Restoring History – Protecting Our Future

“What use is a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Thoreau

by Matt Grocoff, founder Greenovation.TV, contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, and the greenovation guru for Old House Web

The full article is available on OLD HOUSE WEB

When my wife Kelly and I bought our 110 year old Folk-Victorian home in Ann Arbor’s Old West Side Historic District, it was a dream come true: drafty old windows, lead paint, zero insulation, a half-century old furnace, asbestos siding, a gas powered mower in the shed and even a few pieces of coal scattered around the back yard. What more could a couple ask for?

From the start we knew that homes use an astonishing 22% of energy consumed in the U.S. In fact, your home uses far more energy than your car. Home energy costs have skyrocketed to an average of $2200 per year. Old homes use even more than their fair share of the energy pie. . . .

But using resources to build big new “green” homes to save resources just seems ironic. There are 130 million existing homes in the U.S.; half were built before 1972.

So, retrofitting America’s old homes is not just about preserving history, it is indeed about protecting our future.

READ MATT’S FULL ARTICLE AT OLD HOUSE WEB

And . . . here’s helpful resources you must explore before starting your Mission Zero:

One Block Off the Grid http://1bog.org/

Joolze.com http://www.joolze.com/

Transcript

Matt: [at front of old Victorian house] Hi, I’m Matt Grocoff, the green renovation expert for Old House Web and host of greenovation.tv and this is my house.  So when my wife Kelly and I first bought this 110 year old folk Victorian house, it was a dream come true: it had lead paint, asbestos siding, zero insulation and even an old gas powered lawn mower out in the shed.  What more can anybody ask for.

Matt: [in living room] So on move in day we brought two things with us:  a crowbar to rip up all the old carpet and a box of compact fluorescent light bulbs.  We replaced every light socket in this house with compact fluorescents and then we added motion sensors to every light switch in the house.  We leave a room, if we forget to turn it off, it turns it off for us.

Matt: [in bathroom] So at the start of our renovation project, this was the only bathroom in the house.  It was fantastic.  It had pink Formica tiles, an old flush toilet that flushed 5 gallons every time.  This is a Caroma Dual Flush Toilet which only uses .8 gallons every flush and unlike our old toilet never clogs.  But not only have we made it look great, but we’ve made it way more energy efficient.

This is a 1-minute a gallon showerhead.  This is going to use a gallon and a half a minute less than an ordinary showerhead.  This will literally save thousands of gallons over its lifetime.

Matt: [backyard drilling for geothermal] I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say “I thought you couldn’t put geothermal into a historic house.”  Well this house proves that wrong.  We were able to put three 150-foot bore holes vertically into the back yard on a very small piece of property.  Not only do we have a heating and cooling system that uses half the energy of our neighbors, we have a house that’s a whole lot more comfortable.

Matt: [in living room] We’re out to prove that old houses can be the Greenest houses. In fact, with all the renovations we’ve done so far, we’ve made this house ultra efficient and we’ve got a ways to go.  We’re going to take this house all the way to Net Zero.  Meaning it’s going to produce more energy than it uses.

Matt: [at the computer] So you eco geeks, get ready to get geeked out because this is our WattVision Google Power Meter.  And this will tell us how much energy we’re consuming at any given moment.  If everyone knew how much energy they were using, they would probably use a lot less.  [I'm coming to get you, I got you, I got you] Before we get the solar panels up on the roof, you can see we’ve got a lot of work to do.

Matt: [pointing to house exterior] We’ve got to paint the house, restore these old windows, then top it off with some really energy efficient storm windows.  My daughter Jane will probably still be alive when this house turns 200 years old.  So restoring America’s old homes is not just about preserving history, it’s about protecting our future.   So for Old House Web, this is Matt Grocoff reminding you that, “The Green Revolution Begins at Home”

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Check out the house’s website at www.MissionZeroHouse.com

America’s oldest Net Zero Energy residential restoration

Michigan’s first Net Zero Energy house

America’s first Net Zero home restoration in a historic district

What is Net-Zero Energy?

A Net-Zero Energy Home (also called Zero Energy Home) is a home that produces as much or more energy than the occupants consume.  This is accomplished by first reducing energy demand, typically by 60% – 70%, then meeting that demand by adding on-site renewable energy.

www.MissionZeroHouse.com

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Track Your Compact Fluorescent Bulb

I recently had an unusual occurrence at my house: one of the lightbulbs in my kitchen burned out.  What’s so special about that, you ask?  Lights burn out all the time.  But I’ve been using compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) for the past few years, so it is rare that I need to change a bulb.

Sure, you’ve heard about the advantages of compact fluorescent bulbs.  Maybe you don’t think that they are going to be cost effective, and you can’t bring yourself to invest in one or two in order to find out.  I have a couple of suggestions for those of you who are still holding out.

We think about the energy savings from using CFL bulbs, and that’s one of the big advantages to using them.  But they also save time and effort.  If an incandescent bulb has an average life of 750-1000 hours, then you’re going to end up changing that bulb about twice a year, if it’s being used an average of 4 hours a day.  CFLs have an average life of 6,000-15,000 hours, so they last about 10 times as long, which means you would be changing that bulb about once every 5 years (maybe 10), instead of twice a year.

Maybe that’s not a big issue for a table lamp, but if you have ceiling lights that are harder to reach, changing bulbs is more of an undertaking.  (Those of you with high ceilings that need a maintenance visit and someone with a ladder to replace your bulbs should definitely be thinking about this.)  Isn’t that a chore that would be better if it needed to be done less frequently?

Most of the standard light sockets in my house now have CFL bulbs of one variety or another.  Some I like better than others.  I’ve identified a couple manufacturers and brands that I won’t buy again.  But others have good brightness and a color that I like.  I was dubious a decade ago when I first started trying CFLs.  One way I tried it out was to put one CFL and one regular bulb in a two-socket fixture.  That balanced out the color and let me find that the fluorescents weren’t that bad, and it also gave us some instant-on light with that fixture (since the first CFLs were often dim for the first couple minutes).

Compact fluorescent bulbs are now available for only a couple dollars, and, even if the energy savings aren’t convince you, maybe the longer life of a CFL will make a difference for you.  If you absolutely don’t like them, you can still swap them away into a utility space like a closet or basement where, if you only turn on the lights there occasionally, the bulb might last for decades.

If you want to convince yourself (or perhaps a dubious relative or neighbor) that your compact fluorescent bulbs are really lasting for a long time, write the date on the base of the bulb when you put it in (you can use a Sharpie or a pencil and write on the plastic covering on the base).  Unfortunately, I didn’t do this with that last bulb, so I can’t tell you how long that one lasted (our kitchen light is on for more than 4 hours a day, especially in the winter time, and I think this one was about 3 years old).  But if you check in with me in a few years, I can tell you how long the new one was good for.

Philip Proefrock is a regular contributor to GreenovationTV and a registered architect with p s proefrock architecture, based in Michigan. He is a LEED accredited professional and has taught sustainable design architectural studio at Lawrence Technological University and assisted with LEED study groups for other building professionals. He is also an architectural photographer, writer and blogger. Philip is senior contributing writer for EcoGeek.org where he concentrates on green building systems, renewable power, and transportation, and a regular contributor to JetsonGreen.com

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by Lester Graham (transcript from radio story on The Environment Report)

When you’re planning a home improvement project, you can be overwhelmed with decisions about the right materials, the right quality, and the right design. Trying to keep it eco- friendly on top of everything else just adds to the confusion. Lester Graham reports it can be as simple as finding a label:

Julia Weinert and her boyfriend like the idea of making their place nice, but even something as simple as painting causes concerns.

Look for Forest Stewardship Council for sustainably harvested wood

LG: “Well, you’re in luck. We’re at the local Home Depot and we just happen to have Greenovation.TV’s Matt Grocoff here. Matt, you’ve got some advice for her.”

MG: “And it’s really, really simple. When you’re trying to find a paint that’s healthy for you or another product, you shouldn’t have to be a chemist when you go to the store. There’s a really simple thing you can look for. Just look for the simple GREENGUARD label. GREENGUARD is an independent organization that lets you know with a simple label that that product is safe for you.”

So, none of the really strong paint smells that mean polluting chemicals are being released. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute sets indoor air standards for products and buildings. Julia and I sniffed a can of paint WITH the GREENGUARD label, and then one without.

LG: “I’ll let you sniff first.”

JW: Okay. Oh! Yeah! Oh my gosh! That is ridiculous. I mean, it smells so much stronger than this one. You can’t even smell that one compared to this one.”

A gallon of paint with the GREENGUARD label DOES cost a few dollars more, maybe as much as ten bucks.

Matt then herded us to another part of the store, the plumbing section, where Julia and I were confronted by all kinds of shiny chrome and brass faucets.

Greenguard establishes acceptable product standards for building materials, interior furnishings, cleaners, electronics and children’s products

JW: “There’s a whole wall, a whole aisle of faucets here and I just don’t know which ones to look for.”

LG: “So, Matt. You got any fancy labels here?”

MG: “Absolutely. Again, if you’re looking for that eco-friendly option, a way to save yourself some money and some water, it’s simple. Just look for the WaterSense label. The EPA does EnergyStar labels for appliances. The EPA also does WaterSense label for plumbing fixtures.”

WaterSense means the fixture – whether a faucet, shower head or toilet – will use less water but still works well.

As we wandered over to the lumber section of the store, Matt told us the last label he wanted to show us is the most ignored label – and it might just be the most important one.

MG: “FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. And what that means is they’ve made a commitment that they’re not going to be tearing down forest and clear-cutting them in order for you to build some bookshelves in your home. This is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases is that we don’t have these forests capturing this carbon any more. Instead of having to have a PhD in forest management, you can just simply look for a piece of wood that has an FSC label on it.”

So, labels. Julia says, works for her.

JW: “It’s going to be great, taking my boyfriend around the store and showing him all these cool things I can get to make our home improvements a little more cheap and environmentally-friendly.”

LG: “Alright remind me, go over this again. What am I supposed to be looking for?”

MG: “It’s very simple. If you’re looking for paint, look for GREENGUARD. For plumbing, WaterSense. For lumber, FSC, Forest Stewardship Council certified.”

LG: “That’s Matt Grocoff, Greenovation.TV. Thanks again, Matt.

MG: “Lester, it’s always a pleasure. Thank you.”

For The Environemnt Report, I’m Lester Graham.

TRUST THESE LABELS:

Energy Star – means it’s energy efficient

WaterSense – means it’s water efficient

FSC Forest Stewardship Council – means you can trust that it didn’t come from a forest that was clear cut

Greenguard / Green Seal / for healthy indoor air quality (read the warning labels and compare)

Cradle to Cradle – means it uses environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water, and maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.

SCS / Scientific Certification Systems

Consumer Reports on Eco-Labels: http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels

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Solar Scorecard Assesses the Manufacture of Solar Panels

Solar panels are one of the greenest and least controversial types of renewable power generation technology. Some neighborhoods don’t like how they look on roofs of houses, but there are no concerns about harming wildlife, as with wind turbines or tidal power systems. And the technology to make them is continuing to improve.

But not all solar panels are created equally. Solar panels are energy intensive to produce, and potentially harmful materials such as
cadmium and lead are sometimes used in their production. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition has begun to assemble a ‘Solar Scorecard‘ that evaluates solar panel manufacturers.

There are already standards in place for other kinds of electronics. EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) rates information technology equipment such as desktop and laptop computers and monitors. The European Union’s RoHS Directive also mandates restrictions on the use of six hazardous materials in electronic equipment: Lead (Pb); Mercury (Hg); Cadmium (Cd); Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+); Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB); Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). The Solar Scorecard offers a voluntary rating system like EPEAT to rate the greenness of the manufacturing process for solar panels. Solar Scorecard used the RoHS list to identify the chemicals to inquire about in their survey.

The Solar Scorecard site indicates that six of the responding companies’ survey answers said that they presently use lead in their modules, but all also said that they have plans to phase it out. Three companies indicated that they use cadmium compounds, but none of those have present plans to phase out those chemicals. However, none of the responding companies use mercury, hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), or polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE).

Because the Scorecard is based on company self-reporting, presently there are only ten PV module manufacturers and one solar cell manufacturer with scores listed. Four compaies also have a gold star, indicating that the company “has a takeback program and has policies against exporting waste and using prison labor to dismantle end-of-life panels.”

Scoring is based on a 100-point scale, with four major categories: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Takeback, which deals with end-of-life and recycling for the panels; Supply Chain Monitoring and Green Jobs, which looks at employee exposure to toxic materials among other issues; Chemical Use and Lifecycle Analysis, which looks at
hazardous material use; and Disclosure, which considers a company’s transparency about these issues. The survey was originally sent to 227 solar PV companies in October 2009 and the survey dealine was extended to late January 2010. Hopefully more companies will respond and the listing can be kept current in coming years, providing consumers with more information about the panels they are considering.

If you are considering buying solar panels for your own project, this information might be useful in evaluating different suppliers of solar panels. If you are the kind of person who pays attention to other rating systems like EPEAT, why wouldn’t you also look at those same considerations for solar panels?

A shorter, earlier version of this article appeared on EcoGeek

Philip Proefrock is a regular contributor to GreenovationTV and a registered architect with p s proefrock architecture, based in Michigan. He is a LEED accredited professional and has taught sustainable design architectural studio at Lawrence Technological University and assisted with LEED study groups for other building professionals. He is also an architectural photographer, writer and blogger. Philip is senior contributing writer for EcoGeek.org where he concentrates on green building systems, renewable power, and transportation, and a regular contributor to JetsonGreen.com

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LISA SIMPSON had been a professional cook, so when she remodeled her kitchen she was counting on a big, powerful gas range. But that would have meant installing a huge propane tank on her rural property outside Seattle. It would have been expensive, ugly and, in an area prone to earthquakes, nerve-

racking.

So Ms. Simpson went to an appliance dealer, cooked a few dishes on a six-burner induction range and fell in love.

“It was like I had driven a VW Beetle my whole life and someone suddenly handed me the keys to a Ferrari,” she said.  READ MORE

Via New York Times

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DOE announced on April 1 that it has finalized higher energy efficiency standards for a key group of heating appliances that will together save consumers up to $10 billion and prevent up to 164 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the 30 years after they take effect. The new standards apply to residential water heaters, pool heaters, and direct heating equipment such as gas fireplaces, increasing the stringency of the existing minimum conservation standards for these three types of residential heating products. The new standards will cut the energy use of large electric storage water heaters by 47% and of large gas-fired water heaters by more than 30%. The standards for water heaters will go into effect in 2015, while the standards for pool heaters and direct heating equipment—including gas-fired wall, floor, and hearth heaters—will apply to products manufactured in 2013 and beyond. On average, these products account for about 18% of the energy use in U.S. homes.

Under the Obama Administration, DOE has accelerated the pace for finalizing new appliance standards and has placed new resources and emphasis behind the enforcement of these important standards. Since President Obama came to office, DOE has issued or codified new efficiency standards for more than 20 different products, which will save consumers between $250 and $300 billion on their energy bills through 2030. See the Web site for DOE’s Appliances and Equipment Standards Program.

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Ready for some green bling?  Deciding to generate your own electricity with rooftop solar panels or a backyard wind turbine sounds exciting – not only are you doing good, but you could also save a wad of cash.  But remember our mantra at GreenovationTV:  Reduce, Reduce . . . Then Produce.

Now, if you’ve already sealed, insulated and squeezed out every possible negawatt of savings, it may be time to begin your quest for home grown clean energy.  Before you start calling installers it helps to know your home’s solar and wind energy potential.

Joolze.com is a free tool to help you find your renewable potential in seconds. Just type in your address and explore a wealth of information about your energy options. There are a lot of sites that tell you about the potential for solar energy in your neighborhood. However, no site does it quite like Joolze. They lay out both solar and wind estimates side-by-side so you can compare. Not only that, you can determine whether it is better to focus on energy efficiency, or to generating renewable energy.

With just your address and a few questions, that take seconds to answer, Joolze will tell you more than you ever knew about your home’s energy potential – Solar, Wind, Usage, and Utility programs. Suddenly, it is so much easier to make a change to how you use and purchase energy.

If you want to quickly find out your home’s wind or solar potential, or which energy efficiency projects to tackle first, check out www.Joolze.com right now, and get going!

Let the folks at Joolze know what you think and . . . have fun.

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via The White House

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Greenovation Remodel Project Lead by Dr. Anna Marie, Health Specialist for The Weather Channel, Features State-of-the-Art Solar Metal Roofing

“Besides qualifying for energy rebates, there are many benefits to using painted aluminum roofing,” said Michael Smith, vice president of sales and marketing for OneSource Coil Coaters.

Dr. Anna Marie, Health Specialist for the Weather Channel and host of the nationally syndicated better living show Your Life with Dr. Anna Marie, is transforming her energy-sucking 1970’s Florida-style ranch home into an eco-friendly, energy and water efficient, and ultimately healthy home. The Greenovation of Terra Verde is showcasing the latest technological advances in solar metal roofing with the help of OneSource Coil Coaters, ASI Building Products and Kelly Roofing and Energy Savings Solutions.

Solar metal roofing on barn at Terra Verde

OneSource Coil Coaters is providing Terra Verde with Regal White painted aluminum that is Energy Star® Rated and features a reflective rating of .68 for the barn and the house. The combination of the reflectivity number and a high emissivity rating of .88 means the Regal White paint will not heat up over 100 degrees even on those days when it is 95 degrees under a hot Florida sun. The Regal White painted aluminum roof doesn’t allow heat in the attic, thus keeping the attic and the rest of the home cool.

As a result of the Stimulus Package signed in February of 2009, homeowners who make energy efficient updates to their home – the installation of a painted or coated Energy Star® labeled metal roof included – between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 may be eligible for a tax credit worth 30 percent of the installation costs (materials only) up to $1,500 per home over the two-year period.

“Besides qualifying for energy rebates, there are many benefits to using painted aluminum roofing,” said Michael Smith, vice president of sales and marketing for OneSource Coil Coaters. “It is light weight, durable, corrosion resistant, energy efficient, aesthetically appealing, and infinitely recyclable. Nearly 75 percent of aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in use today, and 95 percent of aluminum used in buildings is recycled. An aluminum roof can easily give 50 years and even upward to 100 years, of service before replacement needs considered.”

OneSource Coil Coaters worked with ASI Building Products, both Florida-based businesses, to provide the new aluminum roofing with a thin-film PV that absorbs energy from the sun. Power generated from the thin-film PV surface goes directly to meeting the home’s energy needs.

“ASI Building Products offers an affordable standing seam roofing system that harvests clean renewable solar energy,” said Cookie Brickman, vice president of ASI Building Products. “A thin-film solar laminate is fused to the surface of the metal roofing panel, eliminating the unsightly solar panels and any penetrations into the roof, which means no leaks.”

Kelly Roofing and Energy Savings Solutions in Naples, Florida, installed the new metal roofing on Terra Verde. Ken Kelly, president of Kelly Roofing and Energy Savings Solutions, estimates that 50 percent of his business in 2009 was metal roofing, up from just 9 percent in 2008. Kelly attributes this to:

•Asphalt shingle prices, historically the least expensive roofing product available, have experienced 16 price increases in a row to the point where they are now very close to the price of metal. Since metal is a far superior system customers are replacing their roofs with metal. Metal lasts more than twice as long as shingles with a minimal difference in price. Shingles are asphaltic, an oil refinement byproduct, and as the price of oil rises so does the price of shingles.

•The $1,500 tax credit granted through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 is another motivator. Now certain metal roof systems are actually less expensive than asphalt shingles with the tax credit.

•More metal being installed makes metal more acceptable. Metal used to be viewed as an architectural or industrial system. Not anymore. With over fifty profiles to chose from and countless colors, metal is applicable to any building design.

•Storm protection. After the 2004/2005 record setting hurricane seasons Florida residents discovered what we knew all along. Metal was, by far, the best roof system for protection. With virtually zero metal roof failures across the state, insurance companies and roofing contractors started recommending the system more.

Terra Verde (Green Acres) sits on 23 beautiful acres adjacent to the Ocala National Forest. From the original single pane metal framed windows to the heating oil tank buried in the front yard, this energy inefficient home has been untouched since the first concrete block was laid almost forty years ago. For more information and to follow the progress on the Greenovation of Terra Verde can be followed on www.terraverdetv.com.

Dr. Anna Marie has been a broadcast television correspondent for over a decade. By combining her medical training, broadcast experience and interest in helping people live full and healthy lives; Dr. Anna Marie has become a popular source of medical information on television today. Since 2003, Dr. Anna Marie has partnered with The Weather Channel to provide millions of viewers with health living information to help keep the effects of weather from impacting their everyday life.

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Larry Laseter, president of Efficiency First Capitol Circle member Masco Home Services, joined Barack Obama in Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday as the President delivered a speech outlining details of the proposed HOME STAR efficiency retrofit program. Here is a video released by the White House that shows a brief behind-the-scenes conversation between Larry Laseter and President Obama:

“We’re in the business of doing this now, and just like the GOLD STAR program, we actually guarantee their first year of energy savings” Laseter told the President. “That’s the beauty of this, is we know these technologies are proven, and with this bill, it will jump-start thousands of jobs.”

via Efficiency First

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