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Solar energy is continuing to gain prominence in Bakersfield as Cal State Bakersfield recently completed construction of a 1.2 megawatt, $9.5 million solar parking canopy on campus with Sun Edison as a partner. The parking structure will generate more than 1.6 million kilowatt hours of clean energy in its first year and more than 30 million kilowatts in 20 years. That is enough energy to power more than 3,100 average U.S. homes for one year, according to CSUB. It will offset more than 29 million pounds of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years — the equivalent of taking 2,800 cars off the road.

SunEdison owns the equipment, and CSUB for 20 years will buy the power produced at a predictable and slightly lower rate than power it buys from PG&E. CSUB will also retain the renewable energy credits generated by the production of clean energy from the solar parking canopy.

“CSUB is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and we are taking tangible steps in several areas to enhance our environmental sustainability,” CSUB President Horace Mitchell said in a statement.

New Location for Solar Decathlon 2011 Announced

Feb 23rd

This year’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition will be held at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park. Specifically, between the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Potomac River.

The Solar Decathlon challenges 20 teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.

Your Unanswered Questions…Answered!

Feb 23rd

The day after the State of the Union, Secretary Chu hosted an online town hall to talk about President Obama’s clean energy agenda and answer your questions.

And while Secretary Stephen Chu answered about 10 online questions live during the one-hour online event, we received more than 200!

Over the next few days, we’ll be answering some of the ones that went unanswered that day.

Below are the first three:

Recycle Your Rain with RainPerfect

Feb 23rd

If you’re thinking about collecting rain at home, there’s a chance this product — the RainPerfect solar-powered pump system — could come in handy. Once you have rainwater in the barrel, you’ll want to get it out and that can be done with the help of solar energy, a pump, and a garden hose.

RainPerfect is powered by a NiMH battery that’s charged by a 3.5-watt solar panel (provides a full charge in eight hours). With 15 feet of wire, the solar panel can soak up the sun on a nearby wall or fence or on the ground. It doesn’t need installation right near the rain barrel.

Also, “since it works with solar energy, there is no need for electrical work in order to have an electrical outlet for a rain barrel pump,” said Jeff Schopperle, Product Manager at ITT, manufacturer of RainPerfect.

The control box mounts on top of most styles of rain barrels. Below that, an intake hose and pump drops into the barrel. After attaching a simple garden hose to the control box, you should be able to draw up to 100 gallons on a single charge with a maximum pressure of 13 pounds per square inch.

RainPerfect sells online and through select retailers, according to the manufacturer, with an MRSP of $139.00.

Credits: ITT Corporation.

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How to Save Money, Energy, and Water

Feb 23rd

For the holiday, I mozied down to Home Depot to get some replacement lights and to generally just walk around. I noticed more green products on the shelves and was surprised to see this WaterSense Glacier Bay toilet with Niagara’s Flapperless flush system selling for $88. On the way out, I was given a copy of The Green Guide with these 10 suggestions for saving money, energy, and water.

Replace old bulbs with Energy Star CFLs
Change air filters every three months
Install and use a programmable thermostat
Install WaterSense labeled toilets
Seal and insulated your home’s envelope
Use Kill-A-Watt to eliminate standby energy usage
Update with Energy Star appliances
Insulated your water heater
Switch to an Energy Star electric heat pump water heater
Install solar/wind technology to receive available tax credits

The Green Guide also provides products that consumers can look at when pursuing these 10 strategies. The investment is clear and the potential savings are quantified. In most cases, the financial payback is either immediate or arrives in less than 2-3 years.

But what’s most important, I think, is the fact that Home Depot provides a gateway for typically non-green folks to experiment with conservation in a meaningful way. So, even for folks that don’t normally care about the environment — or that simply purchase on pricing information alone — the company makes it easy to change.

[PDF] Download The Green Guide by Home Depot.

Credits: Home Depot.

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Morphosis Unfolds an Undulating Campus of Grass and Glass in Shanghai

Feb 22nd

Software company Giant Interactive’s new headquarters by Morphosis Architecture is a dream-like space that curls around a lake several canals. The unusually-shaped buildings incorporate a open floor plan to encourage interaction amongst the employees as well as interaction with the landscape. Like the Sun Moon Lake Center we profiled in Taiwan, this green-roofed gem is as organic as it is structural, and it makes strides to soften the experience of the built environment.

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Post tags: china green building, daylight, eco campus, Giant Interactive, green corporate campus, green roof, morphosis architecture, Shanghai green building, sustainable corporate campus

Gorgeous Green House Wrapped in a Vertical Garden

Feb 22nd

This gorgeous greenery-wrapped live/work space in Linkebeek, Belgium was completed by Samyn and Partners in 2007 after 8 years of construction. In the original plans, Samyn and Partners designed the building’s walls to be covered in ivy, while a patinated copper material was chosen for the roof. It’s a blessing that this project took so long to complete — during construction, the original concept for a “green” façade grew stronger and the ivy and copper roof were scrapped in favor of a lush living envelope that features a selection of exotic plants chosen by botanist Patrick Blanc.

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Post tags: “green wall”, “living wall”, “sustainable architecture”, energy efficient architecture, Green Building, green design, green roof, Milly Film, Patrick Blanc, plants, Samyn and Partners, sustainable design, vertical garden

Demolishing Decay at the Hanford Site

Feb 22nd

Taken out of context, the footage above might seem like a mere moment of controlled destruction, but in reality the demolition process documented in this video represents important progress in the cleanup of the environmental legacy of one of America’s most famous scientific undertakings — the Manhattan Project.

The 284 West Power House, which was brought down last week, has been a fixture of the Hanford Site in Washington for nearly 70 years. It was constructed in 1943 to provide the steam necessary for chemical reactions that aide in the processing of plutonium, along with heating nearby facilities. It ceased operations in 1992, and has sat unused for the better part of two decades.

Why is its demolition noteworthy? Well, besides providing the rather epic videofootage above, it actually saves taxpayer money. Even a vacant structure has to be maintained and secured to avoid potential safety hazards that could occur if the structure were to falter. The team at Hanford is also on track to bring down a similar set of structures elsewhere on the site in early March. Both endeavors were made possible thanks to funding from the Recovery Act.

Five Star Modern Home at Sol Austin

Feb 22nd

Sol – solutions oriented living – is an impressive community of 40 modern homes three miles east of downtown Austin. The homes are net-zero energy capable, all-electric, and built to a 4 or 5 Star rating under the Austin Energy Green Building Program. This home earned a 5 Star rating and features an open, contemporary interior.

It was snatched up prior to construction, but a home like this could be built elsewhere in Sol for about $246,000. The two-level Dwell-style abode has 1,331 square feet, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a courtyard area.

Sol homes have 2×6 exterior wall construction, spray-in Icynene insulation, Gerkin Rhino (double-pane, aluminum-frame) windows, FSC-certified wood, Hardie-board cladding, durable metal roofing, geothermal HVAC, efficient appliances, and solar photovoltaics ranging in size from about 3-6 kW. Energy efficiency measures reduce total energy demand to about 50% of a standard code-built home.

The community has a below grade bio-filtration system for the city’s water quality requirements. In addition, homes are rain collection ready and have drought-tolerant, low-impact vegetation to reduce water usage.

Sol is about halfway through completion. Homes are built by Beck-Reit & Sons and designed by KRDB, the same firm behind Ma Modular. In fact, many of the home plans in Sol can be fabricated and shipped outside of Austin through Ma Modular.

Credits: Sol Austin.

Clean Energy Action Star Governor Schwarzenegger to Keynote ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

Feb 22nd

I doubt I was the only one thrilled to hear that former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will keynote the second annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit at the end of this month. 

On top of being the former governor of the State of California and one of the biggest movie stars of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger is also credited with having played a pivotal role in leading the state of California toward one of the cleanest energy economies with some of the boldest long-term goals in the country.  

10 Ways to Save Money, Energy, and Water

Feb 22nd

For the holiday, I mozied down to Home Depot to get some replacement lights and to generally just walk around. I noticed more green products on the shelves and was surprised to see this WaterSense Glacier Bay toilet with Niagara’s Flapperless flush system selling for $88. On the way out, I was given a copy of The Green Guide with these 10 suggestions for saving money, energy, and water.

Replace old bulbs with Energy Star CFLs
Change air filters every three months
Install and use a programmable thermostat
Install WaterSense labeled toilets
Seal and insulated your home’s envelope
Use Kill-A-Watt to eliminate standby energy usage
Update with Energy Star appliances
Insulated your water heater
Switch to an Energy Star electric heat pump water heater
Install solar/wind technology to receive available tax credits

The Green Guide also provides products that consumers can look at when pursuing these 10 strategies. The investment is clear and the potential savings are quantified. In most cases, the financial payback is either immediate or arrives in less than 2-3 years.

But what’s most important, I think, is the fact that Home Depot provides a gateway for typically non-green folks to experiment with conservation in a meaningful way. So, even for folks that don’t normally care about the environment — or that simply purchase on pricing information alone — the company makes it easy to make your home greener.

[PDF] Download The Green Guide by Home Depot.

Credits: Home Depot.

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Top Energy Efficient Tax Credits

Feb 21st

Improve the energy efficiency of your home and tax money at the same time with these energy efficiency tax credits:

1. Fuel Cells

Fuel cells are an incredibly exciting technology that many people do not know about. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electricity. More technically, fuel cells use hydrogen from natural gas as fuel and through a set of reactions, converts the hydrogen fuel to electricity and emit water as a by product. In addition, the waste by product of fuel cells is water as opposed to noxious pollution produced by car engines or coal plants. Fuel cells systems can be expensive to install depending on the application. To mitigate the up front cost of installation, you can take a credit for installing it in your primary residence at 30% of the cost up to $1,000 per kilowatt of power generating capacity.

2. Solar Energy Systems

A a solar water heater or photovoltaic system is an excellent way to bring generating your own electricity and lowering your electric bill. Unfortunately, the up front costs of these systems can be cost prohibitive. To help offset these costs, the U.S. government offers a tax credit based on 30% of the cost (including parts, labor and installation costs) of the solar system with no upper limit. Not only will you be able to benefit from low energy costs in the long term but you can recapture much of your up front investment with this tax credit.

3. Residential Wind Turbines

For those that live in open areas with lots of wind, investing in a residential wind turbine is another excellent way to generate your own electricity and permanently reduce your electric bills. A wind turbine looks essentially like a windmill but it takes wind energy and converts it into mechanical energy (with the wind turbine blades) which is then converted again (through an inverter) into electrical energy for home use. Depending on where you live and how much energy you want to generate, a typical wind turbine kit can range anywhere from $500 to $22,000 for installation. These range from small, simple roof top windmills to large wind turbines that sit a top wind towers. Again, the U.S. government offers a 30% tax credit based on the cost of the system (including parts, labor and installation costs). The tax credit applies to wind turbines installed at your primary or secondary home, whether it is new or old construction, but not on rental property. Also, the capacity must be under 100 kilowatts.

4. Windows, Doors & Skylights

Replacing your windows is a simple and effective way to make your home more energy efficient. Fortunately, the U.S. government agrees and offers a tax credit for 10% of the cost if the window, up to $200 per window. If you elect to replace your doors and skylights, you can get a 10% tax credit of the cost of the replacement up to $500 per item. There is no limit on the number of windows or doors you can replace but only the cost of the actual item is included, no labor expenses. Also, the replacement windows or doors must be Energy Star rated to qualify for the credit.

5. Non-Solar Water Heaters

Approximately 43% of your utility bill goes to heating and cooling. In fact, heating and cooling costs the average homeowner about $1,000 a year for their larger systems. One of the best ways to reduce this amount is by replacing your water heater with an energy efficient water heater. There are different types of energy efficient water heaters, however, no matter which one you choose, you will receive a tax credit for up to $300 of its cost. Remember, not all water heaters are eligible for a tax credit so make you talk with your salesman to make sure your model qualifies before purchasing.

6. Insulation

Insulation is critical to ensuring that your home is energy efficient. Insulation reduces unwanted heat loss or gain and can decrease the energy demands of heating and cooling systems. Without proper insulation, all of the energy efficient tips for your home heating and cooling are ineffective. The U.S. government offers a tax credit for 10% of the cost of the new insulation, not including labor or installation costs, up to $500. Eligible products include batts, rolls, blow-in fibers, rigid boards, expanding spray, and pour-in-place. Products that air seal (reduce air leaks) can also qualify (such as weather stripping, spray foam in a can designed to air seal, caulk designed to air seal and house wrap) as long as they come with a Manufacturers Certification Statement.

7. HVAC Systems & Upgrades

As stated above, approximately 43% of your utility bill goes to heating and cooling, so improvements to these systems will really help you lower your energy bill.

Advanced main air circulating fan: Get a $50 credit on the cost of a fan to more efficiently move air through your furnace and duct system.
Air source heat pumps: Common in moderate climates, this system moves air between the outside and inside of your home to heat it in the winter and cool it in the summer. It’s up to four times more efficient than a regular HVAC system, costs a lot less, and you can get up to a $300 credit on the cost of buying a system for your home.
Central air conditioning systems: In less temperate climates, you can still purchase an energy efficient central air system and get up to a $300 credit on its cost. Your HVAC contractor should be able to provide you with a certification stating that it qualifies for this tax credit.
Gas, propane, or oil hot water boiler: These systems provide heat through pipes in the baseboards or floorboards of a home that carry hot water…they include a $150 tax credit off its cost, which also includes installation costs.
Natural gas, propane, or oil furnace: If you purchase an energy-efficient furnace, you’re eligible to get a credit of up to $150 of the cost of purchasing the system.
Biomass stoves: Before the green movement, these were more often called “wood stoves.” Of course, now that you can purchase models that burn plant fibers, agricultural waste, and other items that were formerly headed for the dump, they get a fancy new name. You can get a $300 tax credit on the cost of purchasing a new stove, as long as its thermal efficiency rating is at least 75%.

Craftsman Style Platinum in Tallahassee

Feb 21st

As of January 2011, this is believed to be the highest scoring LEED Platinum home in the state of Florida with 112 points. Located at 4512 Grove Park in Tallahassee, the craftsman bungalow style home is owned by Mark and Linda Powell and features two-level living, SIPs construction, a large solar PV array, and EPA Indoor airPLUS certification.

The home is 3,000 square feet and earned a HERS index of 18 — i.e., it’s about 82% more efficient than a standard code-built home (a net-zero home would receive a HERS index of 0). The home has Bosch appliances, Energy Star televisions, a GreenSmart Fireplace Extrordinair, SIP wall and roof panels, and a WaterFurnace geothermal heat pump.

To capture renewable energy from the sun, the home has a 5.2 kW Sharp photovoltaic system and a 50-gallon Progressive Tube solar hot water system with an 80-gallon conventional tank and recirculation loop.

For water savings, the home in Southwood has WaterSense fixtures, native landscaping, micro irrigation, pervious concrete and walks, rainwater harvesting, and a rain garden.

Other green products include sustainably harvested heart pine floors (Red Hills Lumber), fiber cement shake siding (Nichiha), low-VOC paints (ProMar), wheatboard kitchen and bath cabinets (Koch), interior doors (CraftMaster), and an FSC certified entry door (MAI). Lastly, the air is maintained with an ERV and HEPA/MERV 13 filters.

All in all, this home demonstrates sensible traditional style, a balanced and impressive green approach, and the collaboration of several members of a project team including architect Kevin Sossong, builder Jake Myddleton, landscape designer David Copps, and interior designers Leilani Aletras and Barry Pujals.

I first learned about this home from owner Mark Powell through our new green home submission form, where you can submit your newly completed green home for potential publication on JetsonGreen.com

Credits: Kevin and Dominick Sossong.

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Sun Moon Lake’s Green-Roofed Visitor Center Melts Into its Surroundings

Feb 20th

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Post tags: Eco Architecture, green roof, Hisiangshan Visitor Center, Landform Series, Norihiko Dan and Associates, roof garden, Sun Moon lake, Taiwan

Our Purpose, Aim, and Mission

Feb 20th

In conjunction with the launch of this site’s new design (which has been an unbelievable success to date), I thought long and hard about the direction of Jetson Green. I can’t say where this site will be in five years, but it occurred to me that the best focus was the residential context. Thus, Jetson Green is not just a green building site any more, it’s a “design-oriented site for sustainable homes, natural materials, and green technology.”

Beyond that, you may wonder, what’s really going on here? What’s the overall purpose, aim, or mission?

Well, first and foremost, we’re trying to improve homes and lives. We’re not just publishing information, and we’re definitely not advancing any political agenda. We’re not after needless consumption. Rather, we see things like beautiful design and green technology as critical avenues to abundant living — to making the world better because we’re here.

So here’s a first attempt to state what perhaps the mission of this site will be:

The mission of Jetson Green is the enhance homes, and the lives of people in them, with beautiful design, smart construction, resource conservation, energy efficiency, water efficiency, green technology, and renewable energy.

Now, to take a step back, let me say that mission statements tend to have no meaning. They’re a bunch of words for some companies. But hopefully not this one. In that vein, you may notice subtle changes here in the next few months.

Expect to see more tools and resources (e.g., find a solar pro or how tos). Expect to meet a materials editor and a technology editor. Expect to see more commentary from domain experts. And expect to see us collaborating with the community and sponsors like never before. All of this would be to facilitate the mission.

I also want to say that I appreciate your readership, participation, and perspective. Feel free to drop me a line at preston at jetsongreen dot com, if you have a feedback or want to discuss opportunities for sponsoring this site or working together in the future.

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Frank Gehry’s Looming Spruce 8 Tower in NY Not Seeking LEED But Has Some Green Features

Feb 20th

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Post tags: “leed”, 8 Spruce Street, beekman tower, Eco Architecture, Frank Gehry, Gehry, green architecture, Green Building, green design, new york architecture, new york by frank gehry, new york city

Costly Dirty Coal, Efficient Lights, Resale Efficiency, + Passive Canada

Feb 19th

Coal’s shocking hidden health/eco costs.
For resale value, think about energy efficiency.
Consumer have many energy-efficient light options.
Philips: LEDs to take about 50% of market by 2015.
GE pitches halogens as incandescent substitution.
New green life for an old neglected house.
Going for Passive House in Canada.

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

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Outlandia Treehouse Art Studio Set in the Lush Scottish Highlands

Feb 19th

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Post tags: Adam Dant, Art, Artist retreat, artist studio, Lochaber College, London Fieldworks, Malcolm Fraser Architects, Outlandia, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, sustainable design, Sustainable Materials, tree house

Victor: Serene Meditation and Tea Hut by Jeffery Poss

Feb 19th

In our busy world, people go to great lengths for serenity. What could be more relaxing than sipping tea in your own private tea house on a tranquil pond? Architect Jeffery Poss’ private Victor Meditation Hut is the ideal de-stresser, built on the edge of a quiet Illinois lake.

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Post tags: Green Building, green design, japanese architecture, Jeffery S. Poss, meditation, meditation hut, sustainable design, tea house

Japan to Build World’s Fastest Train: A 310MPH Maglev Monster

Feb 18th

China and Japan have been constantly trying to outdo each other when it comes to high-speed rail. Now, the Central Japan Railway Company has announced that it plans to build the world’s fastest train. The train, to be completed in 2027, will travel between Tokyo and Nagoya on a 178 miles rail extension line, estimated to cost about $64 billion. The speedy train will run up to 310 miles per hour, cutting down the hour and half long journey by 40 minutes — the current line runs at about 167 miles per hour.

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Post tags: china, china high speed rail, high speed rail, HSR, Japan, japan high-speed rail, maglev train, maglev trains, passenger rail, rail, rail line

VIDEO INTERVIEW: Stewart Brand Says Nuclear Power Could Save the World

Feb 18th

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stewart Brand is an author, environmentalist, and above all, best known for his work as the founder of the Whole Earth Catalog. In 1966 Brand was one of the first environmentalists to push NASA — already with satellites orbiting the Earth — to release a picture of the “whole Earth” from space. He believed that a photo could be a powerful image for the then very young environmental movement, and when it was finally delivered to the world by the US government in 1968, it helped push the creation of Earth Day in 1970. An eco-trailblazer from the start, Brand recently penned the Whole Earth Discipline: An Eco-Pragmatist Manifesto, his sixth publication which explores how the Earth and its people are propelled by three transformations: climate change, urbanization and biotechnology. Recently, our very own Editor-in-Chief Jill Fehrenbacher had the chance to pick Brand’s brain, finding a thought-provoking discussion where Brand confers his belief that nuclear power might just be our green energy savior. Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the whole interview after the jump!

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Post tags: environmentalist view on nuclear, inhabitat interviews, is nuclear power clean energy, is nuclear power green, is nuclear power sustainable, stewart brand, stewart brand interview, what is clean energy, whole earth catalog, whole earth discipline

Racing Ahead in Automotive Education

Feb 18th

Where will the next generation of automotive innovation come from? That’s a question that’s driving discussion throughout the auto industry at the moment, and many hope that the answer lies in the next generation of engineers. Unfortunately, while many young engineers are eager to put their talents towork developing breakthrough transportation technologies, not many U.S. universities have multidisciplinary instructional programs that focus on cutting-edge automotive technologies.

At the Department of Energy, we know that we need to out-educate the rest of the world in order to out-innovate them. That’s why we’re offering $5 million to establish and support Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Centers of Excellence. These awards will fund curriculum development and expansion, in addition to student fellowship opportunities for graduate engineering degrees in critical automotive technologies, ensuring that the next generation of engineers have all the tools and opportunities they need to make a real impact on the American auto industry.

Florida Solar Power Struggling to Lift Off

Feb 18th

Some of the best states for solar power have enacted renewable energy portfolio standards as a way of forcing state utility providers to diversify their sources of energy production. California, for example, has mandated that 25% of its electricity must come from renewable sources by 2020 and Gov. Schwarzenegger, before he left office, signed an executive order increasing it to 33%.

Florida, on the other hand, has no mandatory renewable energy portfolio. However, the state’s largest utility, Florida Power & Light Co., does not see this as a problem for the future of solar power in Florida.According to Buck Martinez, senior director of development for FPL. “It’s an incentive (solar power), because it allows us to diversify our portfolio and increase our security,” he said.

Martinez says about 60% of the energy FPL produces today comes from natural gas. By the time the company finishes projects currently in the pipeline, that figure will go up to about 76%. On top of this, Florida relies not only on natural gas but also on imported fuels. According to the University of Central Florida, 73% of Florida’s electricity is produced from imported fossil fuels — either from out of the state or out of the country. According to Sean Stafford, an energy consultant and lobbyist, “The state’s putting all its eggs in the natural-gas basket…[n]atural gas is cheap because the economy is in the tank, but when the economy gets better, and demand rises, prices will rise again.”

What is even more disconcerting for Florida citizens is that the pipelines that supply natural gas to FPL come from the Gulf of Mexico which subject the company and its customers to substantial risk if something were to happen to those pipes, whether by natural causes or man-made causes. This kind of unbalanced portfolio is not healthy for supply reasons as well as long-term price stability.

As a result of this, FPL is beginning to diversify its sources of energy voluntarily. Moreover, they see solar power as a way to expand their fuel mix and add provide themselves and their customers stability where there would be spikes in price and/or demand in natural gas or fossil fuels. FPL recently finished building three solar facilities that produce 110 megawatts of electricity and has plans to build at least 500 megawatts more, expanding the percentage of Florida’s energy that comes from renewable sources, which currently stands at just 2 percent.

Another element to FPL’s decision to invest in solar power is long-term cost. Solar farms are much more expensive to construct than natural gas facilities in the short-term. However, over the long term, the cost of these facilities goes down enormously because there is no cost of fuel with solar power. Natural gas facilities, like other fossil fuel facilities, have much higher long-term cost primarily due to cost of fuel. Approximately 85% of energy costs in fossil fuel facilities lie in fuel price…in fact, Florida is currently spending $30 billion a year to buy the fossil fuels in needs for its energy. On top that, fuel prices are variable depending on demand and whether there is enough supply. The bottom line is that solar power translates into more stable energy costs over the long term for utility providers and customers.

The primary complicating factor to all of this is that someone needs to finance the initial investment to build solar facilities. While utilities like FPL, use the cost recovery model to shift some of the burden on to their customers, this does cover all of there costs particularly the up-front immediate construction costs. FPL does say that it has found ways to lower solar construction costs since the implementation, however, as of yet, Florida is not helping utilities offset construction costs related to energy diversification. Until that happens, utility providers like FPL might be the exception and not the rule.

Students Learn about Wind Power First-Hand through Wind for Schools Program

Feb 18th

For years, Jenny Christman tried to find a way to get a wind turbine to educate the students at Northumberland Middle and High Schoolabout wind power. The Northumberland County Public Schools instructional technology resource teacher and veteran science teacher of 27 years had tried before to secure a grant for a turbine, but with little success. Now, with help from the Wind for Schools project and the Virginia Center for Wind Energy at James Madison University, the students at Northumberland are learning about wind power first-hand from the newly-constructed turbine at their school.

Geek-Up[2.18.2011]: Record-Setting Efficiency

Feb 18th

Earlier this month, Secretary Chu announced the details of the Department’s “SunShot” initiative to reduce the total costs of solar energy systems by about 75% by 2020, making solar cost competitive without subsidies with other forms of energy. Building on the Department’s ten years of solar energy research and development, this initiative works to further advance American ingenuity and leadership in clean energy technologies. In fact, over the past decade, the Department has invested more than $1 billion in solar energy research which has subsequently leveraged more than $2 billion in private industry funding.

Traditional NZE Home in Connecticut

Feb 18th

I’m told this is the first net-zero energy home in Connecticut. Yes, this LEED Platinum project in Killingworth produces more energy than it uses. It does that with a design to minimize energy consumption, solar panels, and a geothermal HVAC system – no energy for this home comes from fossil fuel-based sources. It has no boiler or furnace.

The NZE home was designed by Whitney Huber with energy engineer Consulting Engineering Services, Inc. (CES) for owners Mary O’Neill Keithan and George Keithan.

With 3,600 square feet, the design and construction had to done right. It was oriented to maximize solar gain, and precut framing was used to minimize waste. All joints, plates, and connections were sealed to control infiltration.

Walls were placed with advanced framing techniques, 10″ thick double offset studs, above grade spray foam (R42), and an exterior foam board cover to minimize thermal bridging. The roof has 14″ of spray foam and 2″ of XPS foam board (R62).

The energy-efficient windows are a Marvin tri-pane version with a 0.25 U-value. Above some of the windows, exterior sunshades help minimize harsh solar heat gain during the middle of the day. Inside, the home is lit with LEDs and a whole-house lighting control system. You won’t find incandescent lights here.

The main house has 10 solar hot water panels from Alternate Energy Technologies that generate about 20,000 kWh per year of electricity, according to CES. A 940 gallon, insulated water storage tank in the basement holds hot water that’s harvested throughout the day. The barn is covered with 65 photovoltaic panels from Schüco.

Excess electricity is fed into the grid and there’s even some additional capacity to power an electric car sometime in the future.

This home achieved a HERS rating of -7, which, you might notice, would never show up on the recent label introduced by KB Home. That’s how high performance this home is.

And for all of the above, according to CES’s case study, the project team and owners received several awards and recognition. Indeed, for feeding renewable energy into the grid and paying back some of what was incurred in construction, as William McDonough might say, the world is “better because you’re here.”

Credits: Marvin Windows and Doors; CES (solar barn).

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Better Because You’re Here [Video]

Feb 18th

There’s a YouTube channel with four videos of William McDonough’s “Deep Dive” at West Coast Green 2010. All of them are worth watching, but I thought it would be worthwhile to share the one about NASA’s innovative Sustainability Base in Silicon Valley.

McDonough explains that when you have a positive-energy building, you’re “making renewable energy for the planet, and you’re paying back the energy it took to make the building, and the world gets better because you’re here, not worse!”

Now that’s an interesting phrase, “better because you’re here.” Isn’t that what we’re after? Imagine that you — your home, footprint, and existence — make the world better because you’re here. That’s something we should aspire to, I believe.

Noticed: The Cradle to Cradle Portal.

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As demand for recreational facilities in the pristine wilderness grows, so does our footprint. At the same time, the prospect of staying in a mountaintop cabin in the Swiss Alps with views from the top of the world is irresistible. The Eco-Temporary Refuge is one proposed solution that consists of a small cabin that can be helicoptered to the site and set up on embedded pipe piers. Cimini Architettura‘s solar-powered retreat is designed to be fully self-supporting, and it can be removed with minimum impact to the site.

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Over 7,000 Cassettes Used to Construct Pop Up Tapehouse in Edinburgh

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Read the rest of Over 7,000 Cassettes Used to Construct Pop Up Tapehouse in Edinburghhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

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More Regional Science Bowl Winners

Feb 17th