Archive for December, 2010

As we count down the hours, minutes, and seconds until the clock strikes 2011, the Inhabitat editors took a few moments to look back at our array of great green design stories from this past year, and picked out a few of our proudest accomplishments to share with you. It was an exciting year for green design, so our editorial team had much to choose from, but we finally decided that these 6 stories were our favorite pieces of green design reporting from 2010. Read on for the Inhabitat top 6 stories from 2010 and vote for your own favorite. The writer who wins in your votes will be getting a cash prize from Inhabitat – so support the story that you like the best with your votes!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

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Post tags: Bill McDonough, bryant park tower, chevy volt, cook + fox architects, cradle-to-cradle, eco design, editor’s picks, editors choice, empowerhouse, Foster + Partners, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green design 2010, green design editors picks, green technology, green transportation, hybrid vehicles, Inhabitat editors favorite stories of 2010, inhabitat editors picks of 2010, inhabitat test drives volt, khan shatyr, Leed Platinum certification, net zero home, one bryant park, solar decathalon, Steven Holl, sustainable design, tishman construction corporation, top 6 editors picks of 2010, top green stories, world’s biggest tent

All European Cell Phones to Have USB Chargers By 2012

Dec 30th

This week the European Commission saw every major producer of mobile phones agree to a memorandum of understanding, that calls for all data-enabled mobile phones to come with standard micro-USB connectors for common charging compatibility. This is a major step for EU standardization when it comes to electronic production, and it is impressive that so many phone manufacturers have embraced the policy. Apple, Nokia, Qualcomm, RIM, LG, Motorola, and Samsung are all on board, and they have said they will all start selling the same basic micro-USB chargers starting next year.

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Post tags: cell phone common charger, cellphone charger, CellphoneCharger, CEN-CENELEC, charger, ETSI, eu commission, Europe, european, European Commission, european union, EuropeanCommission, EuropeanUnion, micro usb, MicroUsb, mobile phone common charger, mobile phone USB charger, phone charger, PhoneCharger, standard, standards

20 Fabulous Green Prefabs of 2010

Dec 30th

The world of prefab — off-site fabricated homes shipped as panels, modules, kits — is doing well these days. Some companies are shipping more homes every month. Indeed, prefabrication offers several potential benefits that the housing industry cannot ignore: accelerated construction, controlled construction, construction without the elements, and minimal waste. It all depends on the designer and manufacturer, but these homes can be ultra green, too. Take these 20 green prefabs that we mentioned this year:

The E.D.G.E. of a Modern Green Home

Modern Green Prefab by Ma Modular

Austin-based Ma Modular finished their first prefab, the Luna House, with 1,500 square feet, green materials, rainwater harvesting, and solar panels. Read more.

Next Gen Prefab Called v100 Mod Box

This is two v100 Mod Boxes, each is 10′ x 10′ x 10′, made with green materials, state of the art appliances, and stylish fixtures. Read more.

Prefab Sustainable Cabin in West Texas

Sustainable Cabin was fabricated in a warehouse and is now stationed west of Wichita Falls, where it is being used as a laboratory for students to study sustainable design principles. Read more.

Joshua Tree Gets a New Desert Prefab

OMD’s ShowHouse of 720 square feet found a new home in the desert with rooftop solar, metal cladding, radiant heat, and high-end finishes. Read more.

m2 Green Prefab from Method Homes

Method Homes installed this modern modular home, referred to as m2, on a picturesque mountain site in Glacier, Washington with a ductless mini split system, a wood stove, foam and cellulose insulation, and metal siding and roof. Read more.

Picturesque Oceanside weeHouse in Oregon

This oceanfront prefab with a rustic patina has an incredible view of the Oregon Coast and 1,400 square feet of modern living for rent. Read more.

Modern Green Compact House for All

This 220 square-foot beauty is made with beetle-killed, cross-laminated timber, triple-glazed windows, LED lighting, heat recovery, and a plush green roof. Read more.

Modern LVL Rocio Romero Prefab in Canada

Developers at Kootenay Lake Village completed this home near Nelson, British Columbia with double insulated walls, high grade energy efficient windows, low-flow bathroom fixtures, and a green roof. Read more.

A Small Osprey Eco-Cottage Has Landed!

Nationwide Homes launched The Osprey, one of five Eco-Cottages, at IBS with 523 square feet and a price tag between $50,000-$100,000. Read more.

Modern Eco-Smart Challenger in Alberta

Conquest Manufacturing recently installed this three-module retreat on a serene hillside site in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta with R30 floor insulation, R30 wall insulation, R50 roof insulation, and an experimental cattle trough bathtub. Read more.

Healthy Modern B-Line in Minneapolis

This factory-built prefab by Hive Modular — a B-Line Medium 003 — features abundant natural lighting and an openness that the owners enjoy. Read more.

Versatile Origin Prefabs Set in Massachusetts

Three Origin series prefabs were installed in Wayland, Massachusetts with radiant floor heating, cedar sunshades, a roof deck, galvalume siding, heat recovery ventilation, and bamboo flooring. Read more.

Reclaimed Space Prefab Sent to Marfa

Austin-based Reclaimed Space delivered this prefab built with reclaimed materials to Marfa, Texas. It has recycled-content blown insulation, passive solar design, and natural ventilation to keep energy use low. Read more.

Ideabox Unveils Fortino Prefab in Oregon

Ideabox unveiled its newest prefab model, the Fortino, at the Portland Home & Garden Show. It’s 1,250 square feet with energy- and water-saving products and a price of $148,000. Read more.

Blu Completes Another Next Gen Prefab

Flush with investment money, Blu Homes finished this Element model prefab in Rhode Island and the owner says it’s “exceptional.“ Read more.

Prefab Green Home Office in East Bay

This modern home office was prefabricated by students at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with recycled denim insulation, reclaimed redwood siding, aluminum frame window units, and copper roof panels. Read more.

Pop Up House Prototype in Petaluma

This is a prototype of the Pop Up House built with SIPs and a metal house port in under three months for $250,000. House Port wants to flat pack these homes to buyers across the nation. Read more.

Studio Created with One Prefab Module

PieceHomes sent a factory-built module to Venice where it was lifted above a site-built garage. The light-filled space is now a studio for the owner. Read more.

Newport Beach LivingHome Earns Platinum

This solar-powered, LEED Platinum LivingHome designed by KieranTimberlake has blown-in insulation, high performance windows, low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and bio-composite wood siding. Read more.

If you have a great green prefab in the works, make sure to submit your green home to the editors for publication in 2011.

LEED Platinum Gut Rehab in Chicago

Dec 29th

This is the Helenowski Residence, a gut-rehab in Chicago that achieved the highest LEED for Homes point total ever with 119 points, according to LEED for Homes provider Alliance for Environmental Sustainability. The 3,300 square-foot renovation achieved an impressive HERS rating of 13 and is net-zero energy with the help of rooftop solar power and a vertical axis wind turbine.

Helenowski Residence was designed by Mariusz Bleszynski, AIA, and built by Square 1 Precision Lighting (led by owner Jacek Helenowski). The owner put a lot of work into the renovation — more than 4 years — netting LEED Platinum certification, Energy Star, and 3 Stars in the Chicago Green Homes Program.

Keys to success, as referenced in a certification snapshot, include the geothermal HVAC system, cold-cathode lighting, recycled content drywall, reclaimed dimensional lumber (92%), and triple-paned FSC certified wood frame windows.

Instead of using typical CFLs, which contain mercury, or traditional LEDs, which contain arsenic, the cold-cathode lighting is expected to last a long time and is up to three times more efficient than LEDs.

Also, the vertical axis wind turbine is one by Canada-based Winterra, a company that closed in May 2010. The owner helped designer a controller for the VAWT with regenerative braking similar to what’s in hybrid cars.

Other green products and materials include fly-ash cement, recycled-content tiles, CFC-free soy-based foam insulation, a vegetative green roof, a reflective white roof, rainwater collection from the roof, motorized front blinds tied to a thermostat, reclaimed copper roof, gutters, and fascia, and exterior stone reclaimed from blast fragments.

Alliance for Environmental Sustainability, a non-profit and LEED for Homes provider, tipped us off to this noteworthy green home. It’s definitely on the short list for next year’s compilation of stunning LEED Platinum projects.

Credits: Zukas Photography.

How Bosses are Using Big Brother Tech to Babysit Telecommuters

Dec 29th

Telecommuting is growing trend that’s taking employees out of the cubicle and letting them work autonomously from home. While many will argue the merits of this mode of working — particularly as it comes to productivity — there is one company out there that feels employers shouldn’t give up their right to keep a close eye on their employees. Peerdrum is a new software program that has been developed to enable employers to view their teams’ desktops and track their computing activities and performance during paid working time. The program not only monitors output, but also delivers screen shots of workers’ active monitors every 10 minutes. While the makers of the Peerdrum argue that this is a key in maintaining productivity and efficiency, we think level of Big Brother will only lead to an unhealthy working dynamic.

Wheego Whip LiFe Electric Vehicle Will Hit the Road in Early 2011

Dec 29th

Close on the heels of the Volt and the Leaf, a little company called Wheego is gearing up to ship their adorable electric vehicles out to their proud new owners at the start of the new year. The company got EPA approval for their Wheego Whip LiFe EV and is now awaiting the go from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The LiFe two-seater has a price tag of $32,995 (only $25,495 after the $7,500 tax credit) has a range of 100 miles per charge, is made of 75% U.S. content and is assembled in Ontario, California. Sounds like a sweet, American-made green transportation machine to us.

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Post tags: american made car, american made electric vehicle, american made ev, electric vehicle, ev on the road, inexpensive electric vehicle, inexpensive ev, us made electric vehicle, wheego, wheego whip life, whip life

19 Stunning Platinum Projects of 2010

Dec 29th

In the past year, we’ve discussed several certified green projects but here’s the creme of the crop, 19 LEED Platinum ones. These projects, mostly homes, all vary — new, old, big, small, modern, traditional, single family, multifamily, certified, pending. Long story short, LEED Platinum, although difficult to attain, is where it’s at. If you’re going to pay for certification, why go for anything less than the best?!

Net-Zero Modern House in South Korea

Samsung Green Tomorrow project is the first in East Asia to achieve LEED Platinum certification and the first zero-energy house in South Korea. Read more.

Modern Ellis Residence Earns Platinum Award

With a vegetated roof, this is officially the first LEED Platinum single family home in the state of Washington outside of Seattle — it’s on Bainbridge Island. Read more.

Marin Hillside House Earns LEED Platinum

This rich and contemporary residence — the first LEED Platinum home in Marin — spans four levels on a hill and incorporates a number of green elements. Read more.

Net Zero Sungazing House in Park City

Sungazing House is attempting net-zero energy and pursuing Passive House, LEED Platinum, and NAHB Emerald certifications. Read more.

LEED Platinum Townhomes Hit San Francisco

This seven-unit multifamily project in the Presidio was GreenPoint rated with smart systems that monitor electricity, water, and gas. Read more.

The OC Gets a Luxury Platinum Home

The Costa Mesa Green Home exceeds California Energy Code by 40% and is the first custom residence in the OC to receive LEED Platinum certification. Read more.

Luxury LEED Platinum on Preston Way

Solar-powered and green in Venice, this 3,115 square-foot home blends indoor and outdoor living seamlessly and features tons of green elements. Read more.

Platinum Near Net Zero Energy in VA

This Alexandria home was built to near net zero energy standards using SIPs, efficient windows, hydronic heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting and purification systems, and a geothermal system. Read more.

Bastyr Platinum Project Earns Top Award

Bastyr University‘s new student village was named Outstanding Multifamily Project of 2010 by the USGBC and is expected to be about 34% more efficient than code. Read more.

First LEED Platinum Home in Fort Worth

This new home is the first and only LEED Platinum home in Fort Worth, Texas. The minimalist home has fiber cement siding, natural daylighting, Energy Star windows and doors, and xeriscaping. Read more.

Newport Beach LivingHome Earns Platinum

Designed by KieranTimberlake, LivingHomes announced that this solar-powered prefab in Newport Beach received LEED Platinum certification. Read more.

New World LEED Platinum Home in Georgia

This 2,869 square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home was built for efficiency first, skipping costly green gadgets, and received LEED Platinum certification. Read more.

Platinum Timber Frame Home in Oregon

The Vermont Street Project, a show home for New Energy Works, is thought to be the first timber frame home in Oregon seeking LEED Platinum certification. Read more.

Solar Sufficient LEED Home in Houston

Award winning Virginia Point is net-zero energy, near net-zero water, and the first home in Houston to receive LEED Platinum certification. Read more.

Affordable Housing Meets LEED Platinum

This impressive 66-unit apartment project, Silver Gardens, is the first affordable housing development in New Mexico designed and built to obtain LEED Platinum certification. Read more.

Prescott Passive House in Kansas City

The most recent Studio 804 project, this Passive House has had a tough time selling on the market but it’s a great home designed to LEED Platinum standards. Read more.

First LEED Platinum Multifamily Project in LA County

Casa Dominguez, an affordable, solar-powered development in Los Angeles County, is the first LEED Platinum multifamily project in the county. Read more.

LEED Platinum Remodel in Wilmington

This North Carolina home is one of the greenest remodels ever certified by the LEED for Homes program, earning 113.5 points and a 28 HERS rating. Read more.

Large Luxury Home Earns LEED Platinum

HGA House is nicely done, traditional, and wired up with all sorts of green gadgetry, showing others in the luxury market what it takes to secure a high level of certification. Read more.

If you have a newly built or renovated LEED Platinum home, make sure to submit your green home to the editors for publication in 2011.

Indian Activists File Lawsuit to Block Big California Solar Farms

Dec 28th

A group of activists is seeking to block six massive solar projects in the California desert, claiming that federal officials didn’t properly consider the damage they would cause to the desert.

Calling themselves La Cuna de Aztlan Sacred Sites Protection Circle Advisory Committee, the American Indian activists filed a lawsuit in San Diego Monday, saying they are trying to protect native sacred sites in the California desert.

They are joined in the lawsuit against the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management by another group, Californians for Renewable Energy, and five individuals.

“The suit really has to do with the cultural resources, but the tribal people are concerned about the environmental aspects as well,” said Robert Lundahl, a spokesman for La Cuna.

Rolling Hotel Travels Through the Norwegian Fjords

Dec 28th

Åndalsnes is a small Norwegian city that serves as a gateway to the region’s magnificent fjords — but it’s in need of a makeover. Jagnefält Milton Architecture has proposed a unique way to enliven the city: a hotel that rolls on the many train tracks that connect the town to the outside world. Spotted on designboom, the award-winning concept is a kinetic structure that can take visitors into the heart of the fjords in an environmentally-sensitive fashion. The architects even envision a master plan for an entire town that can move on tracks, spread out during the summer, and huddle close in the winter.

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16 Green Building Innovations of 2010

Dec 28th

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Technology and design are inextricably intertwined in the world of green building. During the last year, we’ve seen some fascinating technologies and clever designs that have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment in a new way. I hope you enjoy this review of innovation culled from our archives of the last year.

Innovative Lifewall Living Facade Tiles by Ceracasa

Ceracasa unveiled Lifewall, a modular living wall tile for exterior applications made in one square meter panels that uses drip-water irrigation and can support a variety of plants. Read more.

Woolly Pockets Showing Up Everywhere!

Simple vertical gardens for interior applications can now be installed by a crafty DIYer. Various sizes and options are available for a few hundred dollars or less. Read more.

Niagara Has a Stealthy New Efficient Toilet

Niagara Conservation unveiled Stealth, a WaterSense product and the world’s only 0.8 gallon per flush high-efficiency toilet. It’s quiet, too. Read more.

Roof Integrated Solar Goes with Ceramic Tiles

Area Industrie Ceramiche introduced “tegolasolare” with roof-integrated solar panels that blend in nicely with ceramic tiles. Read more.

CertainTeed Unveils New Solar Roof System

At IBS, CertainTeed announced their new EnerGen Photovoltaic Solar Power Roofing System, which combines lightweight UNI-SOLAR panels with traditional asphalt roofing shingles. Read more.

New Thermally Broken rSTUD Lumber Announced

While tinkering with SIPs, Ec Manufacturing came up with a thermally broken rSTUD, which is a stud made with laminated veneer lumber and a polyurethane foam bound by a patent-pending structure pack process. Read more.

Next Gen Whole House Energy Monitor Unveiled

PowerHouse Dynamics launched eMonitor with circuit level monitoring — the package includes hardware, software, and service elements — to provide home electricity use, electricity cost, and carbon footprint information by the minute. Read more.

PowerPly Peel and Stick Solar Lumeta Hits the Market

Lumeta, Inc. received UL certification and started shipping PowerPly, which is a solar panel backed with an adhesive and applied directly to the roof, resulting in time, material, and cost savings. Read more.

SoloPower Announces Lightweight Flexible Solar

SoloPower launched its inaugural thin-film, CIGS-based solar product called SFX1-i. It’s lightweight and flexible and the modules have an efficiency of 10.5 to 11 percent. Read more.

Lumboo Has a Strong Bamboo Lumber Product

Cali Bamboo developed the “world’s first engineered bamboo dimensional lumber” made with 100% compressed bamboo and a low-VOC resin. The product can be used in a variety of applications. Read more.

LSG Unveils $30 60-Watt Equivalent LED

LSG unveiled a new omnidirectional A19 LED bulb, a 60-watt replacement, that’s dimmable, has an output of 850 lumens, uses 13 watts, and lasts up to 50,000 hours, beating the competition in these areas and in price by about $10. Read more.

Glass Tile Rooftop Solar by SolTech Energy

SolTech Energy makes an innovative roof tile that harvests solar energy with a traditional looking glass tile that works in conjunction with most common heating solutions on the market. Read more.

New Honeywell Turbine Installed in Kansas City

18Broadway, a demonstration of storm water management, urban agriculture, and energy independence, incorporated solar panels and the new WT6500 Honeywell Wind Turbine. Read more.

Going Green with Exposed Designer Plumens

Hulger started selling Plumen 001, a designer CFL, that saves 80% on energy bills and lasts eight times longer than a regular incandescent. The 11-watt bulb outputs 680 lumens with a color temperature of 2700k. Read more.

Cogenra Product Mixes Solar PV with Hot Water

Cogenra’s new technology has silicon PV cells, concentrating optics, single-axis solar tracking, and a thermal transfer system. Solar rays reflect off parabolic mirrors toward two strips of solar PV cells, generating power that’s fed into the grid. Read more.

Starck Unveils Two Small Wind Turbine Models

Philippe Starck unveiled two, new Revolution Air residential scale vertical axis wind turbines to a crowd in Milan. The micro turbines were designed to be nearly noiseless, small, and capable of capturing wind from most any direction. Read more.

I’m sure you’ve seen or used something in your green project that others need to hear about. Get in touch and share your green building innovation with us. We’ll pass along the good stuff to readers.

FreeGreen Unveils Cool Loop House Plan

Dec 27th

FreeGreen, a provider of free and premium green house plans, recently unveiled a new premium plan called Loop House. The modern design features a two-story rectangle covered in fiber cement panels with a loop of cedar that creates a covered porch space. It’s easy to envision using this space in several ways — watching movies, gathering around a fire pit, and relaxing with friends.

Loop House includes 1,800 square feet and four bedrooms, allowing for a larger family, overnight guests, a home office, or something like a studio space. Depending on options and upgrades, Loop House could cost anywhere from $180,000 – $250,000 or more to build.

All homes designed by FreeGreen perform anywhere from 30-50% better than prescriptive building code energy performance, again, depending on options selected by the plan user.

Loop House is one of many modern designs available at FreeGreen. Ben Uyeda, Chief Architectural Officer of FreeGreen, told me in an email, “FreeGreen is just trying to make better designs for bargain shoppers who want something a little different but aren’t willing to commission a work of art or architecture.“ He said options are limited for people that don’t want generic traditional homes but that can’t afford a custom modern home.

This plan can be downloaded by anyone with a Premium subscription to FreeGreen. A Premium subscription starts at $9.95 per year and includes access to floor plans, renderings, virtual tours, cost-to-build estimates, and PDF plans.

Credits: FreeGreen.

Stacked Shipping Containers Create Smart Green Homes in Malaysia

Dec 27th

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Post tags: “sustainable architecture”, anand bungalows, Cargotecture, container home, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Malaysia, recycled containers, shipping container, Sustainable Building, upcycled container house

Billionaire to Invest $131 Million into Paris Carshare Program

Dec 27th

French businessman and billionaire Vincent Bolloré just announced that he will invest $131 million in Autolib, the Parisian electric vehicle car share program that will be launched in the fall of 2011. The car share program will be modeled after the successful Parisian bike share program — called Velib — and Bolloré’s investment will go toward purchasing the bubble-shaped Bluecars that Autolib will rent by the half hour at 1,000 stations in and around Paris.

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Post tags: Autolib, autolib car share program, Car Sharing, electric vehicle investments, ev, ev investments, france, green design, green technology investment, green transportation, Paris, phev, sustainable design, velib, Vincent Bollore

15 Shipping Container Projects of 2010

Dec 26th

I thought there would be a slowing of container projects, but I’ve been wrong. They’re popular and some are well done. That said, as mentioned last year, containers are difficult to work with — here’s a list of considerations — and some folks don’t like how they look like. Perhaps some of these will change the general perception of that, though.

Container Crossbox with a Green Roof

Crossbox in Brittany was built with four containers — two of which cantilever over the others — and is covered with a green roof. Read more.

One Cool Shipping Container Habitat

New Zealand-based One Cool Habitat makes tiny container habitats and ships them across the world. Base models start at about $29,500. Read more.

Reflective Container Studio Space in New York

An artist with a limited budget needed an “inviting and reflective” studio and eventually used containers to get it done. Read more.

MEKA Tiny Container House in NYC

Toronto-based MEKA unveiled a 320 square-foot show house in the West Village area of New York City. A home like this sells from about $39,000. Watch the video.

Lakeside Container Retreat in Sri Lanka

Built with used containers and timber from weapon boxes, this ultra-simple container structure was built by soldiers in Sri Lanka. Read more.

Industrial Green Frame House in Verona

This two-level container showcase with 1,500 square feet was built with six containers and several products from DuPont. Read more.

Low Impact Container Studio in Texas

This container space in San Antonio has a green roof, bamboo floors and walls, a mini-split, and an electric Sun-Mar composting toilet. Read more.

Green Home of the Future [Olympics]

The Home of the Future for BC Hydro Power Smart Village was made with two shipping containers and wrapped in cedar and pine beetle wood cladding. Read more.

Custom Container Studio Pod in Austin

A Texas motorcycle builder and mechanic put his skills to work on this Studio Pod made with soy-based foam insulation, green materials, and a mini-split for about $16,000. Read more.

Upcycled Container House in Malaysia

Ken Kwok designed this 2,551 square-foot project with rainwater harvesting, natural ventilation, water-efficient fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and abundant natural lighting. Read more.

Eco Cabin for Camp Emerald Bay Scouts

Camp Emerald Bay scouts received this container cabin with reclaimed lumber, rubber floors, LED lights, and solar photovoltaics. Read more.

Old Containers Get a New Scenic Life

OceanScope in Korea was built with three containers adjusted to three levels for scenic viewing of one of the largest harbors in the area. Read more.

Puma City Revised for World Cup 2010

Puma City NY was built with two containers for FIFA World Cup 2010, creating another high-profile display of ISBU architecture. Read more.

The Moderne Container Sales Center

This vibrant container structure was used as a temporary sales center for a mixed-use tower in Wisconsin. Read more.

Off-Grid Container Cabins from $15,000

New Hampshire-based LEED Cabins is making container retreats for as low as $15,000 using FSC woods, energy-efficient windows and doors, LED lights, and other green materials. Read more.

If you’re using shipping containers for a project — whether a house, retreat, tiny home, or otherwise — make sure to let us know. If it’s unique, green, and visually stunning, we’ll share it with readers.

Five Green Books for Your New Kindle

Dec 26th

Amazon is expected to sell more than 8 million Kindles this year, according to Bloomberg. That’s a lot of people and millions more will use Kindle apps for the iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, etc. As a Kindle 3 owner and avid reader myself, it’s nice to have a good book lined up ready to go. So for all you new Kindle owners and app readers, here are five green books to pick up for your new gadget:

Under the Dome by Stephen King:

Allison Arieff, founding editor-in-chief of Dwell, recently said this book “may well be the best environmental book of the decade.“ Being a Stephen King book, what more do you need to know than that? Buy it for $9.99.

The Passage by Justin Cronin:

In this new novel, you’ll read about a virus that wipes out most of the population and a group of quarantined survivors that live on power generated by Californian wind turbines. This book will suck you in, seriously. Buy it for $9.45.

The Mesh by Lisa Gansky:

Gansky explains that “some things are better shared” and describes “mesh” businesses that are good for communities and our planet. Seth Godin randomly sent me a copy, and I’ve enjoyed it. Buy it for $12.99.

The Tiger by John Vaillant:

In The Tiger, Vaillant tells the true story of a hungry tiger that attacks a distant Russian community in the late-1990s and the men in charge of tracking the tiger down. It was named a best book by Amazon in August 2010. Buy it for $9.43.

Greening My Life by David Gottfried.

In this memoir, Gottfried applies the principles of conservation to himself and shares what he describes as “shocking” and “surprising” personal details. The aim of Greening My Life is to create a new dialogue about personal sustainability. Buy it for $9.99.

If you received a good green book or have another recommendation, feel free to share it below. Happy holidays!

Credit: Kodomut.com (top).

Efficiency Dilemma, Chemical Water, Air Sealing, + Tiny Home Subdivisions

Dec 25th

The efficiency dilemma.
Oregon to get a subdivision of tiny houses?
Minimalist homes: antidote to housing market.
Using a blower door to help with air sealing.
Chemicals found in several cities’ drinking water.
European green homes take root in Brooklyn.
Saving energy with a fireplace insert.

Also, check out the latest green jobs and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news.

Happy Holidays and All the Best!

Dec 24th

Happy holidays and all the best from Jetson Green! Stay healthy, keep warm, and enjoy friends and family. We’re going to publish some year-end coverage over the next week that will be great. And we’ll take a look forward. It’s been a fun year and the next will be excellent. In the mean time, if you have a green home or bathroom/kitchen project, submit it for possible publication.

Small, Green, Affordable: Shelter Series

Dec 23rd

After several years of concept and development, architect Ed Binkley came up with “the shelter series” — small, green, affordable abodes — to be used as relief housing, guest housing, small scale developments, or pretty much anything else. These homes range in size from 300-1,400 square feet and can be built without breaking the bank.

Ed binkley design partnered with Miami-based Cabin Fever to manufacture the shelter series at an affordable price — potentially as low as $40-50 per square foot, plus permitting and land. Indeed, the systems-built approach allows for assembly with reduced on-site labor costs.

The purpose of the shelter series is to “bridge the gap between mass market housing and very low-end housing that often does not address the livability or design style factor,” according to Ed Binkley. Materials to be used include corrugated siding, Hardi panels, and SIPs roofing.

Though the shelter series is suited for any region or demographic, Cabin Fever and ed binkley design envision these homes in both Haiti and as far away as Africa. Parts and components for up to six homes can be squeezed into a single shipping carrier, balancing the cost of transportation among several homes.

Credits: ed binkley design.

Geek-Up[12.23.2010]: Muons at the South Pole and Dr. Nick Holoynak

Dec 23rd

Earlier today, the Energy Blog featured Los Alamos National Lab’s system to track Santa. However, while there is a lot of attention focused on the North Pole right now, the Geek-Up[date] team is taking a look at the opposite end of the Earth. This past weekend, a collaborative group of 40 institutions from around the world, including DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, celebrated the completion of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. This immense telescope encloses a cubic kilometer of clear ice, beginning one and a half kilometers beneath the surface and extending downward another kilometer. The telescope has to be this big because neutrino-matter collisions are extremely rare. In fact, out of the trillions of neutrinos constantly passing through the ice, IceCube will observe just a few hundred a day.

Tracking Santa — An Interview with the Head Researcher

Dec 23rd

Every year since 1998, the Department of Energy's Los Alamos lab has been using state of the art technology to track Santa Claus as he circles the globe the night before Christmas. You'll be able to start monitoring St. Nick's journey here starting at 6 AM ET on Christmas Eve.

This week, I got a chance to talk to Santa Tracker Head Researcher (and Cibola Flight Experiment Project Leader) Diane Roussel-Dupre to get a little more insight into the program.

Q: How did you get into this line of work? Did you always expect Santa tracking to be a core specialty in your career?

Diane Roussel-Dupre: Developing and flying small experimental satellites to help keep America safer has been a unique career opportunity never envisioned when I was in school. When we first started tracking Santa, we did so to help with his flight safety just in case he had troubles along the way.

Q: What is the hardest part of keeping track of Santa?

Diane Roussel-Dupre: Because of his wish to surprise, Santa does not file a flight path with the Federal Aviation Administration, so we never really know where he will be.

Q: What technologies do you use?

Diane Roussel-Dupre: We believe that Rudolph's glowing, bright red nose puts out optical and infrared light that makes him easy to detect, allowing an optical camera on FORTE to give us a glimpse of Santa and his team. Also, the Federal Aviation Administration requires Santa to fly with a radio transponder on his sleigh, similar to what airplanes use, to ensure flight safety around the world. This transponder can be detected with the radio receiver that flies on-board both the FORTE and Cibola Flight Experiment (CFE) satellites. We will also be using the star cameras on the CFE satellite to look for Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh.

A Reason to Put Science in the Season

Dec 23rd

At this time of year, few people would consider decorating their trees with tinsel …and test tubes. But there’s a good reason to put a bit of science in the season.

Specifically, Christmas Day marks the birth one of the foremost scientists of all time, Sir Isaac Newton. He was born 368 years ago in the town of Woolsthorpe, Linconshire.

Newton is probably best known for being bonked in the head with an apple and discovering gravity as a result. Newton’s most creative years came while he was on a holiday of sorts, staying in the countryside to avoid the plague raging at Cambridge. While there, he seems to have wondered why apples fall downward, instead of sidewise or upward, and realized that the same force pulling them down was keeping the Moon above.

Introducing a New Look Jetson Green!

Dec 23rd

I’ve been working with a fantastic web designer, Dave Onkels of Dotvita, to migrate this massive four-year blog from Typepad to WordPress. After Typepad’s parent company was bought by VideoEgg, I decided it was finally time to make the move. So here’s what you’ll find as you start using the new and improved Jetson Green.

The Site Focus is Now Clear

Over the last four years, this site has published articles on everything tangentially related to “green building.” That is still true and always will be. However, the focus will be residential. Going forward Jetson Green is a “design-oriented site for sustainable homes, natural materials, and green technology.” Please view the revised about page and tell me what you think.

A Simple and Standard Layout

The layout balances content, images, navigation, advertising, and sharing while still keeping things simple. Top navigation groups topics together. Articles include galleries, contributor bios, related links, and share buttons. The footer showcases popular topics and articles. If you experience a bug, please comment below or let me know.

Easy and Vivid Image Galleries

With all articles going forward, you can click an image and rotate through the gallery without having to open and close each photo. Plus, there’s more space, so photos and videos appear larger. I’m doing this because projects and products deserve to look great. Test the new gallery out on this page.

Making Contributors Look Great

All articles now include a short contributor box with background information. In addition, I’m looking for three new contributors – a materials editor, technology editor, and building science expert. I want contributors to look great and receive credit for their contribution. In addition, I’d like to curate more community authorship – like this article by Fellow Chad Floyd – and will showcase them in the process.

Letting Tags Do the Heavy Lifting

I’d want to leverage WordPress tags to help readers drill into topics of interest. Let’s say you want to read more about LEDs or tiny houses or chicken coops. You can do that now. In the next few months, I’ll be updating the categorization of prior articles so that they become a true resource for readers.

On the Hunt for Innovative Projects

I’m looking for the best tips. This site has all new form submissions that you can use if you like. Submit your green home, bathroom remodel, or kitchen renovation. Share your project with the world! Myself and the new editors will curate these projects and post only the best. Here’s a tip, though: excellent photos will increase your chances of being published.

Under the Hood (if you’re interested)

This site is built and made possible with the help of some great technology, including WordPress. In case you’re looking to start a blog or website, perhaps this list will help. Jetson Green uses the Standard Theme, 1and1 domains, Gravity forms, Constant Contact, Bit.ly Pro, Pixelmator, and Feedburner.

And that’s about it. Again, shout out to the team at Dotvita and Dave Onkels for making this possible. Please contact me if you have any problems. There will be some hiccups, but hopefully nothing too drastic. Thank you for your continued readership!

The Facts On Electric Vehicles: Interview with Pat Davis

Dec 22nd

Electric vehicles have been an extremely hot topic lately and no stranger to the Energy Blog. When the first public curbside electric vehicle charging station rolled out in Washington DC, we covered it. And when Secretary Chu got a first-hand look at the Nissan Leaf during a recent visit to Japan, he covered it here on the Energy Blog.

We’re not the only ones talking about Electric Vehicles. From awards, to reviews, to high praise, and tough criticism – it seems everyone has an opinion. That’s why we decided to sit down with our resident expert Pat Davis, the Director of Vehicle Technologies Program at the U.S. Department of Energy, to get the facts on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Take an exclusive look at some of the answers to today's most frequently asked electric vehicle questions.

Storing the Power of the Sun

Dec 22nd

An arial view of the Solana Project, located near Gila Bend, Arizona.

Yesterday, Secretary Chu announced that a $1.45 billion loan guarantee has been finalized for Abengoa Solar Inc.'s Solana project, the first large-scale solar plant in the United States capable of storing energy it generates. This storage capacity allows Solana to bank energy that would normally go unused for times of peak demand, making Solar a more dependable source of energy.

Located near Gila Bend, Arizona, the 250-megawatt (MW) project will be the world's largest parabolic trough concentrating solar plant, producing enough energy to serve 70,000 households and eliminate the emissions of 475,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year compared to a natural gas burning power plant.

60 Homes Get Velux Solar Water Heating

Dec 22nd

On average, water heating is the second largest energy expenditure behind heating and cooling, according to information on the Energy Star website. Folks spend anywhere from $400-$600 per year on water heating, so it’s a good area to scrutinize when trying to save energy at home. In South Carolina, thanks to a grant from the state energy office, 60 homes received shiny, new Velux solar water heating systems to showcase the benefits of this technology.

Southern Energy Management, a certified B corporation (SEM), partnered with Velux to install the systems at a rate of one per day. One system recipient, Ken Newell, said, “anything that can save money is a real godsend. I’m going to be very interested to see my power bill,” according to a press release.

His power bill will certainly fall. The average water-heating bill drops about 50-80% upon the installation of a solar water heater, according to the Department of Energy.

Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (CEPCI) will monitor 25 installations for a year to track how much solar hot water is produced and how much electricity is saved. CEPCI will then use that information to help local customers understand the potential energy savings that can be captured with solar water heating.

In support of the economic proposition, there is a 30% federal tax credit for the purchase and installation of qualifying solar water heating systems placed in service through the end of 2016. On top of that, there may be state and local incentives that make these systems even more financially attractive.

Credit: CEPCI.

Reclaimed Tiny House Built by Students

Dec 21st