits and for weatherization for homes of low-income residents.

You can view rebates and other programs at the Web sites of Energy Star (www.energystar.gov), a government-backed program dedicated to improving energy efficiency; the ACEEE (www.aceee.org); and Consumer Reports' Greener Choices (www.greenerchoices.org), a consumers' guide that focuses on environmentally friendly products.

Price Drop

Making it even more enticing to buy energy-efficient products is the fact that they are no longer a much more costly alternative to their energy-loving counterparts.

Significant strides have been made over the past 10 years, says Carolyn Forte, home-care director for the Good Housekeeping Institute. The cost of many energy-efficient products is comparable to those that aren't energy efficient. Often, the pricier models simply have fancy bells and whistles.

When shopping for an energy-efficient model, look for the Energy Star label, which tells you the appliance meets set energy-efficiency standards, says the ACEEE's Mr. Prindle. The tag is currently found on more than 40 products, from refrigerators and washers to TV sets and computers.

Even if you're not in the market for a new appliance, there's plenty you can do to increase energy efficiency without spending much money, says Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst at Greener Choices. To boost your existing heating system, she advises replacing any analog thermostats with programmable ones.

Other options: Caulk windows. And buy an inexpensive jacket to insulate an old hot-water heater to prevent energy from escaping.

Green Building in Maine: What is LEED?

Perhaps you've read about or heard about Green Building lately.  If so it is likely you ran into LEED.  What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and it is a rating system for construction projects.  It is voluntary and consensus-based "national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings."  According to the web site of the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED was created in order to:

• define "green building" by establishing a common standard of measurement
• promote integrated, whole-building design practices
• recognize environmental leadership in the building industry
• stimulate green competition
• raise consumer awareness of green building benefits
• transform the building market

Up to the present, LEED was primarily applied to commercial construction.  But we are very excited by the development of LEED-H rating system for homes.  LEED-H is in its very early stages and the USGBC is currently calling for projects applications for this designation.  "The new rating system builds on the incredible success of the existing LEED rating systems for commercial buildings, and addresses the unique needs of the home building market."

As a longtime student of sustainable design, I find this progress very exciting.  Note that there is a very active Maine Chapter of the USGBC which sponsors some great events.